Happy Moose Monday, friends! Look closely and you can see why it's always wise to purify your drinking water in the backcountry...
Hope your week is off to a great start and as always, thank you for following along!
Colin
Late Golden Hour
When the golden hour doesn't start until close to 10 pm, it's tough to stick to an early to bed/early to rise schedule. Try as might I just can't pass up evening light like this, so I will soak it up while it lasts and six months from now when we are in perpetual winter shade, I'll be glad I did.
Have a great weekend. The forecast calls for ample light and beautiful opportunities!
Colin
Alaska Wild Rose
Greater yellowlegs perched in a spruce tree.
Late Night Sunsets
We had a nice light show in the valley around 11 pm last night. The sun sets at 11:36 pm today and will set at 11:43 pm on June 21 - summer solstice and the longest day in the northern hemisphere. Somehow these long days are exhausting and invigorating all at once.
Have a great day and thanks for following along!
Colin
Calypso Orchids
The forest floor has come to life recently with geraniums, roses, and harebells blooming all around. Earlier this spring we had a bumper crop of calypso orchids - more than I've ever seen here, including the less common white orchid. In the nearly five years that I've been living at the Nature Center, they seem to have proliferated quite well!
Colin
Moose Monday
Hello everyone. It's Moose Monday!
This guy has been making a splash in local ponds recently. He is one of at least 3 bulls that I've seen in the area in the past few weeks. As their diet changes in the spring, so does the shape and consistency of their droppings and for this reason, is often mistaken for bear scat, which there is also an abundance of right now.
Colin
Summer Digital Photography Class
Hello everyone! Just a quick shoutout before the weekend to announce that I am offering a beginning digital photography class at the Eagle River Nature Center on Sunday, July 21 from 9 am to 5 pm. Cost is $75 and limited to ten people. If you or anyone you know would like to learn more about nature photography while gaining a better understanding of digital cameras and shooting in manual mode, please follow the link below to register. One person has already signed up and I anticipate that this will fill quickly, so don't hesitate!
Thank you and have a fantastic weekend!
Colin
Empty Nesting
Look 'hoo' is out of the nest! When I visited this great horned owl family previously, this juvenile was still in the nest while its sibling had ventured out to a nearby branch. Now they are both out of the nest and will not return. Young may leave the nest as early as 5 weeks old by hopping onto branches and begin flying at 9-10 weeks of age.
Seeing as how this is graduation season, are there any human parents out there experiencing empty nest feelings??
Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and thank you for following along!
✌️🦉 Colin
Saw-Whet! Say What??
"I saw it!"
"Saw what?"
"A saw-whet!"
"Say what???"
That's right, I saw it! The northern saw-whet owl. At 7-8 inches in height and weighing less then 4 ounces, it is one of the smallest owls in North America and we are on the northern edge of its range here in Southcentral Alaska. In fact, saw-whets just started showing up in this area within the past 10 years. They are elusive little creatures and mostly nocturnal.
Have a great Memorial Day out there and enjoy this last day of the holiday weekend!
Colin
More Moose on the Road...
Following up on my post from two days ago regarding moose on the roadways, this morning was another reminder when a cow with two newborn calves were trying to cross the Eagle River Road. The calves either weren't able or weren't willing to make it over the guardrail, so mom kept going back to try convince them to follow her. Cars were stopped for several minutes in both directions until two vehicles pushed ahead, forcing the cow to step back over the guardrail to be with her calves, only to return to the road after they passed.
Before I left she had stepped off the road to be closer to her calves, so I was able to pass by without causing them to retreat. I understand being in a hurry, but unless it's an emergency, please allow wildlife to safely cross the roadways, especially the newborns.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Colin
"Give 'em a Brake"
"Give moose a 'brake'" is the slogan we're accustomed to seeing on Alaska highways. Rounding a curve and meeting one of these giants could end poorly for both parties, and they do not always yield the right of way.
Just a reminder on this Wednesday to watch for moose, and all wildlife, that we often share the roads with.
✌️
Colin
Somebody's Watching Me
"I always feel like somebody's watching me..." 🦉
I often wonder how many times I've walk past an owl, a lynx, or any stealthy creature that is observing me intently while I am completely and blissfully unaware.
Happy Monday out there! Here's to a great start to the week.
Colin
New Life in the Valley
Spring is in full swing here in Eagle River Valley and new life it popping up all around! I passed by this nesting great horned owlet this morning. One of the adults was perched nearby and I could hear its mate in the vicinity as well.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Image taken with the Nikon D850.
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mothers in the world!
Enjoy your special day,
Colin
PS - I am still offering 25% off all canvas and metal prints until midnight tonight (AK ST).
Polar bear sow and cub. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
National Parks Week
It's Friday and in honor of National Parks Week, here is an image of a bull caribou in Denali National Park with our nation's tallest mountain looming in the background. Have a great weekend - get out and enjoy our wild spaces!
Colin
Anchorage Sunset
Last night's sunset over Mt. Susitna (aka "Sleeping Lady") was incredible! I was fortunate to catch the tail end of it over Westchester Lagoon around 10 pm.
Happy "Over the Hump" Day!
Colin
Earth Day Solitude
Yesterday's theme was solitude. I spent the entire day hiking in Eagle River Valley without another soul around. Snow fell throughout the day, adding to my peaceful surroundings. Pictured here is Dew Lake, where I stopped on my way to search for another lake a few miles further back and across the river. I found the hidden lake, or Knob Lake, as it's named on local maps. It's a location I will revisit when the time is right, or if I just need a bit of solitude.
Colin
Earth Day 2019
Happy Earth Day 2019! This day will always remain significant to me for many reasons: https://www.colintyler.com/news/2015/4/22/from-ashes-to-adventure-one-year-in-this-big-giant-life?rq=from%20ashes%20to%20ad
In keeping with tradition on this date, I am off to explore a location that is new to me and thankfully the rain has turned to snow for my day hike excursion. I took this image last year on Earth Day in Hatcher Pass, Alaska. Exactly one month later it made the Daily Dozen at National Geographic Yourshot.
Colin
Happy April 20
Even though it's 4-20 it doesn't look like the temperature will get very high today. I woke up to a couple inches of fresh snow and more is on the way.
Have a great Saturday out there!
Colin
Feather Detail
After photographing this pair of swans in the same small body of water for five consecutive springs, it can be difficult to come up with new and interesting compositions. In this instance, I decided to let go of the big picture and just appreciate the exquisite detail in the feathers.
Have a great day out there and maybe try look at a familiar scene from a new perspective...
Colin
Drooling Swan
Here's a new swan image to start out the new week! This is one of the last photos I took of the pair before they continued northward on their migrational journey. Have a great Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
