After my day in Denali National Park last week, I spent a few days in Fairbanks waiting for the skies to clear in hopes of auroras. On Saturday I drove around the Delta Junction area until I found a great place to set up for the lights. It turned out that I was a day early for the auroras, but I did see and photograph my first northern hawk owl!
Enjoy, and thank you for following along.
Colin
Autumn Equinox in Denali
Hello and Happy Autumn, everyone! This is where I spent the autumnal equinox last week - in the shadow of North America's tallest peak. Wildlife sightings weren't as abundant as I'd hoped for but we had wonderful weather in the park with varying perspectives of Denali throughout the day.
There is still plenty of fall color in South Central Alaska but it's going fast, so I will enjoy it while I can. As always, thank you for following along!
Colin
Denali at sunrise, September 22, 2020
Autumn Bull Moose
Bull moose in fall colors, taken recently on a crisp, sunny morning. This is a healthy bull going into his prime years and next year his antlers will likely grow even larger.
Hey if you or anyone you know is interested in sharpening their camera skills, I have just one spot left in this weekend's "Intermediate Wildlife Photography Class" at the Eagle River Nature Center (Alaska). There will be a Zoom class Friday evening followed by 3-hour individual lessons throughout the weekend. Cost is $85, more details and registration here: https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography?fbclid=IwAR17nEwWRXVWLYasWBB2eEyZrWmh-2QiU75ERPtamHIGMudmFxMqYhYeSMI
Thank you and feel free to share!
Colin
Headlong into Autumn
It feels like we're going headlong into autumn with our first touch of frost this morning. The temps and the colors are changing fast here and it looks like a few sunny days and chilly nights are in store.
Have a great weekend, wherever you are, and thank you for following along!
Colin
Eagle Peak Emerges from Morning Fog
Eagle Peak reveals itself as the enveloping morning fog lifts into the sunlight in this time lapse video. It looks like we've got a beautiful weekend ahead of us in South Central AK so get out & enjoy the autumn sunshine if you can!
Thank you for following,
Colin
Eagle Peak reveals itself as the enveloping morning fog lifts into the sunlight in this time lapse video. It looks like we've got a beautiful weekend ahead of us in South Central AK so get out & enjoy the autumn sunshine if you can!
Thank you for following,
Colin
September Brown Bear
Being able to stay submerged in 35Ëš water for an extended time is a testament to the layers of insulation these bears pack on every year at the end of summer. There weren't many salmon to be had but the photo opportunities were abundant on this morning!
Reminder that I am teaching a wildlife photography class at the Eagle River Nature Center on the weekend of September 18-20. There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening followed by 3-hour individual lessons on Saturday & Sunday and there are only two spots left! Cost is $85, more details and registration here: https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography?fbclid=IwAR17nEwWRXVWLYasWBB2eEyZrWmh-2QiU75ERPtamHIGMudmFxMqYhYeSMI
Happy Monday out there and thank you for following along. Feel free to share!
Colin
National Wildlife Day 2020
Happy National Wildlife Day 2020! This morning was a little more productive in terms of fauna, with this healthy looking bruin on the lookout for salmon.
This is also a reminder that I am teaching an intermediate wildlife photography class at the Eagle River Nature Center in two weeks. Cost is $85 and there are only two spots left. There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening, September 18, followed by 3-hour individual sessions with everyone throughout the weekend. More details and registration at the following link: https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography
Thank you for following along and have a great weekend!
Colin
Foggy Autumn Morning Time Lapse
Wildlife activity was slow yesterday morning but the rolling fog and autumn colors were wonderful, so I decided to create a short time lapse video.
Enjoy!
Colin
September Wildlife Photography Class
Hello everyone! Looks like we've got a few more soggy days ahead of us, as it goes with this time of year. Hey I am offering an intermediate wildlife photography course later this month at the Eagle River Nature Center (Alaska). There will be a Zoom class on Friday evening, Sept. 18, followed by 3-hour individual sessions with me throughout the weekend. Space is limited due to the individual lessons and two of the five spaces are already filled, leaving room for 3 more (however I could take 2 or 3 family members in one session). Cost is $85 and attendees must have either taken one of my beginning courses or have a firm grasp of shooting in manual exposure mode. Follow the link below to register.
Thank you and stay dry out there!
Colin
https://www.ernc.org/courses/intermediate-wildlife-photography
Kenai Brown Bears Instead of Iceland
I keep mulling over the fact that I should be in Iceland right now getting ready to lead a tour. I was scheduled to depart yesterday but since traveling there isn't possible right now, I made the best of a beautiful summer day and found some Alaskan brown bears fishing for salmon. All in all, it was a good alternative.
Have a great weekend out there!
Colin
Young brown bear fishing for salmon in the Kenai River
Moose Monday, August Edition
Summer is winding down and this guy's antlers are almost finished growing for the season. Soon he will shed the nourishing velvet layer and carry his polished crown into early winter, when it will be dropped to make room for next year's.
Happy Moose Monday out there!
Colin
Timing and Perspective
This is one of two local bull moose I've been watching and photographing this season and I recently captured an intense moment while it was feeding. The pose appears intimidating, though it was really just a matter of timing and being eye-level with my subject that I was able to come away with this image in the brief moment that he raised his head and moved positions. So I guess one could say that sometimes both timing and perspective are everything.
Have a great day out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
Image taken with Nikon D850.
Saw-whet Owlet Banding
Saw-whet owlet banding - this is the followup to yesterday's post. Last month I was able to join local owl enthusiast Andrew Fisher along with a biologist from the State of Alaska to observe and photograph the banding of saw-whet fledglings. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the seasonal behaviors of northern saw-whets, so banding these fledglings will help provide useful clues to their travel & migration habits if they are discovered in a future survey.
It was a privilege to accompany these experts into the field and take part in owl research. I hope you enjoy the images and the cuteness overload!
Colin
Saw-whet Owl Box Monitoring
Happy Wednesday out there, everyone! This is the first of two posts from a pair of unique experiences I had earlier this season. First, I joined local owl enthusiast Andrew Fisher as he checked nesting boxes in the Anchorage area. Using an endoscope that broadcasts a live image onto his phone, he was able to peer into the boxes to see whether they were occupied and had clutches of eggs. Andrew builds and maintains these boxes on a volunteer basis to support the growing population of northern saw-whet owls in Southcentral Alaska. After determining which boxes were occupied, I later joined Andrew and a biologist with the State of Alaska to observe and photograph the banding of several fledglings. I will share those photos in the coming days, so please stay tuned.
Have a great day and thank you for following along!
Colin
Adult northern saw-whet owl.
Weekend Rainbows?
I do believe I've found it - the rainbow connection! Can't get enough of these late evening 'bows. Have a great weekend, wherever you are. There is some rain in the forecast for South Central Alaska, and that is half of the ingredients for a rainbow.
Happy light chasing!
Colin
Late evening rainbow, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Yawning Owlet
Rise & shine! Good morning out there. It looks to be a lovely start to the day with a forecast of clouds & rain in the days ahead so enjoy the sunshine if you can.
Also, here's a yawning great horned owlet...
Cheers,
Colin
Another Sunset Rainbow!
Wouldn't you know it, we had another sunset rainbow last night! These late evening light shows have been spectacular and if you live in the Anchorage/Eagle River area, I hope you have been enjoying them as well.
Cheers,
Colin
Rainbow at the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
The Summer of Double Rainbows
This certainly has been the summer of double rainbows in Eagle River Valley! After last year's dry season, I welcome the rain and its subsequent light shows.
Have a magical Monday out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
The Owls Return
It's always nice to start my day with owls. Shortly after this juvenile great horned owl began flying it left the area for a couple weeks. I was happy to see it return with its mother to their former hunting grounds.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Juvenile Great Horned Owl, Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
August 2020 Iceland Tour Postponed
Well, last week we got word that Iceland will not be allowing visitors from the US at this time. Prior to then it seemed they were going to add us to the list of countries who are welcome but their government ultimately decided to follow the same plan for reopening as the EU and with the number of rising Covid-19 cases here, we do not meet the criteria. Michael L Haring and I had not choice but to postpone the August tour until 2021, which is disappointing but also completely understandable. The good news is that all of our guests are on board for next year and once things look more promising, we will nail down the dates for August of 2021 so please stay tuned for that!
All the best,
Colin
Seljalondsfoss, Iceland