Untamed Land

Untamed Land
Untamed Land

Sunday, April 24, 2016

A New Post

Considering that this is my first post since January, you may have thought that I had died. I may be mostly dead but there are many reasons that I have not posted. Everything from health issues, a job loss due to those health issues, computer problems,(it died), and a new move to a better place.
I also have not lifted a paint brush yet this year nor pulled my camera out of the closet until last Monday. These photos were all taken by Bart Quimby. The photo above is Bart's wife Sandy in Archangel Valley above Palmer. Yes, it's still Winter up in the mountains.
Do you see what Sandy is looking at?
These are Willow Ptarmigans.
If they don't move you are likely to pass them by without ever noticing them.
They are delightful birds and often very tame around humans.
They can produce very pleasant soft clucking noises and also a demented cackle that sounds to me like they are saying, "go away".
They are good eating although I have never eaten one.
Sometimes they burrow deep into the snow to keep warmer.
This male is showing the first hint of the changeover to breeding plumage. They retain a lot of white all year.
They have black tails although they are often covered by white feathers.
Bart also got some nice shots of Mt. Denali, (formerly McKinley).
The mountain is seldom visible because of the unstable weather that the mountain creates..

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