Aleutians etc

This post is the last entry from Bart and Sandy's trip to Dutch Harbor and Unalaska. I must admit that I do not know which village this is.

A flock of gulls, probably Glaucous-winged or B. L. Kittiwakes.

Horned Puffins like this one, occupy a much smaller range than the commoner Tufted Puffin.

A pair of Common Murres.

A dark colored seabird takes wing.

There are a few possibilities as to its identity. Possibly a dark morph Northern Fulmar, or a Short-tailed, or Sooty Shearwater. If I was there to see its relative size or other subtle field marks, then maybe I would be more sure about what it was. Any Thoughts?

I am more confident that this bird is a Pomarine Jaeger (Skua).

Back on land is another Gray-crowned Rosy Finch.

Saying goodbye to the Aleutian chain, it is appropriate to see some eagles.

The long ferry ride back to Homer.

Back in Homer, Gary who lives in Homer, measures his shoe to a bear track.

A bull Moose on his property. In Alaska if you want a particular tree to survive being eaten by Moose, you have to protect it until it grows too big for the Moose.

The Aleutians continued

Getting back to Bart and Sandy's trip to the Aleutian Islands is an overlook of what I believe is Dutch Harbor. Since I have not personally been there I cannot be sure.

Like I mentioned in the last post, Bald eagles are abundant in the area. These are fledgelings still in the nest.

The vigilant adult is nearby.

A Lapland Longspur, (bunting) forages on the beach.

A Gray-crowned Rosy Finch forages nearby.

Offshore a group of Steller's Sea Lions gathers nearby.

A Humpback Whale dives.

A Pigeon Guillemot catches its dinner.

It comes ashore to enjoy its bounty.

The Harbor Seal missed its chance to steal the fish.

Continuing down the road to see what else there is to find.

This must be a Red Fox but it looks a lot like a Coyote from this angle.

Stay tuned for more...

Dutch Harbor and Unalaska

A few weeks ago Bart and Sandy took the Alaska Ferry from Homer to Dutch Harbor at the base of the Aleutian Island chain. It is a long journey into the treeless wilds of western Alaska. These great photos were all taken by Bart.

There is very little human presense here.

Unalaska is one of the small settlements in this part of the state. It is a small Aleut native village and a center of commercial fishing.

Crab fishing drives much of the local economy.

During World War ll the U.S. military built defenses in the area. These are quonset huts.

Fortified Bunkers to repel the invading Japanese..

Bald Eagles are numerous in the area. This is a sub-adult.

An Arctic Ground Squirrel keeps a wary lookout for hungry eagles.

Red Foxes are an even bigger threat to the squirrels. There are no bears in this part of the world.

The local Orthodox Church and graveyard.

This was a mystery bird that Bart could not identify. Do you have any ideas about what it might be?

 I strained my brain and decided that it is a juvenile bird based on the yellow lips. It has to be the dark Aleutian race of a Pacific Wren.

A Bald Eagle poses amid Fireweed blooms.

Another Bald Eagle kicks up dirt as it takes wing. There is more to come from Unalaska and Dutch Harbor.