Fall Freeze Up

Right now Anchorage is experiencing it's second snowfall of the season. The first was back in September. This morning, before the snowfall got started, a ragtag group of birders gathered for the annual Fall Freeze-up, Anchorage Audubon's last big field trip of the year, (not counting the CBC). The photo above features just a few of the large group that showed up.

We started out at Lake Hood, which is surrounded on all sides by float planes. Although Anchorage is on the ocean, Lake Hood is a better place to get seabirds than the ocean itself. Right about now is the best time to see sea ducks there. This morning it was cold and windy. We saw mostly Common Goldeneyes, Mallards, scaups, and a few widgeons. Slim pickins.

The best bird at Lake Hood was this female Harlequin Duck. This is only the second Harlequin that I have seen in Anchorage. They nest nearby along Gold Mint Creek above Palmer.

At Westchester Lagoon we saw this Muskrat, and a surprizng number of distant ducks. There were many Buffleheads, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Goldeneyes, Scaups, and stuff that was too far out to identify.

Spenard Crossing held the biggest surprize. The last several visits to SC, I saw virtually nothing. Today there were six Trumpeter Swans, two adults and four juveniles. Plus a good number of Gadwalls, Mallards, and Widgeons. A few gulls, and one Cackling Goose.

This is only the second time that I have seen swans at Spenard Crossing. The first time was early this Spring. Why would the swans choose SC, and not the much larger Westchester? Food availability must be the answer.

A nice shot of one of the young swans.

An even nicer shot of a pair of Mallards.

Last stop was Potter Marsh, which looked good in it's late Autumn colors.

Potter Marsh was half-way frozen over, but there were five more Trumpeter Swans, all adults. All in all a good way to surrender the season to the coming Winter.

Loons and.....

Jeremy sent me a few Common Loon photos from the ocean in front of his home in Petersburg, Alaska.

These loons were far away on choppy seas, so I could'nt resist the temptation to play with the images using one of my photo editing programs. A really basic one that came with my camera, Arcsoft Photostudio Impressions. I tried to smooth out, and tone down the harsh contrasts in the water.

At first I thought that the bottom bird must have been a juvenile loon. Now I'm convinced that it's an adult transitioning into winter plummage.

I'm wondering if Common Loons hang around Petersburg all Winter. I imagine that they do. Wonderful Winter guests. They will be in drab Winter colors soon.

This is my latest painting, On Goose Creek, 12x16". I dont like it much and dont consider it finished yet. It may not survive for long, unless I can figure out a way to make it more interesting.

If you have read my posts in the last few months, you know that I have been undergoing some serious dis-satisfaction with my career. Finances have been cut to the bone, and my enthusiasm is at an all time low.
I have not wanted to paint at all lately. Well, I'm starting a new job on Monday. It's just a temporary on the job training thing, doing clerical work at the state Boy Scout Headquarters.
When it comes to an end, I will have to decide whether to look for permanent work in an office somewhere, or try being an artist again. Anyway, I doubt that I will be doing too much new artwork for a while.

Jeremy's New Camera

My nephew Jeremy got a new Canon just a day or two ago. He shot this distant Black Bear, and the following photos from his yard in Petersburg.

Imagine being able to watch Killer Whales from your house. The only whales that I have seen off the coastal trail in Anchorage are Belugas. It has been years since I have seen a Beluga. The local, Cook Inlet population of Belugas is in serious trouble, probably because of global warming.

A nice male Surf Scoter. I would love to see these guys from my yard. I have to go to Seward to see them. That is not entirely true, once in a while they will show up in Anchorage.

A distant shot of the scoter and a Harlequin Duck.

A nice shot of a tugboat, the Western Mariner.

Jeremy's son, Jasper I think,  in their living room. I seriously wish that I could have a view like this from my living room. I get to look out at the highway through my front window. I look forward to getting many more photos of Southeastern Alaska in the future.

Jeremy's Photos etc.

My nephew, Jeremy Parker lives in Petersburg, Alaska with his wife Lana and their young family. I have been pressuring him lately to send me some photos from his part of the state. The problem is that he does not have the best camera. My belief is that any camera is capable of taking great photos under the right circumstances. Jeremy sent me a few photos and promises to work on getting me some more.
Petersburg is a small town south of Juneau in Alaska's panhande. It is in the temperate rainforest, and rain is the operative word .
There are many differences between Petersburg and Anchorage. For example, they see many Sitka Black-tailed Deer and few Moose. We see many Moose and no deer in Anchorage. Petersburg has an abundance of sealife, while Anchorage has extensive mudflats with shallow seas, and little in the way of marine creatures.

This is a mossy antlered Blacktail Deer in Jeremy's yard. I have never seen a Sitka Blacktail.

While insects are somewhat scarce around Anchorage, Jeremy says that there are many insects around Petersburg. I like the white X on the abdomen of this spider in Jeremy's window. Someone told me that there are even the highly venomous, Brown Recluse Spiders in Alaska.

The rest of these photos are just some recent views from the fields next to my home, like this road that ends at the top of this mound.

The best point of interest around is the Russian Orthodox Church across the way. It frankly looks better from a distance.

These telephoto views make it appear as if the mountains are very close to the church. The truth is that the church and the mountains are seperated by a lot of city. It is very difficult to access the mountains from here. They are a part of JBER military base and I know of no trails leading up into the hills from this section of town.

This photo gives the impression that the church is nestled within a dense forest. The reality is that the church is surrounded by an asphalt parking lot that seperates it from dense housing and a busy street in front. There are a number of apartment complexes between the fields and the church. I would still like to paint the church from this perspective someday.

Because of the large volume of rain lately, there are some good sized puddles in the fields. Mallard Ducks have lost no time exploiting them. I have no idea what they are finding to eat. There are no aquatic insects or plants in these temporary pools so far as I know.

A parting shot.

Blow Down, Part Two

Other than mosquitos, (which are all but gone right now) Alaska has very few insects. I remember seeing a spider web last Summer, but the spider I saw today was the first I've seen in quite some time.

My younger brother was terrified of spiders. He could'nt even watch that movie, Arachniphobia. Cockroaches are about the only non-parasite that I truly loathe. This guy was only about as big as the tip of my little finger. It's abdomen looked like a brain. I have no idea what species it may be.

The rest of this post will be a few more photos  I shot yesterday at Russian Jack Park.

Many of the blown over trees blocked the path, but they have been cut away. There are still many more trees lying across Chester Creek. They may end up changing the course of the creek.

I really wanted to find some good critters to photograph. I only heard one Red Squirrel. The only birds I saw were Canada Geese, Black-capped Chickadees, and a Magpie. I also heard some Red-breasted Nuthatches, Common Redpolls, and a Steller's Jay. So you see, birding is terrible around Anchorage these days.

The Big Blow Down

To go along with the high winds that we have been experiencing this Fall, there has been an immense amount of rain. Seward is half inundated from the foot of rain it has had in the last week. Talkeetna is currently being evacuated. There is flooding all over, but thankfully not in my part of town.
Today there was a brief respite from the continuous rains, so I walked through Russian Jack Park. The photo above is a Chickadee foraging in the foliage of a blown down tree.

At my first assessment, I estimated that 10% of the mature trees in Russian Jack had blown over. The real number is probably closer to 1%. That's still many thousands of trees.

Some parts of the park have really opened up. There is down firewood everywhere.

Not all of the park shows much damage. From a distance, it all looks normal. The Canada Geese above enjoy the green grass of the park's ball fields.

Autumn is always the prettiest time to do some photography.

The red leaves are not Maple leaves, they are Highbush Cranberry leaves.

This Devil's Club has been somewhat ravaged by the harsh weather of late. It's still better weather than what is coming all too soon.

This is not smoke from a smoldering fire, just steam rising from wet leaves. The whole park has the earthy smell of decaying vegetation and wet earth. A very pleasant odor to me.

Eye Candy

Finally I managed to drum up enough enthusiasm to pick up a paint brush and get back to work. This is a detail of the latest, (un-exciting) painting. Obviously, (to a birder anyway) this is a Yellow Warbler.

This is the entire painting. Eye Candy, 8x10". It's not that this painting is so bad. I'm just bored to death with my own limitations as an artist. I have already painted everything that I ever wanted to paint. That is the real crux of the creative funk that has gripped me for the last month.
I cannot seem to climb up to the next rung on the ladder. Abandoning realism and wildlife art are ideas that do not appeal to me, so what do I do? I wish I knew.