Tag Archives: Birds

Pine Grosbeak photo, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska

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Pine Grosbeak, male, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Pine Grosbeak Photo.

Hey Folks,

Sorry for the delay in posts, again. I came in to Anchorage for a few days, and have been sitting, faithfully, at my computer trying to make it start. It locked up during an update, apparently, and then I couldn’t get it to start. I managed to back up most of the data on it, though it took forever. I thought the HD was fried, but it appears no problems there. I’m still working on getting all the programs back up, etc, and it’s taking way too long. I’m about sick of this computer business – I’m ready to head back to the safety of the woods. I’ll take 40-50 below zero temperatures over technology problems anyday. This stuff is too much hassle.

I did manage to take a few bird photos in the park before I came back out. They’re tricky little critters to shoot, but lots of fun. This male Pine Grosbeak was pretty cool, and I managed to get a few images. They’re named a ‘pine’ Grosbeak because they do so love the pine or coniferous forests (I spose Coniferous Grosbeak doesn’t sound so cool a name). Technically, they’re not a true Grosbeak, but a large Finch. The scientific name for the bird is Pinicola enucleator, which is pretty fancy. ‘Pinicola’ translates as ‘pine dweller’. They’re one of the few birds who winter this far north .. all the smarter ones fly south to warmer climes.

For folks such as my father, you have to click the “play” button located directly under the photo to hear the track that goes with this photo. For folks a little more hip than my dad, you get a prize if you know who the author of the track is; composer, track title, and album, please. No googling allowed.

Cheers

Carl

Northern Hawk Owl photo

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Northern Hawk Owl, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Owls rock!

Here’s a Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) taking flight from its perch on the top of a white spruce tree. These owls seem to be much more tolerant of my presence than their larger cousins, the Great Horned Owl. They’re also much more active during the daytime. Northern Hawk Owls tend to live in the boreal forests of the north, but do move south in leaner years when food is scarce. This year it looks like a bumper year for owls up here, so I doubt many of them will head south. Hopefully, that means I’ll get some photos. 🙂

Cheers
Carl

3 Toed Woodpecker photo

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3-Toed Woodpecker on Spruce Tree, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Here’s a 3-toed woodpecker (three-toed woodpecker – Picoides dorsalis) from Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Welcome back, albeit briefly. I’m going to spend the next couple of months recharging a bit, and breaking from the net and blogging and writing and reading and blah, blah, blah. A little quiet time will do me good, I think. Hopefully during that time I’ll pick up some new images and also try to come up with some ideas to write about that will make the blog a little more interesting. We’ll see how that goes.

I’ll try to make a post or 2 along the way. In the meantime, you folks be careful out there.

Cheers

Carl

Great horned owl chick photo, Wrangell St. Elias national park, Alaska

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baby Great Horned owl chick, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

I was gunna call this post “You Can Call Me Al”. 🙂 🙂 🙂

I really wanted to get some owl photos this winter, and I heard them outside the cabin nearly every night. But i could never manage to spot one. I did run across a nest towards the end of winter, but it was buried in a thick grove of trees, and too high up to afford any photos, without seriously disturbing the nest.

So I pretty much figured no owls for me this year.

Until this particular evening comes along. I’d photographed trumpeter swans, loons, some flowers, and was poking around just as dark rolled in (dark as it gets in Alaska in June) and look what I find. Eventually there turned out to be 3 Great Horned Owlets, and an adult in the area. The adult was kinda skittish, and bailed, so I didn’t stay around long, and the light was toast anyway (this was shot at 1/30th of a second, f4). But I was overjoyed to even see, nevermind get to photograph, these little guys.

They’re SO cute!

Cheers

Carl