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This is Page 1 of 5 - the best of May 2020!
posted: June 3rd, 2020
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This page begins with May 1st and goes through the end of the day on May 11th.  The first outing on this page was to Grapefruit Rocks, though we were too early in the season to see what we were searching for.  Then, on May 5th, we caught some shots of both White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, plus a Fox Sparrow at home.  Beginning in Row 5 is another trip to Grapefruit Rocks; on the way we spotted a pair of Trumpeter Swans and a couple of Moose.  We found the flower which we were searching for on this trip - the Pasque Flower.  On May 9th we visited Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge and found several species of migratory waterfowl.  The final adventure on this page was on May 11th and it was an adventure to Denali National Park.  Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin May 1st - 7th
  On May 1st we drove out to Grapefruit Rocks to check on the progress of the spring flowers which grow there. We found a few Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens) buds, as shown in the first shot in this row. The second and third shots were taken from where we stopped for lunch - the second shot was taken looking up at Wickersham Dome and the third shot was taken looking north along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.
May1st_003_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaVulgarisRC
May1st_003_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaVulgarisRC
May1_3_NearWickershamDomeTAPSRC
May1_3_Near
WickershamDomeTAPSRC
May1_6_NearWickershamDomeTAPSRC
May1_6_Near
WickershamDomeTAPSRC

  Here are two shots of a White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) in our yard. This species generally stops by on their way to their summer breeding ground and then they leave, but this year they have stayed and are nesting somewhere nearby.
May5_24_WhiteCrownedSparrowRC
May5_24_White
CrownedSparrowRC
May5th_036_BirdsInTheYardRC
May5th_036_Birds
InTheYardRC

  Here are some shots of a Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) in our yard. This was a new species for our life-list this year.
May5th_041_049_BirdsInTheYardRC
May5th_041_049_Birds
InTheYardRC
May5th_053_BirdsInTheYardRC
May5th_053_Birds
InTheYardRC

  These two shots show a Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) in our yard. This bird didn't stay long before continuing on to wherever they breed and spend the summer.
May6th_010_BirdsInTheYardRC
May6th_010_Birds
InTheYardRC
May6th_017_BirdsInTheYardRC
May6th_017_Birds
InTheYardRC

  On May 7th we returned to Grapefruit Rocks to check on wildflower progress. On the way there we spotted a pair of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) and stopped to shoot some photos. After a short while a moose appeared and decided to walk across this pond, in the third shot you can see both the moose and the swans.
May7th_002_NearOlnesPond_SwansRC
May7th_002_
NearOlnesPond_SwansRC
May7th_038_NearOlnesPond_MooseRC
May7th_038_
NearOlnesPond_MooseRC
May7th_059_NearOlnesPond_MooseRC
May7th_059_
NearOlnesPond_MooseRC

  Here is a final shot of the moose strolling across the pond where the swans were. The second and third shots show some amazing beauty which we found near Grapefruit Rocks - Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens) galore!
May7th_068_NearOlnesPond_MooseRC
May7th_068_
NearOlnesPond_MooseRC
May7_32_33_AutoPano_GrapefruitRocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_32_33_AutoPano_Grape
fruitRocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_44_GrapefruitRocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_44_Grapefruit
Rocks_PasqueFlowerRC

  Here are three more shots which show beautiful Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens).
May7_48_GrapefruitRocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_48_Grapefruit
Rocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_50_GrapefruitRocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7_50_Grapefruit
Rocks_PasqueFlowerRC
May7th_079_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_079_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC

  And here are three more shots which show Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens). Aren't they beautiful?
May7th_090_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_090_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_104_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_104_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_105_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_105_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC

  Here is the final shot of Pasque Flowers (Pulsatilla patens) taken at Grapefruit Rocks on this day. The second and third shots were taken at Olnes Pond, on our way back to town. The third shot shows two pair of Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) on the pond.
May7th_130_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7th_130_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May7_65_OlnesPond_MergansersRC
May7_65_OlnesPond
_MergansersRC
May7_66_OlnesPond_MergansersRC
May7_66_OlnesPond
_MergansersRC

End May 1st - 7th, Begin May 9th - 10th
  On May 9th we visited Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge once again. In these three shots you can see Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, and Snow Geese.
May9th_003_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_003_
CreamersFieldRC
May9th_007_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_007_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_021_CreamersField_SandhillCranesRC
May9_021_Creamers
Field_SandhillCranesRC

  Still at Creamer's Field, and in these three shots you can see Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese.
May9th_017_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_017_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_031_CreamersField_SandhillCranesRC
May9_031_Creamers
Field_SandhillCranesRC
May9_043_CreamersField_SnowGeeseRC
May9_043_Creamers
Field_SnowGeeseRC

  Here you can see Canada Geese, Snow Geese, Sandhill Cranes and more.
May9th_038_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_038_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_046_CreamersField_SandhillCranesRC
May9_046_Creamers
Field_SandhillCranesRC
May9th_044_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_044_
CreamersFieldRC

  In these three shots we have Sandhill Cranes, Canada Geese, Snow Geese, and in the third shot, the smaller white goose is a Ross's Goose. This was the first time a Ross's Goose had ever been documented here.
May9th_048_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_048_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_058_CreamersField_SandhillCranesRC
May9_058_Creamers
Field_SandhillCranesRC
May9th_068_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_068_
CreamersFieldRC

  In the first shot in this row you can again see that Ross's Goose, two Snow Geese, and a Canada Goose. In the second shot are three Sandhill Cranes, and in the third shot is a Sandhill Crane and a Snow Goose.
May9th_069_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_069_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_059_CreamersField_SandhillCranesRC
May9_059_Creamers
Field_SandhillCranesRC
May9_063_CreamersField_SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_063_CreamersField_
SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC

  Here are more of the usual suspects.
May9_064_CreamersField_SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_064_CreamersField_
SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_072_CreamersField_SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_072_CreamersField_
SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_074_CreamersField_SandhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC
May9_074_CreamersField_S
andhillCranes_SnowGeeseRC

  In these final two shots at Creamer's Field are more of the usual suspects. The Ross's Goose can again be seen in the second shot (behind the Sandhill Crane). The third shot shows that bud-burst and greenup (the green explosion) has begun on May 9th.
May9th_098_CreamersFieldRC
May9th_098_
CreamersFieldRC
May9_098_CreamersField_SnowGeeseRC
May9_098_Creamers
Field_SnowGeeseRC
May9_123_GreenupAtHomeRC
May9_123_
GreenupAtHomeRC

  The first shot in this row again shows bud-burst in progress. The second and third shots show a species of willow which has very interesting flower buds. We do not know which species of willow this is. The literature says that there are about 40 species in Alaska.
May9_124_GreenupRC
May9_124_
GreenupRC
May9_132_GettingersFieldAreaRC
May9_132_
GettingersFieldAreaRC
May9_133_GettingersFieldAreaRC
May9_133_
GettingersFieldAreaRC

  Now it's May 10th and the green explosion continues here at home.
May10_1_2_AutoPano_AtHome_GreenExplosionRC
May10_1_2_AutoPano_At
Home_GreenExplosionRC
May10_5_AtHome_GreenExplosionRC
May10_5_AtHome_
GreenExplosionRC

End May 9th - 10th, Begin May 11th
  On May 11th we drove down to Denali National Park to see what we could find in terms of both flowers and wildlife. The first shot shows the green explosion in progress, just a few miles south of Fairbanks. The second and third shots show a moose in Denali National Park.
May11th_001_ToDenaliRC
May11th_001_
ToDenaliRC
May11th_011_Denali_MooseRC
May11th_011_
Denali_MooseRC
May11th_019_Denali_MooseRC
May11th_019_
Denali_MooseRC

  Here is a shot which shows two moose and then two shots of me while eating an Onigiri (Rice Ball). With my down jacket and the lack of greenery on the shrubs you can deduce that it's cooler here than it was at home.
May11th_037_Denali_MooseRC
May11th_037_
Denali_MooseRC
May11th_044_Denali_OnigiriRC
May11th_044_
Denali_OnigiriRC
May11th_046_Denali_OnigiriRC
May11th_046_
Denali_OnigiriRC

  Here is a scenery shot and then two shots which show caribou.
May11_03_DenaliNP_SceneryRC
May11_03_Denali
NP_SceneryRC
May11_16_DenaliNP_CaribouRC
May11_16_Denali
NP_CaribouRC
May11th_047_Denali_CaribouRC
May11th_047_
Denali_CaribouRC

  One doesn't see Willow Ptarmigan in bushes too often, but here is one which was munching on these willow flowers. The second the third shots actually show a Willow Ptarmigan on a snow bank.
May11_17_DenaliNP_PtarmiganRC
May11_17_Denali
NP_PtarmiganRC
May11th_057_Denali_PtarmiganRC
May11th_057_
Denali_PtarmiganRC
May11th_058_Denali_PtarmiganRC
May11th_058_
Denali_PtarmiganRC

  The first shot here is an unknown bird which stopped and posed and sang for us. The second and third shots show an Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii)
May11_23_DenaliNP_BirdRC
May11_23_
DenaliNP_BirdRC
May11th_080_Denali_ArcticGroundSquirrelRC
May11th_080_Denali_
ArcticGroundSquirrelRC
May11th_081_Denali_ArcticGroundSquirrelRC
May11th_081_Denali_
ArcticGroundSquirrelRC

  The first shot in this row is a scenery shot. The second and third shots obviously show a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos).
May11th_091_DenaliRC
May11th_091_
DenaliRC
May11th_093_Denali_BearRC
May11th_093_
Denali_BearRC
May11th_094_Denali_BearRC
May11th_094_
Denali_BearRC

  Here are three more shots which show a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos). In the center shot, please note that there are actually two bears, Kazuya did not even know the one on the lower right was there until we looked at our photos in the evening.
May11th_100_Denali_BearRC
May11th_100_
Denali_BearRC
May11th_102_Denali_BearRC
May11th_102_
Denali_BearRC
May11_25Adj_DenaliNP_GrizzlyBearRC
May11_25Adj_Denali
NP_GrizzlyBearRC

  Here are the final shots from this day - two more shots of a Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) in Denali National Park, near the Savage River Rest Area.
May11_29Adj_DenaliNP_GrizzlyBearRC
May11_29Adj_Denali
NP_GrizzlyBearRC
May11th_141_Denali_BearRC
May11th_141_
Denali_BearRC

End May 11th, End Page 1
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