posted: June 3rd, 2020 |
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This page begins on the morning of May 13th and leaving the spot where we camped in our topper and then, while driving towards home, we find a very cooperative Lapland Longspur who likes to pose for photos.  There are photos of May 14th which show the green explosion of spring near our house, and then another trip to Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.  On May 16th we got some nice shots of a Hairy Woodpecker and also a White-crowned Sparrow. On May 18th we took a drive out the Chena Hot Springs Road and found much to take photos of - mostly birds!  The final adventure on this page is a May 20th trip to Grapefruit Rocks in search of flowers.  Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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Begin May 13th - 16th |
  This shot was taken on the morning of May 13th as we were preparing to leave the spot where we camped at - such beauty. |
May13th_003_ MP213RC |
  On our way home we stopped at a rest area for a break and this Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus) was strutting around the area asking us to take its photo, so we did. |
May13th_007_011_Nenana_ LaplandLongspurRC |
May13_14_ParksHighwayRest Area_LaplandLongspurRC |
May13th_012_015_Nenana_ LaplandLongspurRC |
  These three scenic photos of the Minto Flats area were taken at the same rest area where the Lapland Longspur was. |
May13_20_ParksHighway RestArea_SceneryRC |
May13_21_ParksHighway RestArea_SceneryRC |
May13_22_ParksHighway RestArea_SceneryRC |
  Now we are back at home and here are two more shots of the green explosion of green up in our yard. You may want to compare these photos with those on Page 1, Row 18 to see the difference which four days makes. |
May14_1_AtHome _GreenExplosionRC |
May14_2_AtHome _GreenExplosionRC |
  On May 15th we once again visited Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The Snow Geese and the Sandhill Cranes were still there, but most of the Canada Geese had flown off to wherever they go for the summer season. |
May15_06_Creamers Field_SnowGeeseRC |
May15th_011_ CreamersFieldRC |
May15th_012_ CreamersFieldRC |
  Here are two shots of a Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) eating suet in our yard. |
May16_3_ HairyWoodpeckerRC |
May16_4_ HairyWoodpeckerRC |
  Here is a final shot of the Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) eating suet in our yard. Beside it is what we use for a bird bath and drinking bowl and it is often used by various birds for both purposes. The second image shows a 2-shot collage of White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) at our platform bird feeder. |
May16_1_ HairyWoodpeckerRC |
May16_6_7_White CrownedSparrowRC |
End May 13th - 16th, Begin May 18th |
  On May 18th we decided to go for a drive out the Chena Hot Springs Road to see what we could find. We were not disappointed. These three images all show scenery at a pond beside the road. |
May18_34_35_36_AutoPano _HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC |
May18_40_Hot SpgsRd_SceneryRC |
May18_59_60_AutoPano_ HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC |
  Here is a shot of an American Wigeon (Mareca americana) and two shots of a Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca carolinensis). |
May18th_083_CHSR_ MarecaAmericanaRC |
May18th_086_CHSR_Anas CreccaCarolinensisRC |
May18th_087_CHSR_Anas CreccaCarolinensisRC |
  Here is a photo of a different pond, one which still has ice on it. The second shot shows a pair of White-winged Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera), a relatively uncommon bird for us to see. |
May18_65_HotSpgsRd _PondSceneryRC |
May18th_185_CHSR_ LoxiaLeucopteraRC |
  Here is a different shot of the pair of White-winged Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera), and then the same shot, but cropped and adjusted. We believe that the third shot shows a Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus), though one friend told us she thinks it may be a Short-billed Dowitcher. |
May18th_191_CHSR_ LoxiaLeucopteraRC |
May18th_191Adj_CHSR_ LoxiaLeucopteraRC |
May18th_214_CHSR_ LimnodromusScolopaceusRC |
  Here are three more shots of Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). Note the water insect in the mouth of the bird in the center shot. |
May18th_215_CHSR_ LimnodromusScolopaceusRC |
May18_82_Hot SpgsRd_BirdsRC |
May18th_231_CHSR_ LimnodromusScolopaceusRC |
  Here are the final two photos of Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) and then another shot of pond scenery. |
May18_84_HotSpgs Rd_BirdsRC |
May18th_248_CHSR_ LimnodromusScolopaceusRC |
May18_88_HotSpgs Rd_PondSceneryRC |
  The first shot here shows the same area as the previous photo, but this one is more zoomed-in. The second and third photos show a Woodchuck (Marmota monax) which we spotted as we drove home this day - this was less than five miles from our house. |
May18_89_HotSpgs Rd_PondSceneryRC |
May18th_269_CHSR_ MarmotaMonaxRC |
May18th_271_CHSR_ MarmotaMonaxRC |
End May 18th, Begin May 19th and 20th |
  Our green explosion of spring green up continues in this photo taken while walking up the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System near our house. The second and third shots were taken at Gettinger's Field. |
May19_1_ WalkFromHomeRC |
May19_5_ WalkFromHomeRC |
May19_6_ WalkFromHomeRC |
  In the first two shots here, we are driving up the Elliott Highway towards Grapefruit Rocks - again - of course that scar on the mountainside is the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The third shot, a scenic shot, was taken while climbing up towards the top of Upper Grapefruit Rocks. |
May20th_009_ GrapefruitRocksRC |
May20th_013_ GrapefruitRocksRC |
May20_02_ Grpefruit_SceneryRC |
  The first and third shots show Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia) on the climb up towards the top of Grapefruit Rocks. The center shot again shows similar scenery to the third shot in the previous row. |
May20_09_ Grpefruit_AnemoneRC |
May20_03_ Grpefruit_SceneryRC |
May20th_023_Grapefruit Rocks_DryasIntegrifoliaRC |
  Here is another shot of Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia) and then two shots taken while looking towards Lower Grapefruit Rocks. |
May20_11_Grpe fruit_AnemoneRC |
May20_13_Grpe fruit_SceneryRC |
May20_14_Grpe fruit_SceneryRC |
  The first and third shots in this row show Arctic Wind-flower (Anemone parviflora) and the center shot is of a Common Alplily (Lloydia serotina). |
May20_16_Grpe fruit_AnemoneRC |
May20_18_Grpefruit _LloydiaSerotinaRC |
May20th_025_Grapefruit Rocks_AnemoneParvifloraRC |
  In this row, the first and third photos show Common Alplily (Lloydia serotina) and the center photo is of Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens). |
May20th_027_Grapefruit Rocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC |
May20th_026_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
May20th_031_Grapefruit Rocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC |
  Here are photos, from left to right, of Mountain Avens (Dryas integrifolia), Common Alplily (Lloydia serotina), and Snow Cinquefoil (Potentilla nivea). |
May20th_035_Grapefruit Rocks_DryasIntegrifoliaRC |
May20th_032_Grapefruit Rocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC |
May20_29_Grpe fruit_YellowFlowerRC |
  Here are two shots of Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens) which have finished blooming and then there is a shot of Kazuya inspecting a rock wall to determine if anything is growing there which is photogenic. |
May20th_040_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
May20th_041_Grapefruit Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC |
May20_33_Grpe fruit_KazuyaRC |
  Here is one more shot of Kazuya searching the rock wall for plant life. He found the next shot - Three-toothed Saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata) somewhere in that area. The third shot is a Snow Cinquefoil (Potentilla nivea). |
May20_34_Grpe fruit_KazuyaRC |
May20th_044_Grapefruit Rocks_SaxifragaTricuspidataRC |
May20th_046_Grapefruit Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC |
  Here are three additional shots of Snow Cinquefoil (Potentilla nivea). |
May20th_047_Grapefruit Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC |
May20th_050_Grapefruit Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC |
May20th_048_Grapefruit Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC |
  In this row the first and third shots are of Reflexed Saxifrage (Micranthes reflexa). The center shot is once again, a Common Alplily (Lloydia serotina). |
May20th_055_Grapefruit Rocks_MicranthesReflexaRC |
May20_38_Grpe fruit_LloydiaSerotinaRC |
May20th_056_Grapefruit Rocks_MicranthesReflexaRC |
End Page 3, but May 20th Continues on Page 4 |
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Please continue on to page 4 for the continuation of this adventure and also for more of this month's adventures and photos! |
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