danwiz.com
This is Page 3 of 5 - the best of May 2020!
posted: June 3rd, 2020
Go To Page:

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.

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
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
May13th_007_011_Nenana_
LaplandLongspurRC
May13_14_ParksHighwayRestArea_LaplandLongspurRC
May13_14_ParksHighwayRest
Area_LaplandLongspurRC
May13th_012_015_Nenana_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_ParksHighwayRestArea_SceneryRC
May13_20_ParksHighway
RestArea_SceneryRC
May13_21_ParksHighwayRestArea_SceneryRC
May13_21_ParksHighway
RestArea_SceneryRC
May13_22_ParksHighwayRestArea_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_1_AtHome
_GreenExplosionRC
May14_2_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_CreamersField_SnowGeeseRC
May15_06_Creamers
Field_SnowGeeseRC
May15th_011_CreamersFieldRC
May15th_011_
CreamersFieldRC
May15th_012_CreamersFieldRC
May15th_012_
CreamersFieldRC

  Here are two shots of a Hairy Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) eating suet in our yard.
May16_3_HairyWoodpeckerRC
May16_3_
HairyWoodpeckerRC
May16_4_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_1_
HairyWoodpeckerRC
May16_6_7_WhiteCrownedSparrowRC
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_34_35_36_AutoPano
_HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC
May18_40_HotSpgsRd_SceneryRC
May18_40_Hot
SpgsRd_SceneryRC
May18_59_60_AutoPano_HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC
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_083_CHSR_
MarecaAmericanaRC
May18th_086_CHSR_AnasCreccaCarolinensisRC
May18th_086_CHSR_Anas
CreccaCarolinensisRC
May18th_087_CHSR_AnasCreccaCarolinensisRC
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
May18_65_HotSpgsRd
_PondSceneryRC
May18th_185_CHSR_LoxiaLeucopteraRC
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_191_CHSR_
LoxiaLeucopteraRC
May18th_191Adj_CHSR_LoxiaLeucopteraRC
May18th_191Adj_CHSR_
LoxiaLeucopteraRC
May18th_214_CHSR_LimnodromusScolopaceusRC
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
May18th_215_CHSR_
LimnodromusScolopaceusRC
May18_82_HotSpgsRd_BirdsRC
May18_82_Hot
SpgsRd_BirdsRC
May18th_231_CHSR_LimnodromusScolopaceusRC
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_HotSpgsRd_BirdsRC
May18_84_HotSpgs
Rd_BirdsRC
May18th_248_CHSR_LimnodromusScolopaceusRC
May18th_248_CHSR_
LimnodromusScolopaceusRC
May18_88_HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC
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_HotSpgsRd_PondSceneryRC
May18_89_HotSpgs
Rd_PondSceneryRC
May18th_269_CHSR_MarmotaMonaxRC
May18th_269_CHSR_
MarmotaMonaxRC
May18th_271_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_1_
WalkFromHomeRC
May19_5_WalkFromHomeRC
May19_5_
WalkFromHomeRC
May19_6_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_009_
GrapefruitRocksRC
May20th_013_GrapefruitRocksRC
May20th_013_
GrapefruitRocksRC
May20_02_Grpefruit_SceneryRC
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_09_
Grpefruit_AnemoneRC
May20_03_Grpefruit_SceneryRC
May20_03_
Grpefruit_SceneryRC
May20th_023_GrapefruitRocks_DryasIntegrifoliaRC
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_Grpefruit_AnemoneRC
May20_11_Grpe
fruit_AnemoneRC
May20_13_Grpefruit_SceneryRC
May20_13_Grpe
fruit_SceneryRC
May20_14_Grpefruit_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_Grpefruit_AnemoneRC
May20_16_Grpe
fruit_AnemoneRC
May20_18_Grpefruit_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20_18_Grpefruit
_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20th_025_GrapefruitRocks_AnemoneParvifloraRC
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_GrapefruitRocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20th_027_Grapefruit
Rocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20th_026_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20th_026_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20th_031_GrapefruitRocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC
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_GrapefruitRocks_DryasIntegrifoliaRC
May20th_035_Grapefruit
Rocks_DryasIntegrifoliaRC
May20th_032_GrapefruitRocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20th_032_Grapefruit
Rocks_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20_29_Grpefruit_YellowFlowerRC
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_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20th_040_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20th_041_GrapefruitRocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20th_041_Grapefruit
Rocks_PulsatillaPatensRC
May20_33_Grpefruit_KazuyaRC
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_Grpefruit_KazuyaRC
May20_34_Grpe
fruit_KazuyaRC
May20th_044_GrapefruitRocks_SaxifragaTricuspidataRC
May20th_044_Grapefruit
Rocks_SaxifragaTricuspidataRC
May20th_046_GrapefruitRocks_PotentillaNiveaRC
May20th_046_Grapefruit
Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC

  Here are three additional shots of Snow Cinquefoil (Potentilla nivea).
May20th_047_GrapefruitRocks_PotentillaNiveaRC
May20th_047_Grapefruit
Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC
May20th_050_GrapefruitRocks_PotentillaNiveaRC
May20th_050_Grapefruit
Rocks_PotentillaNiveaRC
May20th_048_GrapefruitRocks_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_GrapefruitRocks_MicranthesReflexaRC
May20th_055_Grapefruit
Rocks_MicranthesReflexaRC
May20_38_Grpefruit_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20_38_Grpe
fruit_LloydiaSerotinaRC
May20th_056_GrapefruitRocks_MicranthesReflexaRC
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! Go To Page:

Purchase Photos Complete List Of All Photos E-mail us Go to the Special Items Page
Top Of Page Lightbox Instructions Comprehensive Site Map Return to our home page



Link to Amazon.com (new window).
We get 2% of whatever you spend if you go to Amazon from this link!! Please shop on Amazon from here.
If you would like to donate to our hiking & traveling fund or show your appreciation for our efforts you can donate through PayPal. A single donation will entitle you to request a single full-sized photo IN THE DONATION MONTH - which you may then use as a desktop wallpaper or whatever. The copyright will be retained by us and the photo will be inconspicuously marked with the copyright symbol (©), year and photographer's name. (Donation probably not tax deductible.)