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posted: April 30th, 2017 |
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This page consists primarily of bird photos we took on our outings to Creamer's Field. Enough snow has melted and it's getting warm enough so that waterfowl is beginning to return to this area. Creamer's Field is the prime place to go in Fairbanks to see what birds have returned so far in the early part of the season. It consists of not only good fields, but also some forest land, so a great variety of birds can be seen here plus a number of birders with big camera lenses.
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| Begin April 17th |
In this first row here at Creamer's Field we have just arrived. It's about 10:30 AM and each of these three shots is increasingly zoomed in. You can see Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator). Swans are not only the heaviest living bird native to North America, they are also the largest extant species of waterfowl, with a wingspan that may exceed 10 feet (3.0 m).
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In the first two positions are more photos of Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator). Note that the pond is iced over at this spot, and it must be cold because in the center photo both of the swans have one foot lifted off of the ice. The center photo also shows some specimens of the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). The third shot shows only the Canada Goose.
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Three more shots which show the waterfowl of Creamer's Field on April 17th.
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Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese and a Mallard Duck or two.
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All three shots in this row feature Trumpeter Swans coming in for a landing. They are such a big bird that they circle a couple of times to figure precisely where they want to land. The size of these birds does not permit them to land on a dime, like smaller birds can do.
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More waterfowl. Note how the Creamer's Field people have gone through and made rows which would melt quickly once the thaw began. Of course this melting snow also creates a number of small ponds in this fairly flat field. That and the roots of the grass and whatever else, seem to attract the birds.
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So stately! And, so very large so as to make a Canada Goose appear small. Note that the Canada Geese are walking on ice in the center photo - it was very laughable to see them come in and land on the ice, as well as their slips and falls while walking on the ice.
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Now we've changed our location by hiking around 1/4 mile or so. There is really an abundance of Trumpeter Swans in this small area.
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Amazing.
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The center shot shows a "wing-flap competition" or whatever! The outlined area of the center photo is what makes up the third image.
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In the third photo in this row, the gray Trumpeter Swan is an immature one, it is not dirty.
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Okay, let's look at the other birds for a bit. In the first photo in this row, you can see several Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos). The center shot shows a Northern Pintail Duck (Anas acuta). The third shot shows several American Wigeons (Anas americana).
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All three shots in this row show the White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons).
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A mixture of species are shown in these two photos.
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The purpose of this photo was to capture the White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons).
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In the evening we found this Ichneumonid Wasp on our window. It probably got into the house on or in the firewood. This family of wasps generally deposits its eggs inside insect pupae or larvae, which is why it needs the long ovipositor.
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 April17th_213_ CreamersFieldRC |
| End April 17th, Begin April 20th |
This panoramic photo was taken with my iPhone on April 20th at around 8:30 AM. The second one was taken on April 30th at around 10:30 AM. A huge difference in 10 days, eh!
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| End April 20th, Begin April 28th |
On April 28th I made a brief stop at Creamer's Field when I went to pick Kazuya up from work and I was so very fortunate to see these two Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). I was even more fortunate to see them perform a mating dance. which is what is going on in the second and third shots.
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Here are two more shots of these amazing Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis)
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Here are the final two shots of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis). The first photo is amazing - I was so fortunate. In the second photo it's another part of the mating dance. After I went and picked up Kazuya, we came here again, but unfortunately for Kazuya these birds were gone and he still has not had a chance to see the Sandhill Cranes this season.
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| End April 28th, End Page 2 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 3 for the for the conclusion of this month's photos - Kazuya's Baked Delights! |
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