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This is Page 2 of 3 - the best of April 2017!
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.

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).
Apr17_01_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_01_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
April17th_003_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_003_
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Apr17_02_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_02_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC

  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.
Apr17_04_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_04_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_05_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_05_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_06_CreamersField_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_06_Creamers
Field_CanadaGooseRC

  Three more shots which show the waterfowl of Creamer's Field on April 17th.
April17th_011_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_011_
CreamersFieldRC
April17th_024_CreamersFieldRC
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  Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese and a Mallard Duck or two.
April17th_029_CreamersFieldRC
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CreamersFieldRC
Apr17_13_CreamersField_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_13_Creamers
Field_CanadaGooseRC
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April17th_030_
CreamersFieldRC

  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.
April17th_038_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_038_
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Apr17_14_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwans_FlyingRC
Apr17_14_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwans_FlyingRC
April17th_039_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_039_
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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.
Apr17_15_CreamersField_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_15_Creamers
Field_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_16_CreamersField_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_16_Creamers
Field_CanadaGooseRC
April17th_048_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_048_
CreamersFieldRC

  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.
Apr17_24_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_24_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_19_CreamersField_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_19_Creamers
Field_CanadaGooseRC
Apr17_26_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_26_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC

  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.
Apr17_27_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_27_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
April17th_076_CreamersFieldRC
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Apr17_28_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_28_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC

  Amazing.
Apr17_32_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_32_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
April17th_082_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_082_
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Apr17_33_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_33_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC

  The center shot shows a "wing-flap competition" or whatever! The outlined area of the center photo is what makes up the third image.
Apr17_40_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_40_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
April17th_113_CreamersFieldRC
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April17th_113Part_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_113Part
_CreamersFieldRC

  In the third photo in this row, the gray Trumpeter Swan is an immature one, it is not dirty.
April17th_114_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_114_
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Apr17_46_CreamersField_TrumpeterSwansRC
Apr17_46_Creamers
Field_TrumpeterSwansRC
April17th_134_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_134_
CreamersFieldRC

  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).
April17th_147_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_147_
CreamersFieldRC
April17th_170Crop_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_170Crop
_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_173Part_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_173Part
_CreamersFieldRC

  All three shots in this row show the White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons).
Apr17_50_CreamersField_WhiteFrontedGooseRC
Apr17_50_Creamers
Field_WhiteFrontedGooseRC
Apr17_53_CreamersField_WhiteFrontedGooseRC
Apr17_53_Creamers
Field_WhiteFrontedGooseRC
Apr17_54_CreamersField_WhiteFrontedGooseRC
Apr17_54_Creamers
Field_WhiteFrontedGooseRC

  A mixture of species are shown in these two photos.
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April17th_189_
CreamersFieldRC
April17th_200_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_200_
CreamersFieldRC

  The purpose of this photo was to capture the White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons).
April17th_203_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_203_
CreamersFieldRC
April17th_204_CreamersFieldRC
April17th_204_
CreamersFieldRC

  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.
April17th_213_CreamersFieldRC
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!
Apr20_iPhonePano_FrontYard_AdjRC
Apr20_iPhone
Pano_FrontYard_AdjRC
Apr30Adj_iPhone_THE THAWRC
Apr30Adj_iPhone
_THE THAWRC

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.
Apr28_01_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_01_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_06_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_06_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_07_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_07_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC

  Here are two more shots of these amazing Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis)
Apr28_08_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_08_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_09_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_09_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC

  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.
Apr28_10_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_10_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_11_CreamersField_SandhillCraneRC
Apr28_11_Creamers
Field_SandhillCraneRC

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! Go To Page:


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