Above, a few views from the lodge.  Birds seen while out fishing included Harlequin Ducks, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, Marbled Murrelets, Horned & Tufted Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Short-tailed Shearwaters and my first ever Fork-tailed Storm Petrel.

At the end of the week a friend set up a Ling Cod trip with Ninilchik Saltwater Charters. We made a 60 mile run out into the gulf and had our first 4 Lings in the boat after about 10 minutes of fishing!

  A Ling Cod takes a whackin!

Another pretty face.

   Lings and Rockfish were stacking up.

A pile of fish ready for the freezer!

On the banks of the Niglikfak, the Manokinak River crew’s gear was under heavy supervision.

Due to the high tide we were able to take a shortcut, shaving a lot of time off our long boat ride.

At this point most waterfowl were on nests and shorebirds were getting started. I was hoping to get more photo opportunities with nesting birds and later in the month, their young. The work at the camp is all about Black Brant and they’re fascinating little geese. Unlike most geese, they nest in colonies, are strictly coastal and make the longest nonstop migration of any goose: 1,800 miles from Izembek Lagoon in Alaska to Baja California in Mexico.

   
Above, Andrew gets beat up by a male brant and two others have a territorial dispute.

Some other interesting birds found in good numbers on the Y-K Delta:

 Spectacled Eiders  

 Emperor Geese  
The Emperors in the first photo have been heavily stained by the iron-rich soil of the delta.  The birds in flight are most likely non-breeders and have recently arrived from the Aleutians.

A Pacific Loon cuts across the clouds.

This place is half water and waders are required hiking gear.  Yuppy fly fishing waders aren’t really made for miles of tundra hiking and soon the world’s favorite repair material comes into play…..

Alan Leach models the latest in Tutakoke Wear.

I’m a shorebird geek and you’ll have to put up with it.

REDNECKS……..

It’s a lot of fun to watch Red-necked Phalaropes.  They’re hyperactive and in their reversed sexual roles, (all three species exhibit this) are fascinating birds.  Below a group of females battle for the much smaller and drabber male (at far right in the left photo).

  
Some of these battles were happening way too close to focus on and sometimes birds were at my feet or nearly hitting me in the head!

Below, a female wins a male and surprisingly, he’s on top.

Once she lays the 4 eggs in their nest, he will handle all of the incubation and rearing the young.  She will soon depart and flock up with other females.  These birds spend the winter far out to sea in warmer climates.  Their toes are lobed for swimming and they swim in tight circles, spinning up invertebrates into this vortex, stabbing away with their fine bills.

A youngster take its first swim.

OK, I’ll give the shorebird stuff a rest for a few seconds.

The legendary George Walters (He’s got an IMDB profile!….. Dirty Jobs  ) comes into the Tutakoke to drop off a couple people for nest plot surveys in areas to the south of camp.

The mastermind behind the volumes of data gathered on Black Brant, Jim Sedinger slings a cholesterol laden pile of goodness for the crew.

A female Long-tailed Duck stretches her wings.

The skull collection at camp is getting pretty good; hare, fox, seal, walrus, walrus. A beautiful Pedicularis graces the tundra. At right, an angry male Cackler protects his mate on the nest, just before he hit me in the face!  Far right, a female Common Eider on her nest.

Alan and Brandie heading back for dinner at midnight.

A Tundra Swan at its massive nest.

A Parasitic Jaeger comes in for a look as I near its nest.

Jaegers are one of the top predators on the tundra. They feed on small birds, eggs and rodents. They spend the rest of the year far offshore and pirate food from other seabirds. Their flight skills are incredible and they don’t hesitate in attacking birds as large as Glaucous Gulls.  Below, a Parasitic Jaeger and a Mew Gull square off.

Dunlin are one of the most common birds around camp.  Their nests are everywhere but difficult to find.
   

A Bar-tailed Godwit incubates its four eggs.

If these chicks avoid getting eaten by foxes, gulls or jaegers, they can look forward to a September nonstop flight to New Zealand. Bar-tailed Godwits are THE long distance migration champions.  Check this out!   National Geographic – longest flight

By June 19 waterfowl were hatching everywhere!

Above, Black Brant goslings.  Below left, A White-fronted Goose and goslings.  On the right a Cackler and goslings including two leucistic birds. One guy is having a hard time getting out of that egg!

One of my goals was getting better photos of Emperor Goose goslings.

Glaucous Gulls love goslings!

A Spectacled Eider with her brood.

Two species of loons nest in this area, Pacific and Red-throated.

 
A female Red Phalarope and a male Common Eider.

 
An Arctic Tern and Western Sandpiper.

12:28 AM on June 17

Part 2: Fishing on Cook Inlet

There were three foot thick doors and huge locks and the hallway smelled like paint thinner.  Steve commented “fresh paint after every kill…”!

Then there was this disturbing painting in the room.

Too bad the hotel disco seemed to be closed!

When we tried to book rooms for our second week we were told that they were fully booked because of Yukigassen, a snowball fighting competition.

I’m not kidding!  Too bad we would have to leave a day before things really got started.

We ended up staying at a B&B.

The boat trip to Hornoya was wild with high winds and big swells. There were a lot of bruises and some almost damaged gear!

We weren’t able to land but got some close looks at Common & Thick-billed Murres, Razorbills, Puffins and Shags.

Razorbill

A big raft of Common Murres and Razorbills

Common Murre

The beautiful “bridled” form.

The church in Vardo.

Time for more ducks!  A nearby harbor had a small flock of Steller’s Eiders. We photographed them from the rocky shoreline and a dock.

Doing my best to blend in.

A drake in the snow.

A hen in the reflection of the docks.

During our second week we had to deal with some bad weather.  We spent an extra day in Batsfjord because the road was closed.  In Vardo we dealt with blinding snowstorms.

This photo doesn’t do the trip from the harbor back to Vardo justice…. I’ve driven in some bad conditions but this was insane. We got back to the house and Leila was so happy we were alive that her & Svein cooked a ton of King Crab for us!!!!!

King Crab!!!

Shopping…………

Hmmmmm…… Glaucous or Iceland?

Steve in all his glory!

Norwegian speed bumps can really rattle you.

More shopping, this time for souvenirs in Ivalo.

Looks like those reindeer have a calcium deficiency.

Only the best for Erika…..wacky ptarmigan potholders!

Late in the trip we learned that we missed an incredible Aurora display.  It was photographed incredibly well by Miguel A. Pedrera, a tour participant during the second week.

Here’s the link to his mind blowing photos.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mapedrera/sets/72157626382598868/

A big flock of Common Eiders was joined by a few Kings.  The Steller’s Eiders didn’t seem to be too interested in joining the chaos.

During these frenzies, I tried a few motion blurs.  This one at f/14 @ 1/13  ISO 200

Arctic shopping cart/stroller

Salmon for breakfast every day!

A flock of Steller’s Eiders fly past a fish drying rack.

Many of our photos were taken from boats.  Orian’s decor was first class!

The reason we were here: Two drake King Eiders fly over a choppy Barent’s Sea.

The other reason we were here: A pair of Steller’s Eiders take off.

A drake Common Eider struggles to get airborne.

In the inner harbor some Black-legged Kittiwakes were nesting in the broken windows of a building on the wharf.

The best spot for a good composition was out on a questionable ledge that had about three feet of snow on it. I had to do some work in order for us to get our gear out there.

Steve and I were pretty happy with our results.

Mark stood guard waiting for us to fall in and was ready to document it. (maybe after a bit of cleaning)

On the road to Vardo.

The back of the van looked like an ad for thinkTANK.

A White-tailed Eagle studies the fjord.

Arctic Finland & Norway Part 3

I noticed Keith’s notes “Ekkeroy, Varanger Fjord” hmmmmm….how do I get there?

Throughout the next twenty years rumours of King & Steller’s Eiders photographed at close range occupied my daydreams at school and work.

In 2009, on my way home from the YK Delta, I picked up James McCallum’s excellent “Arctic Flight” http://www.jamesmccallum.co.uk/

His paintings from Varanger were astounding!

Not long after this I was corresponding with James and he put me in touch with the incredible photographer and naturalist, Hugh Harrop.
http://www.shetlandwildlife.co.uk/

Hugh had been to Varanger many times and was a wealth of information.
I suckered two birding/photo friends, Steve Rosenberg and Mark Kotanchek,  into Hugh’s week long trip, with the idea of us doing a second week on our own.

My first time ABOVE the arctic circle and photographing in March? What would it be like? Not bad, the Gulf Stream wraps all the way around NE Norway and makes for pretty mild temps. Of course, I was about ten years too late and the birds don’t come here in the numbers they used to. The fishing industry in these small harbor towns is on hard times and the resulting fish waste from the processing plants isn’t supercharging the shellfish population that was, in theory, attracting the ducks.

Norway is an incredibly expensive place to visit and I thank my wife, Erika, for allowing my stupid addictions……

We arrived at the lodge in Kaamanen, Finland late in the evening.  We were a bit frazzled from a day of traveling from London and weren’t really prepared for the incredible Aurora display we saw.  The resulting photos were less than perfect.

Neljän Tuulen Tupa is a very cool place – great people, good food. Reindeer stew and Salmon soup!

AND NOW, FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE…………….

SOME BEAUTIFUL SCANDINAVIAN TITS!

Siberian Tit

Willow Tit

My favorite…. Great Tit.

Eurasian Red Squirrels are very different from ours!!!!

The feeders at the lodge were very busy.

Pine Grosbeak

Siberian Jays are a bit more colorful than our Gray Jays!

On the road to Norway.

Traveling with Steve and Mark was great.  I worried about wearing them out on the waterbirds but we all had fun. The first week with Glen Overington and Harri Taavetti as leaders went great and we learned a lot from them for our second week.  Harri’s photography is fantastic!  http://www.harritaavetti.fi/eng/index.htm

Loading up on cheap beer before we cross the Tana River (the best Atlantic Salmon river in the world)
http://www.lapland-travel-info.com/Tana-river.html
into Norway where everything is more expensive.

Travel to our first destination in Norway, Batsfjord, required a drive over a high treeless mountain pass.  That road is frequently closed during inclement weather. We had good weather and stopped often in this incredible landscape.

A sundog or plural parhelia for you sciency types.

The windswept beauty of the fjels.

After five hours on the road we arrived in Batsfjord.

Arctic Finland & Norway Part 2

A female Red Phalarope feeds in a shallow pond.

Phalaropes are strange birds.  Red & Red-necked breed throughout the arctic and spend the winter far out to sea in the southern oceans. Wilson’s breed only in North America, mostly on the wet prairies of the northern US and southern Canada and winter in South America.

All three species stand out  because of their reversed sexual dimorphism and reproduction. Sexual dimorphism and contribution to parenting are reversed in the three phalarope species. Females are larger and more brightly colored than males. The females pursue males, compete for nesting territory, and will aggressively defend their nests and chosen mates. Once the females lay their eggs, they begin their southward migration, leaving the males to incubate the eggs and care for the young.

A male Red Phalarope plucks an insect off the surface.

Whalers used to call Red Phalaropes “bowhead birds” because of their association with the great baleen whales. They’ve been observed picking “whale lice” and other ectoparasites off the cetaceans’ backs. In late summer in the Bering Sea, Reds take advantage of the feeding behavior of California gray whales. As the whales plow up the seafloor, the phalaropes sift the resulting mud plume for small bottom-dwelling crustaceans.

A female Red-necked Phalarope swims frenetically.

When on the water phalaropes are know for their hyperactive feeding. They spin in a tight circle, creating a small vortex that draws invertebrates up to the surface so the birds can feed on them with quick jabs of their fine bills. All of the phalaropes spin in a clockwise direction and this, of course, changes to counter-clockwise when they cross the equator… (just kidding).

Three Red-necked Phalarope chicks wait for #4 to make its appearance.

It’s hard to believe these tiny birds will be flying in twenty days and will migrate south after all of the adults have departed.  Seemingly fragile, these are some of the toughest animals on earth, braving freezing temperatures and living most of their lives far from land.

Saturday, August 14, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m &
Sunday, August

Nature Photography Workshop:
Becoming a Better Photographer
Seven Ponds Nature Center
3854 Crawford Road
Dryden, MI 48428
(810) 796-3200

The turnout and response to this workshop last year was fantastic, so I’m thrilled to be able to offer it again with the help of Seven Ponds Nature Center. This workshop covers a lot of technical material, so those that participated last year may welcome the opportunity to review these concepts.

Day 1, Saturday 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM (with a half hour lunch break at noon)
Day 2, Sunday 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM (early start optional)

Seven Ponds Member and internationally published photographer David Stimac will teach you how to create spectacular photographs of landscapes, plants, and animals. Whether you are are a novice or advanced hobbyist, this weekend offers something for everyone.

You will learn how to select the right camera bodies, lenses, filters, tripods, etc., to best accomplish your photographic goals. You will also gain a firm knowledge of all of the technical aspects of photography, including techniques for creating razor sharp images, understanding your camera’s light meter, histogram, file formats, and how to control exposure.

Dave will also use his own photography to illustrate an in-depth discussion of the various aspects of composition that separate a good photograph from a great one. You will also learn how one’s passion for the subject matter is essential in making the best photographs.

Day 2 will be spent on a morning photo shoot on the Center’s grounds. During this time of year many of the flowers on the prairie will be at peak bloom, attracting dragonflies, butterflies, spiders – all providing lots of photo opportunities. A tripod and a digital or film SLR camera is strongly recommended for Day 2 activities.

Participants who will benefit the most from this program should already own or are seriously planning to purchase a digital or film SLR camera system. Participants who do not already own a system will come away with the technical understanding necessary to help make informed purchasing decisions.

Participants should bring a sack lunch Saturday and a sack lunch or snacks on Sunday. Fee: $70.00 ($60.00 member). Preregistration is required. Limited to 12 participants. Please call Seven Ponds Nature Center to register.

August 1 & 2, 2009
Nature Photography Workshop:
Becoming a Better Photographer

Day 1, Saturday 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM with a half hour lunch break at noon.
Day 2, Sunday 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM (Early Start Optional)

Seven Ponds Member and internationally published photographer David Stimac will teach you how to create spectacular photographs of landscapes, plants, and animals. Whether you own a camera or not, are a novice or advanced hobbyist, this weekend offers something for everyone.

You will learn how to select the right camera bodies, lenses, filters, tripods, etc., to best accomplish your photographic goals. You will also gain a firm knowledge of all of the technical aspects of photography, including techniques for creating razor sharp images, understanding your camera’s light meter, histogram, file formats, and how to control exposure. Dave will also use his own photography to illustrate an in-depth discussion of the various aspects of composition that separate a good photograph from a great one. You will also learn how one’s passion for the subject matter is essential in making the best photographs.

Day 2 will be spent on a morning photo shoot on the Center’s grounds. During this time of year many of the flowers on the prairie will be at peak bloom, attracting dragonflies, butterflies, spiders – all providing lots of photo opportunities.

Participants who will benefit the most from this program should already own or are seriously planning to purchase a digital or film SLR camera system. Participants who do not already own a system will have the opportunity to work with Dave using his equipment to help make informed decisions.

Fee: $60.00 ($50.00 members) Please call Seven Ponds Nature Center to register.

I decided to head out at the beginning of May, and witness the birds’ arrival and migration of others that would continue north. I needed to fly from Anchorage out to Bethel and then, in a small plane, north to the small village of Chevak. Once in Chevak I needed to hire someone to take me about 30 miles out to camp by snowmobile. Timing was crucial. The idea was to get out to camp during the last few days that snowmobile travel was possible. A few weeks later (in theory) I would return to Chevak by boat and fly home. If I waited too late, travel to the camp would be impossible as there wouldn’t be enough snow for snowmobile travel, and the rivers would be frozen or choked with ice, not allowing boat travel. I warned my family and employer that I may not be back when they wanted me back.

The following is a condensed version of my journal.

May 3: I arrived in Chevak. It was sunny and in the high 30′s and not the best sledding but we made it. On the way out I saw Willow Ptarmigan, White-fronted Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Tundra Swans, Glaucous & Mew Gulls and my first ever Arctic Fox. I arrived in camp to meet four people I’d never met before. It helped that I showed up with a huge moose roast (a gift from a Chevak resident)! Another local couple stopped by and gave us some Salmonberry jam. I got to check out a few ptarmigan they had shot. It was a big vole year and the camp was overrun with them – lots of vole poop in the weatherports and you couldn’t leave anything on the floors or risk having it chewed up. Migration was pretty slow and the crew had only seen a few Brant a couple days before I arrived. Behind camp there was a puddle and in it were a few Pintails, a Mallard, and a Rock Sandpiper. Winds were often from the north, but every day bird numbers and diversity would improve. If it was sunny in the morning, I’d get into my frozen waders and head out with the camera gear. If it was cloudy, I slept in and just watched birds after breakfast.

May 5: I saw my first flock of Emperor Geese coming in off the Bering Sea ice!! At first, the ptarmigan were hard to approach but eventually I got close. I had fun feeding voles to the gulls. The first week was pretty tough photography. There weren’t many birds around and they were wary. It was also tough to cover much ground in the deep snow and you never knew when you’d fall through into 2 feet of water.

May 9: The first big flock of Brant showed up (38) along with more White-fronts, Cacklers, and Emperors.

May 10-12: Lapland Longspurs, McKay’s Buntings, Redpolls, Short-eared Owls, Bar-tailed Godwits, Black Turnstones, Parasitic & Long-tailed Jaegers, Black-bellied & Pacific Golden Plovers, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Long-billed Dowitchers, Red-throated Loon, Savannah Sparrows and Arctic Terns started showing up in small numbers.

The next few days brought Caspian Tern, Sabine’s Gull, Western Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Red Knot, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser and my first ever Spectacled Eiders. Howie (another duck hunter!), got to watch a drake King Eider swimming with a pair of Spectacled Eiders!!! There was one pond that opened earlier than anything else, and it was the place to be! As Howie and I sat there talking about what great shots we would be making with our guns(!), we were surrounded by Brant, Cacklers, White-fronts, a few Emperors and a lot of shorebirds. Common and Spectacled Eiders would rip right by us, sometimes landing on the far side of the pond. A pair of Red-throated Loons crashed in and were sometimes joined by a third, and then the loon wars would start.

May 15-16: Red-necked Phalaropes, American & Eurasian Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Greater Scaup began to arrive. I also got into some good photo ops with the Spec Eiders and RT Loons. On the night of May 16 some locals stopped by after a hunt out on the edge of the Bering Sea ice (22 miles out). They had some Cackling & White-fronted Geese, Harbor & Ringed Seals and two juvie Beluga Whales! We talked and drank coffee until about 1:30am and also tasted a bit of raw Beluga Whale tail!!!!! I probably won’t do that again.

May 18-19: Pacific Loon and Shoveler showed up. The snow & ice were gradually melting and we set up our own tents.

May 20: we woke up to 2″ of new snow. It was wet and didn’t last long. Northern Wheatear, Yellow Wagtail and Pomarine Jaeger showed up but will continue further north.

May 21: American Tree Sparrow and Red Phalarope put in a brief appearance.

May 22: I was walking SSW of camp and heard what sounded like a person whistling for attention. I looked up and watched my first Bristle-thighed Curlew as it headed NE towards the mountains! Also, the first Brant nests were found today.

May 23: There was a male Golden-crowned sparrow hanging around behind the weatherports. Over the next few days photo ops improved and more Brant nests were being found.

May 25: The crew was now hard at work all day and, once breakfast was over, I usually would not talk to them again until 11pm, and we wouldn’t have dinner until midnight if not later. Brant were nesting in good numbers, although much lower than normal. Also on nests were Glaucous, Mew and Sabine’s Gulls, Dunlin, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Cacklers, Common Eiders and Pintails. Two pintails chose to make their nests in camp right under the rainflies of our tents!

May 26: I saw a drake hybrid Green-winged x Common teal. Sorry, no pics. In the evening I laid down at the edge of a pond to photograph Red-necked Phalaropes and most of the time they were too close to focus on.

May 28: I found my first Spectacled Eider nest very close to camp. The hen flushed about 15 ft away off of a well formed nest bowl – no down or eggs yet…. New birds in camp included a Tree Swallow and a Robin. A few miles south of camp I found a few White-front and crane nests. Also, saw a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers. The big news of the day was a pair of neck-collared swans that Howie found. They had been banded by him and Chris last winter in Nevada!!!

May 30: The river was changing quickly with the tide moving and breaking up the ice. But it still didn’t look like I would be able to leave any time soon. I found a Parasitic Jaeger nest. I had an excellent evening of photography with two very cooperative drake Spec Eiders.

Continued…