Shades of summer...

The best ice cream in the world and a Fairbanks tradition -- my guilty summer pleasure!   Favorite flavors are Ginger, Green Tea, and Torrone.  Speaking of Summer, we have had maybe 5 days of weather in the 70's, but for the most part it is still pretty cold  -- in the 30's at night.  Sunrise this morning was 3:37 am and sunset will be at 12:02 am (May 31).  It is really light all the time!

Most of the scenery has gone from white to green.  However, lest you think the title of this blog is no longer appropriate, notice that the Alaska Range is still covered in snow.

I know I have said it before "... this is as clear as the Alaska Range will get".  Well this is probably as clear as it will get from the top of Ballaine Hill.


The only reminders of winter here are the red snow shovel and skis leaning against the cabin.

Compare ... the cabin in winter

From the Chapter "In Fairbanks, sophistication means your wool socks match" I quote one of the rules for newcomers:  Don't say anything bad about Fairbanks.  The people who live there know they're not very smart.  Why else would they stay in a place where it is winter nine months of the year?  Where it gets so cold your car's tires freeze and so does any part of your body that's not covered?  By several layers?  Where the most exciting thing to do is wait for a new weather forecast.  Fairbanksans know all this.  And they're afraid that if anybody says it out loud, their neighbors will say, "You know, that's right?  I'm leaving."  And property values will drop faster than the temperature in January.  (Fashion Means Your Fur Hat is Dead:  A Guide to Good Manners and Social Survival in Alaska by Mike Doogan)  Believe it or not, I have heard real-life conversations like this many times last winter.

An updated view from my main window

Duke asleep on the front porch

... and on Willow Run

Chicken on the porch

Duke and Chicken are my god-dogs.  Ann is away for the summer and I am back-up to the UAF student living in her cabin who is the primary care-giver for the dogs.

Chokecherry trees are all over Fairbanks proper but not seen out of town

... they are lovely

This is a frog-pond on Willow Run.  I have seen two beautiful red foxes around here -- they are as big as small dogs.

Robins are now frequent visitors to the yard, along with Dark-eyed Juncos, a variety of woodpeckers, and of course the Common Red Polls, Chickadees and Camp Robbers (Gray Jays)

The cabin is filling up with backpacking gear (remember, it is quite small).  Closer to the trip I will provide details about the upcoming adventure.  Right now I am breaking in my new boots, practicing setting up the tent, and learning how to efficiently load the backpack.

Spring, are we there yet?

Spring.....  The dogs are muddy, the first mosquitoes have been sighted, dog trucks are shedding their crates for the summer, and the day is 18 hours 36 minutes long (visible light is actually 22 h 42 min).  Tomorrow will be 6 min 59 seconds longer.  The temperature has been in the low to mid- 50's in the daytime and around 30 F at night.  Ann has gone off to count salmon in the Western Cook Inlet and I am preparing for a backpacking trip (somewhere) in the Brooks Range this summer.

 
Spring is more visible in town than in the Goldstream Valley.  Here you can see the Chena River sans ice.  I would remind you that the bridge in the photo held many spectators at the finish of the Yukon Quest.  It all looks quite different, doesn't it?  By the way, I did not win the Nenana Ice Classic, but breakup has caused no end of flooding due to ice jams in various locations -- especially on the Yukon River.  The town of Eagle has been devastated.

The swans are still resident in Goldstream Creek

... as are the ducks (Northern Shovelers)

This is the last patch of snow on the side of the cabin.  The photo was taken on May 11th but it is still there today -- just a bit smaller.

...  on the way to the outhouse at 3:42 am May 12. 

Birch trees have just now begun to to produce pale green foliage

... and the spruce are decked-out in a distinctive bright green.

That is pretty much it in terms of evidence of spring.

Subtle and understated, this is about as dramatic as it gets.

The moose are still around.

This one was just wandering off Ballaine Road in the valley today.  I am glad it was going away from, rather than towards, the road.  They are surprisingly difficult to see. 

A lot of fairly bizarre stuff gets uncovered when the snow melts.  This emerged near the outhouse.  Any idea what it is?

Next stop, summer!

Spring Migration Celebration

This year weather for the Spring Migration Celebration on May 2 was spectacular -- a sunny day with a high temperature of 74 F.  Last year it was 30 degrees with snow flurries (although to be honest, it was held a little earlier).  Fairbanks set an all-time record of 76 F for the month of April on the last day of the month.  The snow is finally melting, but there is a lot of mud -- I have to put on my breakup boots for trips to the outhouse.

This may be as clear as the Alaska Range gets from the top of Ballaine Road.  This is the high-point (literally and figuratively) on the trip from Goldstream Valley into town.

My doubts about spring in the Interior were swept away with the appearance of Trumpeter Swans on Goldstream Creek the other day.  They are truly magnificent.

Nearly every species you see in spring you see in pairs.  Not the little duck between the two swans, however.  I couldn't identify it in my bird book so if anyone knows what it is, please add a comment.

Activities included guided walks, bird viewing stations manned by the Arctic Audubon Society, tips on drawing and spotting birds, and lots of activities for kids.   

There are still a lot of Canada Geese, but for the most part, Creamer's Field is a stopping point for most birds on the migration route further north where breeding takes place.

The Migratory Waterfowl Refuge was once the largest and most successful dairy in interior Alaska.  When it was put up for sale the Fairbanks community raised funds to secure the land for the birds.  It contains 2000 acres and is managed by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.  There are over 5 miles of nature trails open to the public year-round.

One of the lakes on the Refuge

A Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator)

They are on average the largest living waterfowl on earth and the largest native North American bird.

... with mate (they mate for life and can live to 20 years).  The largest number of breeding pairs are found in Alaska

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons)

They are easily distinguished by their bright orange feet.

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

I actually heard the arrival of the first Sandhills when Ann and I were walking her dogs one evening.  She asked if the sound made me nostalgic for Florida, to which I responded  "No, it makes me nostalgic for Sandhill Cranes!"

There is a separate celebration in Fairbanks for Sandhills -- the Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival will take place this year August 21-23.  I have read that there can be as many as a thousand at Creamer's Field during the festival.

Male and female Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Apparently they are considered the ancestor of nearly all domestic ducks (together with the Muscovy).

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)

According to information provided by the Refuge, Snow Geese are fairly rare visitors to Creamer's

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is the smallest bird I have observed at Creamer's.

Now HERE is something -- a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Although they are indigenous to this area, this one has been trained by a falconer, has it's personally-fitted hood, and was on a tether at the Spring Migration Celebration. 

A photo from the nature walk led by Derek, an entomologist, and Ken, a lepidopterist.  We saw lots of small insects after Derek beat the ground cover and the trees, but we only saw two butterflies.  Note to RG -- does the butterfly collector remind you of anyone?

In this photo it is difficult to see the two ducks I discovered with binoculars.  The colors were incredibly beautiful, but I don't know if they are Grebes or Wigeons -- or something else.  Again, if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate a comment.

I have learned my first rule of Spring in the Interior: "Don't go anywhere without sunglasses, binoculars, and a camera".  I am thinking maybe it is time to invest in a better camera.