First Things First
I was looking at some pictures that I took yesterday on the Canon SLR. I found this and was very excited.
I believe that it is a Hermit Thrush and this is the first time I’ve ever captured a photo. The app on my phone, Merlin, gave me other possible options such as a Swainson’s Thrush and a Grey-Cheeked Thrush. Honestly, they all looked similar but I eliminated Swainson’s Thrush as an option because my guy doesn’t seem so spotted on the chest and belly. I eliminated the Grey-Cheeked Thrush because my guy has a clear ring around its eye while the Grey-Cheeked Thrush has a more subdued ring.
If anyone reads this and thinks I’m wrong, please let me know.
More Hiking In The Park
Arlene and I drove into Savage River once again and simply walked up the road where private vehicles are not allowed unless they have a permit. Some of this we had walked before but we eventually made it to new terrain. At mile 3.2 we veered off the road and started climbing a hill into a biting wind which grew stronger as we approched the summit. Where the ground was harder and drier we passed Dwarf Birch and where the ground was wetter and softer there were multiple types of moss. Then we descended the other side and the hill gave us cover from the wind. After crossing the wettest area of the day we climbed a larger hill and tried to decide upon a path back to the road.
This was the view for most of the day with the low clouds hiding the more impressive peaks in the Alaskan Range. In the picture the road is clearly visible and, in fact, it was never out of sight. At the highest point we were about 300 feet higher than the road and we set off mostly going west along a ridge that slowly descended farther into the park, but also closer to the road. As we neared the road a green bus stopped and inquired if we wanted a ride back. We continued to walk.
As we walked along the road the air temperature increased and the wind because more pleasant. And we saw another Willow Ptarmigan in the brush. This one was also with family but I just picked my favorite picture. Our previous viewing of this bird had been from a bus window while this guy was probably less than 10 feet away.
Back At The Cabin
We started packing and organizing for our trip to Utqiaġvik this weekend; our flight is out of Anchorage on Saturday afternoon. One thing that our AirBnB doesn’t have (besides water) is storage. So all of our stuff (which is sufficient for 2 months away from home) is just in boxes or piles. Now all of our stuff is in other boxes and other piles and the car is cleaner, ready for packing.
Tomorrow we’ll erg in the morning, then hike and shower before packing up the car as much as possible to prepare for an early morning departure and 4 hour drive to Anchorage.