Alaska vacation photos (including a Gyrfalcon!)

[Patti from Kentucky]

Jeane and I took a vacation to Alaska in mid June...and finally got our vacation photos organized.  It's a big album, but we deleted more than half of what we started with.  But as usual with our vacation albums, grab a snack before you start  . We spent our days almost entirely within Denali National Park at an exquisite place called Camp Denali.

One highlight for me was a nesting pair of Gyrfalcons.  They were high up on a cliff, so the photos aren't the best, but what a nice "life bird" for me!  If you're interested in seeing what nesting habitat for wild falcons looks like, this is one good example.

Here's the link to the big album:
http://photos.bellhanley.com/Trips/Hiking/Alaska-2012/

If you only want to see the birds and wildlife (though the scenery and flowers are extraordinary, so you'll be missing out on that), here's an abbreviated album:
http://photos.bellhanley.com/keyword/wildlife-alaska-2012

In both cases, there is a "slideshow" button if you prefer that format; it'll let you see the photos in a bigger size.

I hope you enjoy them!

[Bonnie]

Wonderful vacation. I am jealous of the gyr falcon

[gayle]

Patti, thank you so much for sharing your great photographs!  I must confess that they made me a bit envious.  But I did notice that head nets were not so evident.  On one trip to Denali in June, the black flies were horrific.  As I remember, in June the biomass of black flies is greater than the total biomass of all other critters combined.  You have so many great photographs.  The animals and birds really cooperated with you, especially the Dall sheep and the grizzly!  Even Denali itself was especially beautiful.  It is "out" only about 20% of the time.  Thanks!

Gayle

[Dumpsterkitty]

Outstanding!

[Donna]

Donna likes your album and Donna likes your commentary!!  Thanks for sharing!

[Patti from Kentucky]

Patti, thank you so much for sharing your great photographs!  I must confess that they made me a bit envious.  But I did notice that head nets were not so evident.  On one trip to Denali in June, the black flies were horrific.  As I remember, in June the biomass of black flies is greater than the total biomass of all other critters combined.  You have so many great photographs.  The animals and birds really cooperated with you, especially the Dall sheep and the grizzly!  Even Denali itself was especially beautiful.  It is "out" only about 20% of the time.  Thanks!

Gayle

Yes, I don't know why we didn't have too much of an insect problem...there were no flies in evidence at all (or certainly no biting flies...only a few small pollinators).  They had a really huge year for snow, and the snow had melted later than usual, so maybe the mosquitoes had a late start.  The number of mosquitoes seemed to increase every day we were there.  We only had to resort to the head nets a few times during our hikes or forays, largely because it was generally very windy.  We only had a bad mosquito problem during a few hikes through spruce forest where we were out of the wind.  And it was cool enough, even during the hottest part of the day, that we didn't have much skin exposed.  We couldn't do much sitting outside on our cabin porch reading in the evenings when the mosquitoes kicked into high gear, though...we had to stay inside after dinner.

[marytyson]

Patti. thank you for taking us along on another wonderful trip!

Mary in Charlotte (NC)

[~Ruth]

Wonderful....I enjoyed taking this educational trip through your pictures and dialog.  thanks, Ruth