This year we've seen a boom in prey animals like snowshoe hares and grouse, more so than we've seen since we first moved here in 2008. That increase also brings about an increase in predators, like foxes, coyotes, etc. This is one of the red foxes we see occasionally around the house. Another that we've seen a few times is all black in color. They don't normally hang around long enough in person for pictures, but I was close to the den on my walk today when I spotted this one, and she gave me a few barks of warning before running off.
This time of year, the view changes every day. The contrast of the still-snowy peaks with the greening foothills can't be fully captured with a camera.
The glow of the evening sunset reflecting off the peaks.
It's been 10 years since I've seen this many grouse in the woods. And almost that long since I've seen spruce grouse in any significant numbers. This is a spruce grouse, strutting across my pathway, trying to steer me elsewhere while he puts on a display for any female grouse that might be watching nearby.
When I didn't divert my course, he flew to a nearby tree, and gave me a look that clearly said, "How rude!"
Not too far away, a male ruffed grouse in brown phase is drumming on a log, trying to attract a female ruffed grouse. Ruffed grouse are the predominant grouse we have on our side of the bluff, but it has been nice to see some spruce grouse around the woods lately. We've also seen some other unique wildlife this year. The snowshoe hares are back, a boom year for them as well. I hit a large one with the car yesterday morning, unavoidable. He had bright white snowshoe feet to go along with his summer gray coat. Haven't had a camera with me yet when I run into the hares, so no pics yet. They've been almost entirely absent from our property for nearly 10 years, so it's good to see them coming back. And of course, following the hares are foxes, and one additional visitor Jolene was able to spot last week.....a wolf that walked less than 100 yds from her below the bluff while she was relaxing in the Adirondack chairs. That's our first spotting this close to the house. No bears yet, but we're watching.
I guess I'll mention one more unique sighting, I hesitate to speak of it, since it seems kind of out of place on a creek this small, but a couple of weeks ago, at the creek I spotted an adult river otter. Now, I've seen hundreds of muskrat around the creek and hay flats, but that was my first river otter, and there was no mistaking it for a muskrat. Unfortunately, Dino ran it off before I could get a picture.
Geese pose on the flats below Twin Peaks.
The glow on the Chugach Mountain range.
More glow.
The male eagle hanging out in a black spruce tree near the house, overlooking their nest. Unfortunately the spruce beetle has hit the black spruce trees hard in our area, and most of the older spruce trees like this one are dying and won't survive the summer. This tree reminds me of Dr. Seuss for some reason.
"Seriously?"
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