Caribou on the Run at Fortymile River

Caribou on the Run at Fortymile River By Ned Rozell Floating down the Fortymile River, we heard the roar of a rapid just ahead. At the same time, we noticed the caribou, about 50 of them, clustered on a cliffside near the water. It was too late to pull over. I aimed the canoe for [...]

Alaska’s Crested Auklet

Alaska's Crested Auklet By Ned Rozell Millions of Alaska birds nest on rocky emerald islands seen by few people other than ship captains. One of the funkiest of these creatures is the crested auklet, which looks like a bassist in a punk band and smells like a tangerine. These hand-size birds have intrigued Hector Douglas [...]

Wolves a defining part of Alaska landscape

Wolves a defining part of Alaska landscape By Ned Rozell The wolf tracks appeared as they always do, as a surprise. On a day between fall and winter, with the leaves fallen and browning but the ground not yet hard, I was walking with my dog and an a.m. radio. We were descending a four-wheeler [...]

Finding far-north lynx den part of cycle study

Finding far-north lynx den part of cycle study By Ned Rozell In her study of one of the farthest north lynx populations in North America this summer, Claire Montgomerie used her ears. While looking at the satellite tracker a female lynx was wearing, Montgomerie saw the animal was hanging around a hillside north of the [...]

The Moose Are Gathering in the Powerline Pass (Pics)

Moose Are Gathering in the Powerline Pass For the Annual Rut Season Went hiking up the Powerline Pass trail in Anchorage this morning and thought I'd post a few pictures. I saw 5 bull moose and 2 cows in the valley. Had to walk about 100 yards through a swampy marsh to get the closeup [...]

Summertime at Potter Marsh

Summertime at Potter Marsh In early spring hundreds of birds congregate at Anchorage's Potter Marsh and lay eggs after a long flight from the Lower 48. It's mid-July now and many of the birds have moved on but for a few. I took these shots on June 24th, 2017 right at the parking lot about [...]

Tundra Swans Take Two Distinct Paths to Alaska

Tundra Swans Take Two Distinct Paths to Alaska By Ned Rozell [fusion_dropcap]S[/fusion_dropcap]kiing to work over a persistent spring snowpack, I looked up to see a large white bird flapping gracefully over the spruce tops. A few gentle honks confirmed it was a tundra swan. After a long winter when all the large birds were black, [...]

Are Alaska Ravens Responsible for Wolf Packs?

Are Alaska Ravens Responsible for Wolf Packs? By Ned Rozell People who study animal behavior think they may have found out why wolves hunt in packs — because ravens are such good scavengers. Scientists who watched wolves on Isle Royale in Lake Superior came up with the raven-wolf pack theory after puzzling over a question: [...]

To Alaska and then some for Yukon Lynx

To Alaska and then some for Yukon Lynx By Ned Rozell [fusion_dropcap]A[/fusion_dropcap] lynx that roamed more than 200 miles from Kluane Lake in the Yukon Territory to near Chitina is still being tracked across the Alaska landscape, thanks to a curious couple living off the Edgerton Highway. A lynx that a couple in Kenny [...]