Tag: Icy Strait Point

Salmon Buffet…by Brad Marks

Welcome to May everyone…or using our standard measurement for time .. a mere 5 months before the annual Haunted Trail event. Time is closing in on us in the haunt department. Fortunately, after this weekend’s agility dog show in Wisconsin we will be home for a good period of time that I can devote to all things that go bump in the night. In the midst of that, I also need to hit the ankle rehab hard(er) if I’m going to be ready to race a couple of weeks after that event. Going to be a busy summer. Having subjected you to a rather drab member of the birding world in my last post, I was searching for something to spice it up a bit. Took a scan through Brad’s queue and he had the perfect “NAB” to feature. Identify the person who is slowest in your group and let Brad take you on a northwestern adventure.

Take it away Brad…

Late last summer, Jan and I were on a great Alaskan Adventure.  Our 17-day tour involved several days on land, and then several more days on a very large cruise ship (more stability = less queasiness for Brad).  We booked every possible excursion available so we could see as much of the Alaskan wilderness as possible.  I also felt pressure from Intrigued HQ to book some birding adventures.  One of our trips was a guided Wildlife Tour at Icy Strait Point near Hoonah, Alaska.  We did see birds, but they weren’t the highlight of this excursion.

After disembarking from the cruise ship and walking through the gift shops, we arrived where the tour would start.  Thankfully, Jan and I were not there during peak season.  It seemed the vast majority of the passengers from the two cruise ships docked there were headed to either the zip-lines, gift shops, or the bars (as if the cruise boats ran out).  Our tour was designed for up to 18 people, but only 8 signed up for the trip.  We’ve learned from the past that fewer people in tour groups usually means we can make more tour stops, or spend more time in the various places on the tour.

Once we were checked at the tour office, the group climbed into the mini-bus, and our guide, Amy, started the tour.  Amy told the group that she grew up on the island, fifth generation in fact, and was a wealth of knowledge for being as young as she was.  After making a stop to see eagles (link to Under Construction) she took us to a remote location on the Island.

After we all got out of the minibus at the next stop, Amy gave a stern safety briefing.  She said that are usually bears in the area, but that human noises keep them away for the most part.  Amy also requested we stay behind her because she didn’t want to have to deter a bear with tourists in the way.  I didn’t fully comprehend what she was telling us until later in the tour.

We walked a few hundred yards along a two-track gravel road into the wilderness.  Amy was pointing our various flora and fauna and telling us stories all along the way.  Now, I wish I had recorded those stories to help write these stories.  After about 15 minutes, we came to a small bridge across a creek.

Brown Bear found by Brad and Jan Marks in Alaska

As we say at Intrigued … “It’s a Furry NAB” (Not a Bird). Hit the jump to learn more about this Alaskan creature.

Continue reading Salmon Buffet…by Brad Marks

Under Construction…by Brad Marks

Greetings from the west! Most of you know by now that Linda and I are still out in the field and will be for several more weeks. This trip is turning out to be far better than last year’s winter trip out here and I must say southeast Arizona is really growing on us. As far as birding goes, some descriptions come to mind, productive, educational, strenuous and did I already mention exhausting!?! Best part is my brother Ron had the opportunity to meet us out here recently and we had a couple of solid days looking for our feathered friends in the desert scrub. Ended up missing some target birds (mostly for Ron), but a day of birding is always a good day regardless of the haul…and speaking of hauling, Brad is going to take us on another journey, this time all the way to Alaska for some timber hauling. Take care everyone, I’ll continue to check in from time to time when I have time and more importantly – connectivity.

Take it away Brad…

There we were, unloading ourselves from a small tour bus in Alaska.  Jan and I signed up for a guided Wildlife Tour at Icy Strait Point near Hoonah, Alaska.  Our tour guide, Amy, was a local who loved nature.  We could tell because we could hardly keep up with her stories and sightings of wildlife, even after just leaving the pick-up point.  Her family had been on the island for five generations.  She was also a volunteer EMT which was helpful in case any tourists went down hard during the tour.

Our first stop was a parking lot on the other side of the small island at the ferry terminal near the village of Hoonah.  As the group exited the bus (I was sitting in the way-back), Amy had us stay to the side to avoid being run over by the other tourist mini-buses.  No desire to put those EMT skills to use so early in the day.

Jan, of course, was more interested in the wildlife across the road from the parking lot and walked into the middle of the lot by a large light pole.

I had wandered to the edge of the water looking for seabirds that we might not find at home.  Then I heard a familiar sound and looked around to see where it was coming from.  The sound was of a DSLR at a high frame rate grabbing photos as fast as the shutter could recycle and release.  It was a Nikon camera, one of mine, but not the one I was holding.  The noise was coming from the camera Jan was using.  I quickly tried to see what she had spotted and was taking photos of.  Then I saw it.

Bald Eagle found by Brad and Jan in Alaska

…and now you have seen it! Hit the jump to read more about this Alaskan resident.

Continue reading Under Construction…by Brad Marks