Alaska - Part 3. Seward back to Tok

Chocolate Lily, beautiful to look at,
Horrible to smell, to attract flies for pollination

Driving to Seward from Homer, we had to go back through the wildlife area near Sterling.  The smoke was still thick for over 20 miles as it hung between the mountains.  The morning sun glowed red through the hazy skies.

King Salmon were coming up Bear Creek to spawn, this is a weir where
many are caught and studied.

Glaucous-winged Gull with nesting material

Trumpeter Swans at marsh on Nash Road in Seward

We took a boat trip out Resurrection Bay to Northwestern Glacier and the Chiswell Islands.
As you can see, we started the day in fog, not easy to spot these Orca Whales.

There were many beautiful rock islands on our 8 hour excursion 

Northwestern Glacier

The ice moves about three feet a day, falling to the water with thunderous noise and beauty like a waterfall.  Sometimes breaking into large pieces and causing waves.  Above the glacier is the Harding Ice Field, 600 square miles of packed snow and ice moving down many glaciers.  Every winter, over 100 FEET of snow accumulates pressing down to form this ice pack.

Kittlitz's Murrelet, feeds near the Tidal Glaciers

Harbor Seals love lounging around on the ice from the glacier

Here we are at the bow of the boat with a giant watrfall behind us at the Kenai Fjords

Pigeon Guillemot showing off his bright feet

The rare Red-faced Cormorant

Horned Puffin

Puffin Pairs - Tufted up top and Horned below

Steller's Sea Lions basking the day away

Smile for the camera!

A rare treat, the tiny Parakeet Auklet

This Sea Otter caught an Octopus, the Glaucous-winged Gulls want to share

Common Murre

This Bald Eagle welcomed us back into the harbor

We stayed the week at Stoney Creek RV Park and one of our favorite birds there were  the Varied Thrushes.  Parents were feeding their fledglings all over the park.

The Sooty Fox Sparrow of Alaska

Townsend's Warbler was a bit wet from the morning dew.

Steller's Jays were always looking for picnic leftovers

Marbled Murrelet in the Seward Harbor

Exit Glacier,  named by the miners in the Gold Rush for how to get off the ice field

Lesser Yellowlegs

When we left Seward, we headed for Paxson and the Denali Highway for the high Alpine tundra to find the birds that nest there.

Female Long-tailed Duck with one of her brood

Drake Long-tailed Duck

Common Redpoll

Lapland Longspur

American Golden Plover

Rock Ptamigan

Tundra Swans on the Tundra

Red-throated Loon

Make that two, and in their best breeding plumage too.

One bird we hoped to see was the Long-tailed Jaeger that nests high on the tundra.  We couldn't find any after hours of searching.  Just as we were ready to call it a day, this bird came by and what a blessed way to end our day.

Love & Prayers,
Ty & Ida Baumann