Whale Song - Pearl Jam

Have undertaken some trials today to increase the photo size on published posts. All have been favourable, so hover over image then 'click'.

It just takes the sting out of it when you are Confined to Barracks and the weather is foul. After a fair bit of overnight rain the day started mild, still and dry but quickly the drizzle set in followed by an increase in wind speed, then heavier persistent rain. Glad to have preempted all of this with a 'ready made' Post!

Continuing our look at my travels in the 

United States of America,

on my second of three full transits of the Alaska Highway, the ever reliable Greyhound Coach took me as far as Whitehorse in the Yukon, Canada where both that operator and the 'one month period ticket' expired. From there it's a case of having to employ the Alaska Direct Bus Company, which in a nutshell is a 'people carrier'. My luck was really in that day as the driver was a character I took an immediate liking to especially as when I knocked his door David Cartier invited me in, stuck Led Zeppelin IV on the record player (vinyl) then served served Turkish coffee, Russian tea and cakes - not a bad start. Dave, as he preferred to be known, was a seasoned world traveller, certainly knew all about this local area, had a beautiful Japanese girlfriend Toshia who would travel with us and picked us up at the hotel at 06:00 prompt the next morning.

 With just one other passenger Ryan a Dutch lady we set course

for TOK the first sizeable town in Alaska on this route.

 SUE HALLAM, RYAN, DAVID and TOSHIA

On the way we witnessed much wildlife with all on passage as eager to stop to study and photograph it. Unfortunately, the best sighting of the trip, a Wolverine, disappeared without photographic evidence but to clap eyes on this fabled animal was enough. Others that didn't escape the lens included

 CARIBOU

 a BALD EAGLE on the nest

 and several others both perched and on the wing.

 

 DALL'S SHEEP

and plenty of MOOSE.

 On the outskirts of the State Capital, Anchorage

 the springboard for Seward and

 A neat little harbour with a

 neat little boat MISTY

competently Captained by JUDITH.
Anticipation was high and the wait short as

 

 DALL'S PORPOISE

 

 FIN WHALE

 the second largest creature on Earth

 

 HARBOUR SEAL

 

 and STELLER'S SEA-LION were seen in quick succession.

 PIGEON GUILLEMOT

 was seen before more 'Big Boys' turned up.

 HUMPBACK WHALE

Only a 'moment in time' but try this on 'full screen'.

 

 From Anchorage it was the train to Fairbanks via Denali NP

 

 PORCUPINE

from the train window.

The North Star Hotel in Fairbanks is a very comfortable and

family run establishment and only a short bus ride to

 

 CREAMER'S FIELD

a Bird Observation Station where on meeting the 'ringers'

was invited to join them, a great privilege.

 ANNA and DORCAS

were monitoring birds such as

 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER

 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH

 AMERICAN ROBIN

and BLACKPOLL WARBLER

outside

 CLIFF SWALLOW

nest in the eves of most of the buildings,

 LINCOLN'S SPARROW

are both difficult to find or view for long periods

but the key species here present no problems whatsoever.

Hundreds of
SANDHILL CRANE

 enjoy the protection of this Reserve surprisingly close to
the Main Road.

 

juvenile GREAT HORNED OWL close to out-buildings.
TO BE CONTINUED!

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