Mammals of Denali

Alaska 2014 continued: 

I am determined to get this Alaska series done before 2016. I cannot handle the thought of being two years behind on this, tho admittedly there are other things I want to write about that are older than this trip. In any event, I have three more posts for Alaska, all of them in Denali National Park.

Considering we were only in Denali for about 12 hours, we saw a remarkable number of animals. And considering that the park and preserve total 6 MILLION acres, I was surprised by how many animals were near enough to the road to be easily visible.

We already visited the Dall sheep, which were literally so close to the bus I had to change lenses. We didn't see much more until we reached the Eielson Visitor Center, when I spotted a fairly tame Arctic ground squirrel munching on some tender leaves. Cute little things, they are one of only three mammals in Denali that hibernate over the winter. Smart!

Arctic ground squirrel

After our stop at the Eislson Visitor Center we started the drive back. The return trip proved much more fruitful for sightings. Odd, I thought, as it was now mid-day, but there you have it. This cow moose came up from a stream on our right. I can't recall now if she crossed the road in front of us or not, but at the very least she came within 30 feet of the bus.

Cow moose, shot thru the window.

There were lots of caribou along the route, with some once again quite close to the road. This cow watched the bus with interest.

Cow caribou watching us carefully

A small herd moved down the hillside from our left. This bull paused for a few nice shots.

A bit farther along we found this handsome fellow, by far the largest bull we saw on our trip.

Big bull caribou

According to Wikipedia, caribou bulls have the largest antler-to-body ratio of any animal in the deer family, and the second largest antlers after moose.

Someone spotted a red fox trotting along the road, and I managed a few shots through the window before he slipped off the road.

Red fox.

But one of the biggest treats of the tour was near the end of the ride, when we encountered this bull moose grazing to our left. He's either young, or his antlers have a long way to go. Either way, he was spectacular and, other than some VERY long-distance looks at two bulls in Yellowstone eight years ago, this is the only bull moose I've ever seen.

Bull moose about 50 feet from the bus. 

Such an impressive animal!

Next: BEARS!

The Red Fox

The fox stood stock still in the middle of the lane. We watched each other silently for 10 or 15 seconds, then the fox turned to go. But she paused, then sat down and looked back at me. She seemed unsure how to proceed, and kept looking up the secondary driveway we use for moving trailers and the RV. There's a large woodpile there, an old barn the previous owners had dismantled elsewhere and brought here, planning to reconstruct. But the project was never finished, and we now have habitat for all sorts of critters--rabbits and woodchucks, chipmunks, feral cats, and now, perhaps, red fox. Had she moved her kits there, I wondered?

.....




We learned about the fox from our neighbor, the fellow who lives over the hill behind us whose dog killed two of our chickens earlier in the year. When the third chicken turned up missing, we of course blamed his dog. But he swore his dog was with him all day that day. After we investigated further, we found a trail of feathers leading into the brush and away from his house, all the way down to the front of our property. He said his kids, who play in the abandoned gravel pit behind his house, had seen a fox and her kits at a den there at the top of a hill, and that he had seen a coyote only a week before on his property.

Several days after loosing a second chicken to the mystery animal, (we were still not sure if fox or coyote), and after we had sadly concluded that the hens just couldn't go out any more, I was working in my studio. I just happened to be gazing out the window when movement caught my eye. There, scrawny and lanky in her summer coat, trotted the fox, right down the trail at 12:30 in the afternoon. She moved from west to east, away from the chicken coops. Well, that explains it, I thought. And how bold, to be out at mid-day! Clearly no time was safe for the chickens.

This morning, after feeding the dog and letting the chickens out into their pens, I was sitting at the kitchen table when I heard a hoarse barking. I knew that sound--we'd heard it a week or two before, and Lori determined it was a red fox's territorial call. I went out the backdoor and quietly walked up the hill towards the chickens. I stood for a moment in the quiet morning when I heard the bark again. It was behind me, down front, so I walked down the hill and out to the lane, where I found her standing in the road, back-lit in the pre-dawn light.

.....

You killed my chickens, I thought as she finally stood up and hurried down the lane, turning north and up the trail that divides our property and that of our other neighbor. But I could not be angry. She was only doing what she needed to feed her family. Our folly, believing the our birds would be safe roaming free, was really what caused the problem. I hold no grudge--how could I, against a creature as clever and elegant as she?

I am grateful for her sharing a moment with me on this hazy summer morning.


Photo by Adele Brand

Artwork--Winter Watchers

Whew! After several weeks of scurring around, running to the studio to do a little work then to the basement to make prints and cut mats, running out to the driveway to shovel snow, back to the studio....it all got done in time for the show.

Here they are, matted and ready to go into their frame.



I wish I had gotten a shot of it at the show in its frame, a gorgeous walnut frame with maple keys that shows the foxes off beautifully.

Here's a close-up of the standing fox. The eyes have it! They have to--when you're doing portraiture, the eyes have to be alive, communicative, expressive. I like that this piece also has body language and the dynamic of the two animals sharing the space in the frame.



Now that the show is past I have a little time to relax and enjoy the day. The latest storm to hit the east coast missed us, not even a flurry flew. The sun came out by the middle of the day, and standing out on the balcony we heard the sandhill cranes for the first time this year. What a relief it always is, knowing that they're "home". Next will be the male red-winged blackbirds, eager to stake out their territory to impress the ladies when they return, with more sense, after the snows melt.

I worry for the early spring arrivals. We still have a lot of snow on the ground for early March, and I hope they can find enough forage to tide them over until the world greens up. Looks like we might get rain by Sunday, won't that be a beautiful sound!

The sun sets and shoots golden through the air. Shaded snow catches the color of the sky, holds it close. This is the best time of day, this quiet time when the sunlight mellows your thoughts and softens the edges of everything.

Artwork--foxes pt three

Work work work, still trying to get everything done for the show this weekend. It's been tough because not only are we prepping for a show, but we are essentially restocking after last season. I've matted and bagged about 66 prints and haven't even started on Lori's yet. Have a few prints to frame, need to mat and frame my two new pieces (the heron and the squirrel and blue jay), and am on target to get the foxes done and framed in time for the show. Whew!

On top of that we got 7 inches of heavy wet snow today, so there's been timeouts for shoveling and roof raking. But you simply cannot argue with the beauty a winter storm bestows on us.

Thought I'd give you all an update from a slightly different perspective. The foxes are on my drawing table in my studio, and that's my view. It's a wonder I ever get anything done Some days it's a struggle, although when I'm in the zone a moose could walk by and I wouldn't notice--and we don't have moose here. I've looked up to see two white-tail bucks standing at the salt lick 20 feet from my window!



Thought I'd post a pic of me drawing, just in case some of you were wondering if I really do this stuff. Actually, there are some shows that want an image of you making your work and the one I had was four years old, so I thought it was time for a new one. Funny, I think I'm wearing the same shirt....



Had a special visitor today. A large male flicker that I've seen a few times over the season made an appearance. I was so glad I had a camera with me! He's a beauty, too, very dark topside with those stunning yellow tail feathers.




OK, back to work!

Artwork--foxes pt two

The foxes are coming along nicely, I think. The one standing is nearly finished, and I have "fleshed out" the one laying in front. I am pretty sure I'll have it finished in time for the show next weekend.

Artwork--foxes

Here's a quickie of the new piece I'm working on, as yet untitled. These two beautiful red foxes live at the Howell Nature Center. Lori and I went about a month ago to get some photos of the animals there. I love this pose of the one fox standing above and behind the other, like a guardian. And what gorgeous winter coats they're wearing! I need to go back and get some pics of the coyote before spring.



With so much activity around here--we're getting ready for a four day show the end of next week in Novi--I may not get back to my Florida trip until March, but I will try to squeeze in a post if I can.

Cheers!