Birds in Alaska

Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Alaska, Dalton Highway, approx. 20 miles south of Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse. Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Sunny Conditions Me and my father were driving south on the Dalton Highway (the highway on the show, Ice Road Truckers) and I noticed what looked like a motionless chicken head protruding out of the tundra. I walked up on this strange bird and encountered several more that flew about 100 yards away, I pursued them. Luckily, after I approached them again, they relied on camouflage and hid from me, rather than taking off. I actually had one that was within 3 feet from me. It was on the other side of a small bush...as I would walk one way around the bush, it would walk around the other way lol. Very unique bird, both in behavior and appearance.

Pacific Loon

Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse, Alaska July 6, 2013 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Sunny conditions In small pond in arctic tundra

Varied Thrush

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius Coldfoot, Alaska July 12, 2013 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x II converter ISO 1600, f/7.1, 1/2000s, shot handheld This thrush was very tame. It allowed me to walk within 15 feet of it before flying. It apparently was relying on being motionless to avoid detection.

Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus July 7, 2013 Alaska, Dalton Highway, Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter

Short-eared Owl

Alaska. Dalton Highway. North of Atigun Pass

Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus Alaska, Dalton Highway July 11, 2014 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 lens, 1.4x ii converter Sunny conditions

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe Alaska, Dalton Highway, Atigun Pass July 11, 2014 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Sunny conditions I photographed this Wheatear on the north side of Atigun Pass, just 30 feet or so off the Dalton Highway. The Wheatears apparently nested in this location as there were at least a couple of young Wheatears that could fly.

Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing. Bombycilla garrulus. Alaska. Dalton Highway. South of Coldfoot. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d. July 12, 2013

Pectoral Sandpiper - 6d

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Alaska Dalton Highway near Prudhoe Bay (Deadhorse) Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS, 1.4xII converter ISO 1250, f/9, 1/4000s July 7, 2013 Sunny conditions

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Alaska Dalton Highway near Prudhoe Bay (Deadhorse) Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Shot jpeg, Aperture Priority mode

Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger. Stercorarius longicaudus. Alaska. Dalton Highway. North of Atigun Pass. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d. July 7, 2013.

American Tree Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea Alaska July 8, 2013 Dalton Highway Charles Grisham Canon 6d

Ruff

Ruff Philomachus pugnax Alaska, Dalton Highway, approx. one mile south of Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse July 9, 2013 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Shot jpeg., handheld This Ruff was walking along side the Dalton Highway after a heavy rain. It appeared to be interested in the puddles and did not want to walk into the tundra, which was a few feet from the edge of the road where it was walking. When I first passed by this bird, I knew it was something neat that I had not photographed before. So I drove past it and parked my car about 100 yards down from it, and in the direction of where it was walking. It eventually walked within 20 ish feet of my car, thus allowing me to get some good shots.

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane. Grus canadensis. Alaska. Dalton Highway. North of Atigun Pass near Deadhorse. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d, July 9, 2013.

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll. Carduelis hornemanni. Alaska. Dalton Highway. North of Atigun Pass. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d. July 9, 2013.

Parasitic Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger. Stercorarius longicaudus. Alaska. Dalton Highway near Deadhorse flying over tundra. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d. July 9, 2013.

Long-billed Dowitcher

Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Alaska Dalton Highway near Prudhoe Bay (Deadhorse) Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter Shot jpeg, Aperture Priority mode

Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus July 7, 2013 Alaska, Dalton Highway, Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter

Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus July 7, 2013 Alaska, Dalton Highway, Prudhoe Bay / Deadhorse Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting Deadhorse, Alaska Canon 6d Charles Grisham July 10, 2013

Semipalmated Plover

Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus Alaska Dalton Highway Canon 6d Charles Grisham July 11, 2013

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee. Poecile atricapillus. Fairbanks, Alaska. Canon 6d. Charles Grisham. July 13, 2013.

Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota. Alaska. Dalton Highway at Yukon River. July 4, 2013. Canon 6d. Charles Grisham

Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco. Junco hyemalis. Alaska. Yukon River at Dalton Highway. Charles Grisham. July 4, 2013. Canon 6d.

Common Raven

Common Raven. Corvus corax. Alaska. Dalton Highway at Yukon River. July 4, 2013. Canon 6d. Charles Grisham

Lesser Yellowlegs

Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Alaska Dalton Highway Canon 6d July 4, 2013 Charles Grisham

Common Redpoll

Wilson's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla Alaska, Dalton Highway July 5, 2013 Canon 6d, Canon 500 F4 IS lens, 1.4x ii converter

Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger. Stercorarius longicaudus. Alaska. Dalton Highway. North of Atigun Pass. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d

White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys. Alaska. Dalton Highway. July 5, 2013. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d

Rusty Blackbird

Rusty Blackbird. Euphagus carolinus. Alaska. Dalton Highway. South of Coldfoot. July 5, 2013. Charles Grisham. Canon 6d