Denali

This weekend we went on a mini road trip to Anchorage for a hockey tournament.  USA Hockey and Labatt sponsor recreational hockey tournaments all across the country, and Alaska had some 60 teams participating, with 15 from Fairbanks.  Two of our three family teams won their divisions, Women's Silver and Men's Intermediate.  Marty's team finished dead last, but he had a great time.  On the way home we stopped at the South viewpoint for Denali aka Mt. McKinley.  The Athabascan name Denali means the Great One.  Denali is part of the Alaska Range and is the highest peak in North America at 20,320 feet.  Often the peak is shrouded in clouds, but it was a good day for viewing.  Even though the gate to the viewing area was still closed for the season, we were able to walk in and get some photos.

You can see other photos I've taken of Denali and Denali National Park HERE and HERE.

Creamer's Field Variety

A few shots from the last few days..... 

I'm linking up with Good Fences

at the Run "A" Round Ranch Report.

More Reindeer Babies

I posted photos of the reindeer and calves at the University of Alaska Experiment Farm last week, and several people were interested in seeing more up-close photos of the reindeer calves.  I took the first batch of photos last Tuesday, and went back again on Wednesday.  One of the reindeer had her calf right up near the fence, but it was sound asleep and not much more than a lump of brown fur.  Mama had been nudging it a bit as her snout was covered with straw.

Mama looked a bit confused.  I believe the reindeer in this section of the farm are all first-time mamas, so they need a little extra attention.

I had taken the photo below of Mama on Tuesday when she was voicing her opinion about something, but at the time I didn't know what.  Looking closer at the photo I see a lump of brown fur at her feet, and perhaps it was not too long after the baby's birth.  They wait at least 24 hours after the birth to tag the baby's ear to allow for bonding with the mother, and I can't see a tag in any of the photos of this baby.  Perhaps Mama is saying "What do I do now?"


I cropped a few of the photos I took on Tuesday to focus more on the calves.  Click on the photos to enlarge them for a better look.

And another shot of the barn from a different angle and one of the grain storage facility.

The Fairbanks Experiment Farm was established in 1906 to conduct research and promote agriculture in Interior Alaska.  In the past they have grown swine, cattle, sheep, and sled dogs.  They got their first reindeer in 1997, and the research is geared toward the nutrition and production of reindeer.  They are studying the effect of different grains on the diet of the reindeer and the taste of the meat.  The program is the only one of its kind in the world.  Although there are huge numbers of caribou in Alaska, there are relatively few domestic reindeer.

The rest of the reindeer at the farm are in pens across the road.  And, yes, they do spend the winter outside.  There are very few cows grown here and the reindeer are much more suited to our climate.

I am linking up with Amy's Barn Collective #28

and

Eileen's Saturday's Critters #70.

Creamer's Lake

Right now a large part of the front field at Creamer's Field is covered in water and looks like a small lake.  Although there is a pond in the middle of the field, most of the water is from snow melt, and is only a few inches deep.  While Creamer's Lake is in existence it provides some lovely views. 

Of course, the birds who are making use of the lake on their northward journey are the big attraction......

.....especially when they pose up close to one of the fences.

I am linking up with Good Fences

at the Run "A" Round Ranch Report.

I am also linking to Gaelyn's Foto Friday Fun

with my photo index No. 2607, taken May 9, 2012,

at the Seasonal Pond back behind the old barns at Creamer's Field.

The tree frog is the only frog we have here, and they are able to survive the winter by freezing solid and then thawing out in the spring.  They lay their eggs in the water and then abandon them and disperse over land.  As soon as the trail back to the Seasonal Pond is navigable without wading boots I'll be checking the pond.  Hopefully my timing will be as good as it was back in 2012!

Reindeer Barn

This pretty red barn is on the campus of the University of Alaska at the Experiment Farm.  UAF's Reindeer Research Program is working on the development and promotion of the reindeer industry in Alaska. 

The reindeer herd consists of about 70 adult reindeer.


I've shown this barn before, but it's right in the middle of calving season, so I thought I would post it again.  The first calf was born March 29th, and they expect about 30 to be born this year.  Below are two mamas and their babies.  The babies kind of blend in with the dirt, but you can see one on either side of the fence.

I'm linking with Amy's Barn Collective #27.

Trumpeter Swans

More birds have arrived at Creamer's Field, including several more pairs of Trumpeter Swans.  One pair was closer to the fence, although still not as close as I would like.  They were busy preening and refreshing themselves after their long trip.  Kind of reminds me of when Marty and I are on a road trip and stop for the night.....

I am linking up with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

A Trickle of Birds

The birds have started arriving in Fairbanks!  Creamer's Field is right next to my granddaughter's school, so it's easy to stop by and see what's happening after I pick her up from kindergarten.  We stopped by on Tuesday and saw about a dozen Canada Geese and one Greater White-fronted Goose.  With an overcast day and the geese a ways out in the field it made for uninspiring photos.  Today when we stopped by the sun was shining but the geese were still well out  in the field. 

There were also a couple of pairs of Trumpeter Swans.

The snow is melting nicely and there are some big puddles near the fences.  When more birds arrive we'll be able to be a little closer to the action.

Just for fun I did a little cropping and added a filter to the fence.  There are lots of split rail fences around Creamer's Field and it's the most common style of fence seen around Fairbanks.

I'm linking up with Good Fences at

the Run "A" Round Ranch Report.

From my archives I'm also including another style fence and another bird that I don't expect to see for a few more weeks.

I saw this Robin in June of 2011 at the Georgeson Botanical Garden,

and it is my Index No. 2694 for Gaelyn's Foto Friday Fun.

The Field Is Ready

Ten days ago the front field at Creamer's Field was plowed (HERE) and since then the snow has melted in the plowed rows leaving bare ground and large puddles.

This weekend barley was spread on the ground, inviting all those birds traveling north to stop over and rest a while and refuel before continuing their journey further north to their nesting grounds.  Everyone eagerly awaits those first arrivals as their presence says the long winter is over.  I foresee several stops at Creamer's Field in the next few weeks.

I'm linking with The Barn Collective #26

at Rose Street Reflections.

Creamer's Field Collection

Today I'm doing something a little different.  I'm showing a variety of photos from my archives, all taken at Creamer's Field.  The connecting factor is they are all my photo index No. 0071.  Every Friday, Gaelyn at Geogypsy Traveler hosts a meme, Foto Friday Fun, featuring a particular photo index number from your archives.  When I searched for 0071, I came up with several from Creamer's Field through the seasons, and choosing just one was just much too difficult, so I decided to post several.  I'm starting with ones that were taken in April, and working my way though the year.

April 16, 2012

April 21, 2009

August 13, 2014

August 28, 2012

September 3, 2011

September 12, 2011

January 28, 2015 

 I'm also sharing with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.