Fall LarchTree

When I was at Wander Lake on the 27th, I took some photos of larch trees.  They are also known as Tamarak trees.  They are a conifer but are not evergreen.  Their needles change color in the fall and they are bare throughout the winter.

They are really quite a beautiful tree.  They grow in the boreal forests throughout Canada and through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and east through New England.  Alaska's population is in the Interior, but over 400 miles separates them from the population in the Yukon.

They grow quickly and are one of the first trees to grow where there has been a fire.

They add a great deal to the fall beauty.  I might add that that fall beauty is mostly gone now and the trees are bare.  Our fall weather has lasted longer than most years, but it won't be long before we'll be seeing snow covered trees.  From the weather forecast it doesn't look like it will be happening this week though, with temps in the 40s and around the freezing mark at night.

Wander Lake Surprise, Part 3

I finally caught up with the Swan, back on the part of the lake where I had first seen him.

It was only a matter of a few minutes, though, before he decided to take off.

I love being able to get a series of shots of a takeoff.  In real time you don't see the feet going madly as they run across the water.

A tighter crop shows that a little better.

Finally, lift off!

I followed him with my camera as he flew across the lake.....

......and higher against the trees.....

.....and even higher against the hill in the background.

My last shot was of a speck as he cleared the hillside and headed in a southerly direction. 

In an attempt to make him more visible, I added a Comic filter.  I was intrigued by the resulting circular aura around him.

I hope you've enjoyed chasing the Swan around the lake with me!  I likely won't see any more Swans until they are heading north in the spring, unless I head south too and see the flocks that overwinter in the Skagit Valley in Washington where my son lives.  Click HERE to see Swans in the Skagit Valley.  I've posted quite a few photos of Swans in the spring over the last several years, and you can see those by clicking HERE.

Wander Lake Surprise, Part 2

 After grooming himself for a few minutes, the Swan swam out onto the sheltered corner of the lake.  Although most of the lake's surface was rippled from the wind, in this corner the water was still and provided some lovely reflections.

For several minutes I sat quietly watching him.

The reflected colors were a lovely backdrop for the white Swan.

Ever alert, the Swan spotted someone coming down the trail....

.....and it was time to begin evasive action again.

He kept an eye on the intruder.....

......and paddled quickly away.

He headed back up the lake.....

......leaving me to follow around the lake after him.

He paddled much quicker than I could walk!

Continued tomorrow......

Wander Lake Surprise, Part 1

 When I walked to Wander Lake last Friday the leaves in the trees provided a lot of color and the trail was carpeted with them.

I was looking for some fall reflection shots at the lake, but the wind kept the reflections down.

However, as a few of you guessed, the surprise I found was a lone Trumpeter Swan.  It made up for the lack of reflections.  I had thought the swans were long gone, but at the beginning of my walk I saw a pair flying over Creamer's Field.  A flock of 100 or so were reported flying high over the fields Wednesday.

The Swan was cautious, though, and no sooner had I saw him then he began swimming around a corner away from me.  I had intended to just stop at the viewing platform near the end of the trail, but I had to follow around and see if I could get a few closer photos of the Swan.

As I came around the corner I saw him not too far from the bank.....

......but he spotted me and was soon on his way across the lake.  Swans just seem to glide along, but he was moving at a pretty good clip.  You can maybe see the black foot out behind him in the photo above, providing a powerful stroke.

The trail around the lake is a little less than a mile, and I hadn't intended to go that far, but there was that silly Swan swimming towards the other end.

So I had to follow.  As I went around the lake, the water at the other end was much calmer, providing some nice reflections.

I finally spotted the Swan again on a small island, joining several ducks in a grooming session.  I quietly sat down on a bench to watch, and he didn't seem to notice me.

Continued tomorrow with some Swan reflections.....

Fall Wander Lake Reflections

 A few weeks ago I posted some reflection shots that I took at Wander Lake.  Click HERE to go to that post.  I've been looking for a sunny day to go back to capture some fall colors.  Yesterday was mostly sunny and a little windy, but the temperature was up to 55 degrees.  My perennial flower bed needed to be cut back and there were other chores shouting at me.  Well, what could I do?  Of course I closed my ears to the shouts and headed out the door with my camera.  There are only a few fleeting days before the snow will be on the ground and you have to take advantage of nice weather when you can.

Because of the wind the reflections weren't quite as clear as the previous visit.  I walked around the lake and on the far side the water was out of the wind and provided some better reflections. 

There was an even better surprise at the lake that made me happy I went.  If you look closely you can get a glimpse of it in a couple of the photos.  Stay tuned......

Wander Lake Reflections

On a overcast early evening a couple of days ago we walked the short distance to Wander Lake, following the trail from Creamer's Field.  The lake is a reclaimed gravel pit and is part of the Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary, which is adjacent to Creamer's Field.  The colors of fall are beginning to overtake the green of summer.  In another week or two the water will reflect the vibrant yellows that predominate our fall season in Fairbanks.