Category: Wildlife

• Termination Dust, Weather, Week 25 in Healy

  

  Yesterday and today we had a dusting of snow at elevation. Summer is over! Low of 39 degrees and high of 58 (we hear Virginia is sweltering at 98). Saturday was a rare sunny day so we went into the park. Hard to believe we only have a few weeks left before we start the…

  Melissa Rudacille

  September 3, 2023

  Alaska Wildlife, Life in Alaska

  Alaska weather, Denali, Denali National Park, moose photos

• Coho Count II

  

  C and I caught 12 coho salmon over a 9 day outing.  I caught 2 coho (both on the last day!). C caught 10 coho, releasing 2.  It rained 7 of 9 days, sometimes raining very hard.  Those 2 days without rain were marvelous! August 22 – half day of fishing at Sheep Creek Slough.  …

  Melissa Rudacille

  September 2, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Fishing in Alaska

  Alaska weather, Alaska Wildlife, fishing, moose photos

• Sea Otters in Seward

  This evening I watched 2 sea otters for awhile. C pointed out the first one while we were walking. Then he headed further down the beach to fish for salmon. It is drizzling, a great improvement on the driving rain we have been getting off and on the past 3 days. If it had rained…

  Melissa Rudacille

  August 26, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska, Fishing in Alaska

  Alaska weather, Alaska Wildlife

• Sandhill Crane Festival

  

  I spent much of the day at the Sandhill Crane Festival in Fairbanks (while C was working). First I spent several fascinating hours at the Alaska Songbird Institute’s (ASI) bird banding station during a busy morning of banding around 60 wild birds. The birds are caught in mist nets, then gently banded, measured and released.…

  Melissa Rudacille

  August 19, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife

  Alaska Songbird Institute, Alaska Wildlife, Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Sandhill Cranes

• Long Weekend with Coho Count

  

  Salmon: 11 coho, 5 pink,  1 chum Rain: 6 out of 6 days (never all day) Foraging: red raspberries, highbush cranberries,  sea lettuce seaweed Glaciers: Lots! (At a distance) August 10 Melissa worked in a.m. then we drove south to Montana Creek.  Lots of pinks and chum, not many coho though we saw someone catch…

  Melissa Rudacille

  August 15, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska, Fishing in Alaska

  Alaska weather, coho salmon, fishing, foraging

• Teklanika Campground and the Tek Pass

  If you have read many of my posts, you know I like the Denali National Park transit bus system. During the summer I usually ride the free bus to Savage River once a week. To go further into the Park via the East Fork Transit Bus, it costs about $35 for the day (plus an…

  Melissa Rudacille

  July 25, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska

  Alaska Wildlife, Denali National Park, East Fork Transit Bus, Tek Pass, Teklanika Campground

• Wildlife Count, 3 Nights at Teklanika Campground

  On our drive to Teklanika Campground we saw 11 Ptarmigan dust bathing and getting digestive gravel for their crops.  Mom and Dad work together raising the 9 chicks. It was the start of a wonderful 4-day/3-night experience. For the Denali Big Five seen during our 3 night stay: around 50 Dall sheep sitings, 16 Caribou,…

  Melissa Rudacille

  July 24, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska

  Alaska Wildlife, Arctic ground squirrels, Denali National Park, East Fork Transit Bus, Ptarmigan, Teklanika Campground

• Caribou, Moose, and Dall Sheep

  

  My parents and I took at least 7 transit bus rides during our 3 nights at Teklanika Campground (love the Tek Pass). We saw all of the Denali Big Five, including lots of caribou, lots of Dall sheep, and one moose. I was thrilled to see so many caribou and see some caribou females and…

  Melissa Rudacille

  July 23, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska

  Alaska Wildlife, Caribou, Denali National Park, Teklanika Campground

• Grizzlies, Cubs, and Tracks

  

  While taking the East Fork Transit Buses from Teklanika Campground, my parents and I saw 5 or 6 grizzly bears. We had gone hiking at Tattlers Creek our second day, not knowing what we would see there 2 days later. In retrospect the bear prints on the side of the road were a clue! We…

  Melissa Rudacille

  July 23, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska

  Alaska Wildlife, Denali National Park, East Fork Transit Bus, Grizzly Bear, Teklanika Campground, Teklanika River

• Wolf

  

  While C continued working an 18 day stretch, my parents and I spent 3 nights at Teklanika Campground in Denali National Park. We saw all of the big 5! While I hope to write a couple posts on our Teklanika stay, I will start with the wolf on our last day. With only 90ish wolves…

  Melissa Rudacille

  July 22, 2023

  Alaska Activities, Alaska Wildlife, Camping in Alaska

  Alaska Wildlife, Denali National Park, East Fork Transit Bus, Teklanika Campground, Wolf