 Alaska's Fall Colors 3 |
Alaska's Fall Colors 3 |
November 12, 2011Arcticulates ®Focusing on Alaska's BeautyAuthor: K. FieldsAlaska's Fall Colors 3Fall in Alaska is quick... most times in just a couple of weeks, the leaves can change colors and fall to the ground. There are many other interesting aspects of Alaska's fall weather. One of them is the Bull Moose. During this time of the year Bull Moose grow healthy humongous antlers, covered in a brown fuzz appropriately called 'velvet'. He is getting ready for rutting season, where these huge fellows will fight for the 'fair'... Cow Moose, by charging each other and whacking their heavy antlers together. You can hear the sound of the antlers clanking. I have no idea if they get headaches from this or not... when watching and hearing them I always feel that they should. And a time or two I witnessed a couple Bull's antlers get tangled up, and it took them a little while to get apart.. Drat.. and me without a camera at the time. Bull Moose With 'Velvet' Covered Antlers
Photo by: Dwight Phillips The Bears in Alaska are doing their final food foraging before the winter months hit and they get ready for hibernation. The bears are scrounging up all the berries they can find, and it isn't unusual to see bears and humans in the same berry patches harvesting the juicy ripe berries. Most experienced berry pickers are usually packing a gun, just in case a black, brown or grizzly decide they don't wanna share. The momma bears are usually pregnant at this time, and will give birth during hibernation. Black and Cinnamon Colored Bears
Photo by: K Fields The birds grouse in particular are usually strutting around in their pretty plumages this time a year, the Ptarmigan's colorful feather will start changing to pure white, so they will blend into the winter snow, and not become fodder for the eagles, owls, and fox. Their feathers in the fall are perfect for blending into the browns and dark browns and cream colors of the fields they are strutting around in. Grouse Strut
Photo by: Mike Kingston Even tho all the leaves are gone, and everything looks brown and dismal this time of year, and the air is really cool, in fact down right chilly. I truly believe that this is the time of the year for some of the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises. Of course we haven't had a whole lot of sunsets during the summer, so maybe that's why they seem so intense in colors and beauty in the Fall. Beautiful River
Photo by: Dwight Phillips Most of the big birds are gathering to leave this time of year, we see big flocks of them in fields or practicing 'V' formations in the skies. So when we hear the honking of geese, and ducks we know winter will soon be here. The air is filled with flocks, and flocks of geese, ducks and swans leaving for the warmer weather States. It makes one feel a bit melancholy when watching them gather and fly off Wild Geese Gathering to Head South
Photo by: Mike Kingston This time of the year, we have a lot of damp, rainy days. Which produces mushrooms of every kind, they colors of some of the mushrooms are such beautiful golden browns that blend into the fall colors beautifully. There are many people that gather mushrooms to be processed and stored for the winter months. We have to be very careful to pick the right ones, as the good mushrooms and poisonous mushrooms can grow side by side. So just picking any can prove to be bad for your health and possibly for your life. Wild Mushrooms
Photo by: Richard Mitchell Even tho the beautiful colorful fur of the Cross Fox doesn't change, it grows thicker and longer in the fall. They can be seen from time to time running in a field chasing field mice/shrews. Their thick plush fur coats are necessary for the extremely cold winter days coming up, and the natural brown, red, and creamy colors help them blend right into the scenery of Fall Colors. Cross Fox on the Hunt
Photo by: K Fields Fall in Alaska is quick and intense, many cannot get over the breathtaking beauty, and how quickly it changes to browns. Just before the first snowfall everything outside looks almost as if it's the same brownish greyish color. Including our cars, because it's also our rainy season, and after driving around in mud, they also start blending into the Fall scene. My most favorite thing about Fall is the smell in the air. I can walk through the wooded area around the house and smell the musky mushrooms, the sweet smell of ripe berries, and the slight tinge of mold from the deep piles of wet leaves, all together it creates that Fall 'smell' that is so familiar year after year.. Some things never change. Later... K Fields See Also: Whiff of Fall
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