After this Coyote caught a squirrel, it carried it into a secluded area and then played with it for a few minutes before eating it. I don’t see Coyotes catch squirrels often, but whenever I’ve seen it they’ve always played with the squirrel. With gophers, by contrast, they’ll eat them immediately. I wonder whether the novelty of catching a squirrel prompts that, or maybe the squirrels aren’t as good at escaping after being caught for the first time.
A Semipalmated Plover forages on a mudflat. Kenai Mountains for scale.
Her Fuzziness Petunia IV, Princess of the Pikas and Tyrant of the Tundra, brings these tidings to her subjects: “Squeak!”
A Rock Ptarmigan pops out of its bokeh-filled alpine habitat.
A Collared Pika watches as clouds roll into its alpine home.
A free pro tip for anyone getting into alpine photograph: check the cloud ceiling height before setting out. On this day, I had 30 minutes of dramatic fog rolling in, followed by hours of dense enveloping whiteout fog. If I’d checked the forecast, I would have gotten going earlier to enjoy more of these dramatic conditions and less of the whiteout.
I’m at a bit of a loss to caption this one. The best I came up with was “honey, come quick; the marmots are being weird again!” What’s your caption?
A family of Red-Necked Grebes gliding around their marshy summer home. I don’t think I’ve seen a more adorable family dynamic than with these grebes. The way the male and the females greet each other with open beaks whenever they see each other. The little ones joining in everything the adults do. It’s just the best.
Thanks @j.hunter_photo for showing me this spot on his Anchorage wildlife tour!
A Collared Pika stands guard in front of a late season patch of snow. Very important note: this is an elusive “pika in front of snow” shot and not a hackish “pika in front of boring sky” shot. Careful fieldcraft and discerning composition were required to achieve this particular white background!
