Photo ABCs

Arctic Fox

What's going on with this fox?

This arctic fox is shedding its thick, golden, winter coat and transitioning into its brown, summer coat. It does look a little odd!

Photographed last month on St. Paul Island.

Parakeet Auklet

The Parakeet Auklet breeds in the Bering Sea from Alaska to Siberia, and in the Aleutian Islands, though can be found as far south as California in the winter.

Here is one photographed last month on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Red-faced Cormorant

In North America the Red-faced Cormorant is found only in Alaska's shorelines, the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea.

It shares the white rump found on the Pelagic Cormorant, but its face pattern and coloration are distinctive.

This bird was photographed last month on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Pacific Wren

A fledgling (note the yellow around the gape [area at base of bill]) Pacific Wren waits for food from its parents.

Photographed last month on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Crested Auklets

A pair of Crested Auklets enjoys a tender moment on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Crested Auklets are found only in the Aleutian Islands and other islands in and around the Bering Sea.

Photographed in late June of this year.

Julian Alaphilippe

Julian Alaphilippe has surprised the entire cycling world by capturing the yellow jersey in this year's Tour de France and maintaining it through the individual time trial and the first high mountain stage today in the Pyrenees. Only time will tell how long he will hold on to the jersey! This year's Tour de France is the most open, exciting, and entertaining tour in many, many years!

Here is Alaphilippe competing in the 2016 Tour of California time trial in Folsom, California. This time trial was decisive in his winning the 2016 Tour of California.

Alaphilippe (sans mustache and beard),charms the fans after the Folsom stage of the 2016 Tour of California.

Lapland Longspur

Another handsome male Lapland Longspur, in the dewy fields of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Photographed in late June of this year.

Horned Puffin

A Horned Puffin, showing the typical cliffside habitat puffins prefer. What the picture doesn't show is the sheer, 300 foot drop to the ocean below. As someone who does not like heights, obtaining pictures of puffins was not easy for me!

Long-tailed Duck

A male Long-tailed Duck, showing how it got its name.

The Long-tailed Duck breeds in Arctic tundra.

This duck was photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in June of this year.

Arctic Fox

The Pribilof Islands have a subspecies of Arctic Fox, most of which are a blue form. Okay, they are described as blue, but they are really brown! In winter they have a thick golden coat of fur, which is shed by summer to a shorter and darker coat.

These foxes are found all over St. Paul Island.

A delightful introduction to these foxes is found in a children's book, The LIttle Fox, An Alaska Adventure, by biologist, author and talented artist, Ram Papish.