{"id":1209,"date":"2015-07-21T06:45:36","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T14:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prwriterpro.com\/blog\/?p=1209"},"modified":"2016-02-28T18:27:58","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T03:27:58","slug":"wildlife-wednesday-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.prwriterpro.com\/blog\/alaska-news\/wildlife-wednesday-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildlife Wednesday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Visitors\u00a0must be patient if they\u00a0want to see wildlife in<\/span>\u00a0Juneau<\/a> <\/span>in the summer. On multi-ship days, with thousands of people in town,\u00a0most wildlife\u00a0high-tail deep into the\u00a0forests or high\u00a0up the mountain of the<\/span> Tongass National Forest<\/a><\/span>. That said, in July, one is guaranteed to see whales if they take a whale watching excursion, at least my company<\/span>, <\/span>Gastineau Guiding<\/span><\/a><\/span>, guarantees <\/span><\/span>humpback whale <\/span><\/a><\/span>sightings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am also confident most visitors will spot bald eagles<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and ravens<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>around downtown Juneau.\u00a0Eagles\u00a0regularly\u00a0roost in the\u00a0spruce and hemlock trees\u00a0located \u00a0across the street across from the cruise ship docks. The trees, and some of the harbor buildings, make ideal perches\u00a0for scanning the Gastineau Channel for fish.\u00a0 Known by Native Alaskans as\u00a0 “The Trickster,” the raven is opportunistic,\u00a0begging for handouts or picking through trash cans.\u00a0Bigger than most chicken\u00a0species,\u00a0ravens\u00a0are\u00a0brainy, cagey and\u00a0bold and often sit on parked cars gawking at\u00a0visitors walking past. The visitors\u00a0 gawk back.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There are also black bears<\/a>, Sitka deer<\/a>, hoary marmots<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and porcupines <\/a><\/span>around, but you have to get out of downtown to catch a glimps of \u00a0these characters.<\/span><\/span> The following photos and videos captures some of the furry or feathered residents of Juneau. All pictures were taken on Gastineau Guiding excursions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Eagle<\/a><\/p>\n

Bald Eagle<\/a><\/span>
\nMount Roberts<\/span><\/strong>
\n Photo by Jeff Franks \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

My friend and naturalist mentor\u00a0Scott Ranger likes to say, “If you don’t see an<\/span> eagle<\/a> <\/span>in Juneau<\/span><\/a>, you didn’t get out of bed.”\u00a0Sooooo true. I had not been in Juneau a week when a friend invited me to go for a walk at Eagle Beach. Rightfully named, I saw dozens of eagles in the air, in the trees and on the beach. As I\u00a0yipped and\u00a0howled in exhilaration of seeing my first bald eagle in the wild, my friend, weary of my babbling, attempted to dim my zeal by saying, “it’s just an \u00a0eagle a, scavenger!”\u00a0 It didn’t work. I countered, “Do you know how many Americans will never see a bald eagle in the wild?” I get out of bed each day, see dozens of eagles\u00a0each day and still yip and howl in awe of these majestic birds. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nhttp:\/\/www.prwriterpro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/VIDEO00561.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Hoary Marmot<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/span>Mount Roberts
\nVideo by Aleta Walther \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0often see this\u00a0little\u00a0guy\u00a0in the lush vegetation just above the Father Brown Cross on Mount Roberts when leading the Town, Tram & Timberline Trek <\/a>adventure. I believe\u00a0the marmott\u00a0enjoys the attention\u00a0it gets from my hiking guests. In this instance,\u00a0the furry fellow\u00a0was more focused on nibbling on alpine greens than the half dozen or so cameras clicking away.\u00a0 But like any celebrity,\u00a0enough\u00a0is enough.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Barnacles<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Acorn Barnacles<\/a><\/span><\/strong>
\nNorth Douglas Beach<\/strong> <\/span>
\n Photo by Aleta Walther \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, this is a living, breathing sea creature, a crustacean, a resident of the intertidal zone of Alaska’s waterways.\u00a0We see them every day on every <\/span>North Douglas\u00a0 Island<\/span>\u00a0(Alaska’s Whales, Glacier’s & Rainforest Trail<\/a>) <\/span>excursion. Barnacles are every where; attaching themselves to rocks, driftwood, pier pilings, beach trash and boat hulls if not maintained. FACT: Because barnacles are stationary, can’t leave their shell, can’t go find a mate,\u00a0barnacles\u00a0must mate with a neighbor. They are\u00a0hermaphrodites (have both male and female sex organs) and have a strong stretchable penis. After the mating season, the penis is\u00a0discarded with a new one growing in time for the next mating season. OK, it’s more information that you probably wanted to know… .<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Bee<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/a>Artic Bumble Bee<\/span><\/strong> <\/a>
\nMount Roberts
\n<\/strong> Photo by Jeff Franks \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

“She (Artic bumble bee) is the queen of beasts among the tundra flowers. Big and hairy and social by nature, the Arctic bumblebee e is exquisitely adapted to\u00a0<\/span><\/span>life in the northern latitudes\u2014where life in turn is often exquisitely adapted to this bushy brightly-colored bee.” — Alaska Department of Fish and Game species profile<\/span>.<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The bee was enjoying this mountain geranium<\/a><\/span>\u00a0laced among the rainbow of wildflowers in\u00a0a quaint\u00a0meadow just above the Mountain House of the Mount Roberts Tramway<\/span><\/a> during a recent Town, Tram & Timberline Trek<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Stellar<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Steller Sea Lions<\/span><\/a><\/strong>
\nAuke Bay<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
\n Photo by Colin Peacock \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This bouy at Gibby Rock is a popular place for young sea lions to haul out of the\u00a0ocean to rest. While these sea lions look sound asleep, they are ever watchful for other sea lions looking to displace them. There is never enough room at the inn, and their “king<\/span>-of-the-hill” antics delight guests on our Alaska Whales, Glaciers and Rainforest Trails<\/a> <\/span>excursions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \"Breaching<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Humpback Whale\u00a0Calf<\/a><\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>North Pass<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Guests often ask if we are going to see breeching whales on our Discover Alaska Whales<\/strong> <\/span><\/a>or<\/span><\/span> Alaska Whales, Glaciers and Rainforest<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/a> excursions.\u00a0Not likely.\u00a0 Witnessing a 40-ton whale heave itself out of the water is a rare behavior. Admittedly, I have seen more whale breaches this year than previous seasons.\u00a0 I believe it’s because\u00a0there are\u00a0have more calves in the waters around Juneau this year, and the later in the summer, the more calves seem to breech. It also seems to me as\u00a0calves \u00a0get older, they\u00a0get stronger, more\u00a0athletic and maybe more curious to see what is going on around them. Researchers really do not know why whales breach, but speculate it could be for a number of reasons: to show dominance, a means of communications, to knock of barnacles, being startled,\u00a0or perhaps, just for fun.\u00a0 Whatever the reason, my guests have fun when whales reveal themselves through breeching.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"IMAG0694\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Red-Backed Vole<\/a><\/span>
\nNorth Douglas Island Rainforest Trail
\nPhoto by Aleta Walther \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0I suspect most of you are more intrigued by the breeching calf, the stately\u00a0eagle or the\u00a0furry marmot, but I am delighted\u00a0this\u00a0northern red-backed\u00a0vole\u00a0stayed long enough for me to snap this photo.\u00a0 I see\u00a0voles on the trails often, but only as a\u00a0scurrying blur of fur.\u00a0 Voles are rodents that have fuzzy coats, beady eyes\u00a0and short tails.\u00a0\u00a0Red-backed voles\u00a0live in forested habitats that provide a more “catholic diet” according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s<\/a> <\/span>red-backed vole specie’s profile.\u00a0What “catholic diet” means, I have no clue except that the profile goes on to say ” red-backed voles are omnivorous and will eat grass, seeds, fruit, lichens, fungi, insects and meat. If a vole is caught in a trap, others will feed upon the trapped vole.”\u00a0Ewwwww!\u00a0 This\u00a0cute character is nibbling on red stem moss.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Blue Moose<\/span> <\/a>on the Loose<\/strong><\/span>
\nDouglas Island Alaska<\/strong><\/span>
\n Photo by Aleta Walther \u00a9 2015<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Wooden<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is the only moose you will see in the Juneau area.\u00a0\u00a0A deer species<\/a>,<\/span><\/strong> moose are found\u00a0in limited areas of Southeast Alaska because there is not food for a moose to munch for lunch. <\/span>\u00a0M<\/span>oose feed on willow, birch, and aspen leaves and twigs, sedges, pond weeds and grasses.\u00a0 There\u00a0are no native aspen or birch\u00a0trees\u00a0and few willow in coastal Southeast Alaska.\u00a0Because\u00a0most of the land in Southeast Alaska is\u00a0dominated by mountains marching\u00a0down to the sea, there are few meadows or ponds for nibbling on grasses and weeds.\u00a0\u00a0The temperate rain forest is also very dense making it difficult for a 1,500 pound bull with a six-foot rack to travel. I hear there are moose\u00a0populations on some of the\u00a0island\u00a0just outside of\u00a0Juneau, and that occasionally a moose will swim\u00a0 over to the outskirts of Juneau, but I have never seen any.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check out this cool National Geographic video link <\/a>on\u00a0<\/span>moose antlers.<\/p>\n

While you are at it, enjoy this You Tube video of two moose calves playing in\u00a0a sprinkler. My cute gift to you.<\/span><\/p>\n

http:\/\/channel.nationalgeographic.com\/wild\/america-the-wild\/videos\/moose-fight\/<\/span><\/p>\n