Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary and Wander Lake Trail

Yesterday we followed the Taiga Trail to Wander Lake in the Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary. Today we are following the Wander Lake Trail that goes all around the lake. We still were seeing a lot of wildflowers, although now there were also plants that thrive along the water. We saw more signs describing the wildlife that inhabits the area. The signs are very well done and fit well in the landscape. The one below discusses bird migration. Millions of birds migrate to nest in Alaska from six continents, the exception being Europe. The Arctic Tern flies the longest distance, 22,000 miles round trip from Antarctica to the Arctic and back each year.

It was the middle of the afternoon and we didn't see much bird activity. There was one group of birds that was a bit of stretch for the upper end of my 70-300mm lens. By cropping quite a bit I came up with a nice image, but I can't ID the bird for sure. This time of year there are a lot of juveniles in the mix, so it makes it even harder. I think it might be a Red-necked Grebe. Even without an ID, I still like the reflections and shadows on the water.

Along the trail there were many Dragonflies. This one is a Blue Darner, probably a Lake Darner because of the proximity of the lake.

We had made our way more than halfway around the lake when we heard the distinctive call of Sandhill Cranes. We saw a couple of pairs flying over the trees from the direction of Creamer's Field.

I kept shooting as they flew past us and landed on an island in the lake near where we had been a while before. That is the way it goes when you are on a nature trail. It's all the luck of the draw whether you are in the right place at the right time.

We decided to go on rather than go back and try to get a closer shot of the Cranes. We went around the lake and came to a very nice observation platform. There is also a platform in the beginning stages of construction across the lake. From the platform we had a good view of a beaver dam.

Along the trail we spotted a tree that had been felled by a beaver. It is on the uphill side of the trail from the lake, but at some point it was probably closer to the water.

From the observation platform we could see a few birds in the distance, but not any that I could get a good shot of. It was a beautiful day for lake reflections though.

The clouds were reflected in the water, and I think you could turn the next photo upside down and it would still look the same.

We enjoyed the peaceful day for a while on the observation platform, and then headed up the trail into a little different ecosystem, a mix of Birch, Cottonwoods, and White Spruce. A squirrel chattered at us for invading its space and we could hear some bird song. There were still wildflowers and mushrooms in the trees, but a little different mix. We were soon back at the trail head.

We will definitely keep this on our list of places to go. Soon the southward migration will begin, and I think Wander Lake will be a good place to go to see a variety of birds as they head south.

Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary and Taiga Trail

The Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary was opened last year. It is a 75 acre privately owned sanctuary that adjoins Creamer's Field. There is a lodge, beautiful gardens, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, and also the Alaska Bird Observatory. They have been working on the trails through the Sanctuary and they have 1.5 miles of trails built which are wheelchair accessible. There are many benches along the trail and many signs explaining what you are seeing. It is still a work in progress, but they have accomplished a lot already. The trail head for the Taiga Trail takes off right next to the Auto Museum. Last week we finally got around to exploring the trail. You walk through many different types of ecosystems, and the signs like the one below explain the different plant life and animals you are likely to see. This section of of the trail goes through a boreal wetland called muskeg. The ground is spongy and covered with mosses, lichens, and evergreen shrubs, and the trees are stunted.

The boreal forest receives about 10-12 inches of precipitation a year, about the same as many deserts. The ground under the muskeg is permafrost, or permanently frozen ground. When the top layer melts in the spring, the underlying layer of ice keeps it from percolating deeper, thus creating wetlands. Boreal wetlands are very acidic and lacking in nutrients. Plants growing here must contend with the poor soil and also the frigid winters and short growing season. Another sign identified the plant below as Narrowleaf Hawksbeard, an invasive plant that is not native to the region.

The Low Bush Cranberries were ripening all around us, providing a beautiful carpet along the trail.

There was an abundance of mushrooms of many different varieties.

The flower below is tiny, maybe a half inch across. It was identified as Grass-of-Parnassus.

There were many Shrubby Cinquefoil, a member of the Potentilla family, along the trail.

Of course there was also a lot of Fireweed. We also saw a lot of other wildflowers and bushes, including Labrador Tea, Northern Yarrow, Prickly Rose, wild Raspberry, and more invasive plants such as White Sweetclover, Pineapple Weed, and Bird Vetch.

It wasn't too far until we came out of the forest and came to Wander Lake.

It was mid-afternoon and the day was a bit overcast, but it was beautiful along the lake.

It is a small lake, but it is just a few minutes from downtown Fairbanks. Because of the time of day we saw a limited amount of birds, but it was still an enjoyable walk. Tomorrow we will take the Wander Lake Trail that circles the lake.

Patterns in the Fall Boreal Forest

All around Fairbanks is Boreal Forest. Boreal means "of the north" and the Boreal Forest comprises 30% of the world's forests and covers 17% of the earth's surface. Birch, aspen, poplar, tamarack and white and black spruce comprise the trees of our forest. It is also punctuated with patches of shrubs, herbs, wildflowers, and berries. It provides habitat for a variety of animals. Last week I took these photos on a trail just across the road from our house.

Alaskan Hillside Sculpture Garden

Terraced up a steep hillside is my daughter Teresa's garden. The rock that was cut out of the hillside to create the building site is used to form the walls of the terraces. Among the native plants, trees, flowers and vegetables there are many sculptures. The names attached to each photo are given by me and are not the names given by the artists.

The Aviator Reclining WomanUrn

Starving Artist

Upscale Birdhouse

A Horse Divided

Sun and Shadows

I took these photos along the banks of the East Fork of the Lewis River.

The Hill Country Outside Woodland

Here's some photos taken outside Woodland in the hill country. The photos of the falls were taken on the East Fork of the Lewis River.

Winter Birch

I took this photo a couple of days ago after a few inches of new snow. We've had a little wind since then, so the trees are all bare again.