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Mother and calf - orcas, or Killer whales, in Kenai Fjords National Park, with whale watching vessel approaching
Saturday afternoon, Temple Bar, Dublin. Who would have thought it necessary to turn the Irish towards god? In 2007, these rather shouty born again christians find it necessary to take the streets of Ireland's capital city to convert the heathen Irish to the word of god. Not many listened, some took photos, as souvenirs. But god, did they talk a load of muck.
Summer plumage (white in winter). I got close and personal with a few willow ptarmigans in Denali - usually, however, they were hiding in bushes, making it very difficult to get a clean photograph.
"The male Willow Grouse is unique in its nesting behaviour. In all other species of grouse, only the female takes responsibility for the young. However, the male Willow Grouse often takes responsibility of the young by staunchly defending his territory and his young. Males have even been documented to have attacked a Grizzly Bear and will attack humans who distract their young."
"In Finnish Lapland, the Willow Grouse was considered "the bird of God" and represented purity, often being associated with females. In some parts of the country, parents would hang the legs and wings of a white grouse over a baby girl's cot to make sure she grew up virtuous. In Finnish folklore the willow grouse, like other birds of the grouse family, were considered spirit messengers and any unusual grouse behaviour was interpreted as a bad omen, most often death or illness". Source: Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Ptarmigan
Common Murre or Guillemot, swimming in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
The view from Polychrome Mountain. Not high? That plain on the left is about 3,500ft about sea level!
I posted this on flickr back in June, forgot to post it here...
Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata), seen near Seward, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Mew Gull, larus canus, eating a bug, Potter's Marsh, Anchorage, Alaska. Her chicks were nearby, and I think she grabbed this dragonfly to feed to them.
