It's nesting season for saw-whets and other smaller owl species. I am curious to see how two consecutive winters with massive snowfalls will affect the populations, as prey can be harder to find in the deep snow...
Colin
April 2023 Geomagnetic Storm
April 23, 2023 - maybe the most intense geomagnetic storm I've experienced in Southcentral Alaska. I wish my lens was just a little wider to capture the full display that was overhead. This was also the night that I took the cover photo for my 2025 “Seasons of the Eagle River Nature Center” calendars (available for preorder on my site by clicking on the image at the top).
I'm catching up two years’ worth of editing and continue to find winning images like this one. Stay tuned for more...
Have a great weekend!
Colin
Aurora and Open River, April 23, 2023
Another photo from Sunday's epic aurora display!
I've had this image in mind for quite a while, I just needed everything to come together for a late season geomagnetic storm that brought lights far enough across the eastern sky to line up with the river and Polar Bear Peak, with the river ice opening up to expose the flowing water below. I used a Lume Cube to briefly illuminate the ice shelf during the exposure.
This image probably would have ended up in my book "Seasons of the Nature Center" if I'd captured it before press time. Speaking of my book - I am picking up two advance copies today! The rest are en route and should arrive in about 6 weeks. I am still taking preorders for books and 2024 calendars on my website and will be offering a discount on metal & canvas prints to everyone who has ordered a copy: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
As always, thank you for following!
Colin
Intense Geomagnetic Storm
After briefly subsiding around midnight on Sunday, the geomagnetic activity picked up again and produced one of the most intense displays I've seen in quite a while.
I'm still editing through images and will have more to share in the coming days...
Cheers!
Colin
Aurora Borealis over the Chugach Mountains. Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
April Geomagnetic Storm
Happy Monday out there, everyone! You know it's going to be a good night when the sky starts to dance before nautical twilight has arrived.
In the ephemeral darkness of springtime in Alaska, Mother Nature put on a brilliant display for us last night. More to come...
Cheers!
Colin
Aurora Borealis at the Eagle River Nature Center, Alaska
Nature Photography Day, 2022
Happy Nature Photography Day, 2022! A far cry from the days of shooting film, the art and technology of photography continues to evolve and while I do miss the simplicity and excitement of examining 35mm slides after a big shoot, the limit of what is possible continues to expand beyond what was imaginable just a few years ago.
Aurora borealis time lapse video. Taken in Eagle River Valley, April 2022.
As always, thank you for following along!
Colin
PS - If you received this via email, please click “Read in browser” to view the video
End of Aurora Season...
I think it's safe to say the aurora viewing season is over at this latitude. Last season was very active, and the activity should continue to increase as we move toward the solar maximum. Here are a few more images from April 9 in Eagle River Valley, AK.
I plan to guide aurora tours again next season for Alaska Photo Treks and if all goes as planned, Mike Haring and I will add a multi-day aurora tour to our schedule with Nat Expo Tours next spring.
Thank you for following along and have a great weekend!
Colin
PS - I recently updated the my aurora borealis galleries…
Earth Day 2022
Early morning aurora over Dillon Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska, March 31, 2022.
Happy Earth Day, 2022! Earth Day is significant to me for many reasons, and every year I make a point to explore someplace new on this date. I am currently in my home state of Minnesota and will be visiting a local wildlife refuge for the first time.
Thank you for following and I hope you take some time to enjoy the outdoors today...
Colin
Aurora over Sukakpak Mountain
Back to the Arctic for this one - the aurora dances over Sukakpak Mountain in Alaska's Brooks Range. Taken in the early morning hours of March 31, 2022 near the community of Wiseman.
Looks like I will be guiding one more aurora tour for the season with Alaska Photo Treks tonight. Fingers crossed we have a nice display for our guests!
Colin
April Auroras, Eagle River Valley
If you had clear skies this past weekend, you may have been treated to some vibrant auroras - truly one of the most brilliant displays I’ve seen in this part of Alaska!
I had two students who were making up a class rescheduled from last month, and our timing was perfect. They learned the basics of setting up to shoot the lights and then got a crash course in making quick adjustments to capture fast moving aurora! In the end, we all came away with beautiful images.
Have a great week out there and thank you for following along!
Colin
M M M My Corona!
From the Latin word for crown, 'corona' refers to an auroral display that appears to be flowing from a central point, generally directly overhead. These were taken in the early morning hours of March 31, 2022 in Alaska's Brooks Range, well above the Arctic Circle. If you look closely, you can see the Big Dipper is at the center of the corona.
Thank you for following along, and please stay tuned for more arctic auroras...
Colin
Brooks Range Auroras – March 30, 2022
Just north of Wiseman lies what is likely the most recognizable and photographed mountain on Alaska’s Dalton Highway, Mount Sukakpak. The translation from Inupiat is: “Marten deadfall.”
We set up at this location for most of the night, the aurora was visible as soon as twilight arrived. It was faint at first but displaying a spectrum of color, the intensity continuing to build toward morning. These were taken early, with the brightest and most active period coming later, shortly before daybreak.
As always, thank you for following. More to come...
Colin
Black Bear Sow
Black bear sow in evening light. Bears graze on vegetation throughout spring & summer, including horsetail and dandelions. Once the grasses reach full height, even adult bears are difficult to spot and easily disappear into the undergrowth.
Colin
Black Bears & Cottonwood Trees
Cottonwood trees are popular with black bears - not only do cubs easily ascend them but the adults are proficient climbers as well, often reaching heights of 50 feet or more to strip and eat the seeds in late spring & early summer. With all the cotton releasing in the breeze right now, it looks like this source of nutrition will soon be gone for the season...
Colin
Black bear cub in a cottonwood tree, Alaska.
Minnesota Swan Gallery
I recently created a gallery on my website for the trumpeter swan images I took in Minnesota last month if you'd like to have a look: https://www.colintyler.com/wildlife#/trumpeter-swans-of-lake-george-mn/
I've also been adding the photos to my online store (just in time for Father's Day) and from now through the end of June, I am offering 20% off canvas prints and 15% off metal prints by using the codes: FATHERSDAYCANVAS21 of FATHERSDAYMETAL21 at checkout: https://www.colintyler.com/online-store
Have a great weekend out there and feel free to share!
Thank you for following along,
Colin
Trumpeter swans landing on Lake George near my hometown of Outing, MN on a foggy morning in May, 2021.
Black Bear Cub Catches its Breath
Here's looking at you! Black bear COY (Cub of the Year) catching its breath after climbing a cottonwood tree.
Have a great day out there!
Colin
COY - "Cub of the Year"
Hello everyone! I'm happy to have something new to share today - a black bear COY or "Cub of the Year." This tiny little bear and its sibling were showing off their innate climbing skills while their mother was grazing on vegetation right below them. Black bears retain their ability to scale large trees into adulthood, serving as a method of escape from larger and dominant brown (grizzly) bears as well as a means to feed on cottonwood seeds in the spring.
Colin
Earth Day 2021
Earth Day 2021 Adventure, Turnagain Pass. I decided to explore the backcountry on my skis and couldn't have asked for a better day. The snow was soft and the light was amazing. I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the outdoors as well.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following along!
Colin
Weekend Auroras?
Happy Friday, everyone!
The aurora forecast is calling for possible G-1 class geomagnetic storms this weekend, however the weather forecast is predicting clouds. If the skies are clear enough for a display, I will be out chasing lights on my skis again.
Have a great weekend and thank you for following!
Colin
Aurora gazing on Eagle River
Panoramic Auroras
Good morning and Happy Monday out there!
Here are a couple panoramic images I created this weekend. Both are a series of vertical frames stitched together from Friday night/Saturday morning's display. I'd literally been waiting years for the right conditions to be able to ski out onto Eagle River and shoot auroras from this angle. The way this season is going, I might get another chance before the river thaws. We could have more activity this week, weather-permitting.
Cheers!
Colin
