The Ken and Steve Chronicles: In search of moose and wolves

[Steve Foss]

Hey all:

October, over the last several years, seems to be the magic month when it comes to wolves and moose up here. Unfortunately, not this week. But Ken and I did find a few things worth photographing today.

Couple of spruce grouse in carp light

A ruffed grouse in carp light

Couple of gray jays in interesting light

Couple of Lapland longspurs in very nice light

[Cyberfish]

More great bird photos! you really have an eye for those, better luck on the moose and wolves next time!

[finnbay]

Yep. We saw a lot of sprucies, but they just didn't want to come into the light. Steve, the gray jay is top notch! Oh well, a few of mine:

Sprucies:

Lapland longspur:

Whiskey jack:

Our only mammals of the trip - a "flounder" beaver and a pest:

Just about the last color we saw:

Where are the moose and wolves?

[Matt Breuer]

Must've been a beautiful day out there! Great shots, boys!

[JayinMN]

Great series guys!

I haven't seen any wolves all summer and then last weekend I saw three. All three of them had bad cases of mange.

[reinhard1]

all the pictures are as great as usual but no. 4&5 would i be correct in calling then whiskey jacks? i bring a lot of suet up to hang on my camper during deer season and they are my favorite birds to watch. i had one take my last piece of a hot dog out of my hands when i was a kid camping up in ely. good luck.

[finnbay]

Thanks for comments, all! I unloaded my last card this morning and am going to post a couple more sprucie shots. My first post came with images from my 7D and the 100-400. This one has a couple from my Mark III and 500. Any difference?

[Matt Breuer]

The only difference I can notice is in my jealousy level. It's much higher now. Thanks, Ken...

[ShawnZ]

It's very cool to see lapland longspurs perched in a tree. That is an incredibly difficult species to get perched off the ground!

Also, you make it seem like spruce grouse are easy to find, and maybe for you they are, but I've had little luck finding them and have read in a number of publications how there are people with over 700 birds on their north american life list that still have not seen sprucies! So, you are blessed, lucky, and talented.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Shawn. We do go our share of days without seeing sprucies, but it's been a particularly good year for them.