Sound the Trumpeters!

Swans are very popular birds in Alaska, in the summer you can see them here and there usually swimming in small ponds and water areas. They are stunningly beautiful.

Arriving in Alaska, mating season in late April

Picture by Richard Mitchell

They usually weigh around 21-30 pounds, tho the males can exceed 35 pounds. They have a wingspan of over 7 feet. Standing on the ground the Trumpeter Swan stands around 4 feet high.

Trumpeter Swans were identified in 1850 in Alaska. But they didn’t realize until 1954that they were breeding in Alaska. In 1968 the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted 2,844 Trumpeters.

They were removed from the National Endangered Species List, but they are still classified as rare in some other states. The Census in 1990 resulted in a count of 13,000 Trumpeters in Alaska, which is considered to be 80% of the world’s Trumpeter Swan population, and it has continued to increase to this very day.

Swans mate for life…Usually when they are around 2 years old, but they do not breed until the third, forth or fifth year. When ready to breed they begin to nest in as early as the spring melt will permit in April

Trumpeter Swan Pair

Picture by Richard Mitchell

The female lays 2 to seven eggs, tho 4 is the average over a 5-12 day period. The female trumpeter (Pen) takes care of the nesting, her lifetime mate (Cob) watches over her and guards the nest.

They take turns incubating the eggs. It is during this time that the male (Cob) goes into molt, losing his wing feathers, rendering him flightless for approximately a month

There’s about 31-35 days of incubation before the baby Swans (Cygnets) hatch. The baby Swans (Cygnets) hatch in June and they weigh around 7 ounces and are grey in color when their feathers grow in. They turn white after their second molt, approximately 2 years.

Then for the next 11-15 weeks the swan pair guards their Cygnets until they have fledged (fly). Predators of the Cygnets are snapping turtles, Great Homed Owls, Mink, Raccoons, Coyotes, and Red Fox in the wild. It is during this time that the adult female (Pen) goes into molt losing her wing feathers and cannot fly for approximately a month.

Adult Trumpeter Swans, with yearling Swans (grey color)

Picture by Richard Mitchell

In the summer months the Swans eat foliage, seeds and various marsh plants namely horsetail, pondweeds, sedge, bulrush, water milfoil, widgeon grass, and pond lily. They live up to their names with a deep French horn/Trumpet like sound when they call.

Recently, eggs from Alaskan Trumpeter Swans have been sent to several Midwestern states where restoration programs are establishing nesting Swans where they have not been seen in 100 years.

Click here to learn more about the Trumpeter Swans

CU

Flying Sardines!!

I recently had to take two flights to get to my destination, and not being a expert on flying, I am about to give my “unasked for review” of the service of Alaska Air. I waited in the first airport for my flight which was running 20 minutes late for boarding, tho I didn’t notice it much because I had 4 friends there with me to gab with. If I were alone, that would be much different; each minute would have dragged by tick tock, tick tock!

We finally boarded the plane and waited another 10 minutes before we finally started moving. This time I felt restless to get going, tho I told myself, any last minute checks they are making to be sure everything’s in working order is great with me.

I watched as people crammed huge suitcases into the overhead, pounding on them repeatedly, until they finally fit, but only because they crushed someone else’s bag, or because the other suitcases in there, popped out and hit the floor. Then the “luggage crusher” acting oblivious to it all, just goes and sits in his/her seat.

I’m not sure who is responsible for checking the bags at the door to see if they fit into the little basket. You know, that little basket with a sign over it saying if you carry-on does not fit in here, you must check it, I have yet to see someone do that.

(Note to self: only carry something into the plane that can fit under the seat in front of me, and pray that the passenger sitting in that seat will not get airsick, and vomit all over my stuff).

The seat seemed so small, I remember when they were a bit bigger. The seat belts are very short too. I remember when they were longer, and it has nothing to do with my size changes because I am pretty average in size. Seems just 10 years ago plane seats were a tad bit bigger.

It seems the airlines has miniaturized everything in order to get those extra rows of seats in, making us so tight we can hardly move without jabbing, jostling, or bumping someone with our elbows, shoulders or knees.

The only other complaint about the seat is that my feet barely touch the floor; I have to keep my heels up and tootsies on the floor to be semi comfortable, but can’t hold that position for longer then 15 minutes before my feet start complaining. So I have to keep shifting my legs, and can never get comfortable.

So now everyone is squished in like sardines (Literally) then they tell us we can’t get up, until the seat belt light goes off. So, we patiently wait and wait and wait, until the stewardess comes by with some choices of water, coffee or juice. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the teeny tiny package of snacks that I am not really sure what is in it…

So now we are finally able to land, we sit waiting for the lights to go off, others are already pulling their stuff out of the bins, dropping stuff on people (who obeyed the directions to stay seated until the plane comes to a complete stop), and practically climbing on their laps to reach way in the back, rather then waiting for the person to get up.

Everyone jumps in the aisle, scrambling to get off the plane, practically pushing the people in the line out the door. Some passengers refuse to be a part of this “cattle prodding type method” and sit and wait till the line depletes (pretty smart).

It is nice to finally get out of the long tunnel and in to the airport lounge. I can breathe easier now, and I’m safely at my designated destination. Only to find out that my other flight left because the plane I just got off of was…25 minutes late. Ugh!

Alaska must have a pilot in every crook n' cranny... Everyone I know has a pilot's license and a small airplane they fly around, like a Piper. There are many many places in Alaska that you have to fly in, because there are no road access or rivers to boat in. I think that Alaska does really well with not having a lot of plane crashes for the amount of small planes from brand new or in a terrible state of disrepair flying around.

CU

Busy as a Beaver!

It has been said that Beavers are second only to humans in their capacity to manipulate the environment. They are the world's most efficient loggers. These little 3 foot long, 50 pound chewing machines usually live to about 12 years, and it is possible for the older beavers to tip the scales at 100 pounds.

Beavers are built for underwater work, for instance the ears on the Beaver have these natural built in valves that close when they submerge, the same with their noses.

The large front teeth, that Beavers are famous for, enable them to cut and chew wood underwater without getting water in their mouths, because they are able to close their loose lips tightly behind the teeth, and these long front teeth never stop growing, so they have to gnaw to keep them honed down.

The large flat tails which are about 10 inches long and approximately 6 inches wide and serve as rudders, that help the beaver to maneuver large logs in the water to their dams and lodges. They also use their tails to slap against the water to warn other Beavers of impending danger.

Beaver on the Ice by the River

Picture by Jim Peaco

The feet on a beaver are webbed, and Beavers have two layers of fur, the outer guard hairs, and the soft underfur. Their thick fur serves to insulate and waterproof them, even in environments such as here in the interior of Alaska where winters are long and very cold.

This state has lots and lots of lakes, rivers and streams which are perfect for Beaver families. When swimming or boating in some areas, people need to be aware of these very busy Beavers.

Beaver swimming in Lake

Picture by Mike Kingston

The Beavers ordinarily will not harm anyone, in fact will head the other direction if need be, but recently we have heard that the Beaver has turned on the dogs…

I guess they are tired of all their hard work being destroyed by dogs that are allowed to run and swim in the areas where they are building, I have seen dogs tear into a Beaver lodge/den and rip it up, with their digging, and teeth, trying to get at the Beavers inside.

This time the Beavers are biting the dogs, and causing enough damage to result in a visit to the vet and surgeries. The funny thing is this area has been set aside for dog owners to be able to allow their dogs to run loose and swim.

A dog park.. But the Beavers that live there have something else to say about that.. The beaver’s have literally "staked their territory" long before the dogs showed up, and are quite willing to fight for it. According to a biology professor's thinking is that it must be a female protecting her young, because this is the time of the year for new Beaver babies (kits) to be born.

Here is a link with the story!
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AK_BUSY_BEAVERS_AKOL-?SITE=AKFAI&SECTION=HOME

Beavers have to have at least 2-3 feet of water year round in order to survive. This water is where they can float trees and branches to build their underwater caches where they store the food they will need for the winter.

A Beaver Dam

Picture by Harlan Kredit

If the water level is not sufficient, they will build dams to direct the water flow where they need it, by chewing down trees, stripping them of bark, breaking them down into manageable pieces and dragging them to the area they are building and they intricately weave everything together to make a water tight dam.

A picture perfect spot for a Beaver Den

Picture by Mike Kingston

These dens and dams are used year after year by the same Beaver family, and can become quite large. Baby Beaver (kits) are born around April and June. Weighing in at about 1 pound.
Their eyes are open at birth, and they can swim immediately, they stay with the parents until they are 2 years old.

Predators of Beavers in Alaska are Wolves, Lynx, Bears, and Humans. Beaver fur pelts are highly prized for cold weather coats and hats. In fact the Beaver population were severely depleted in the early 1900’s in Alaska because of over-hunting..

The Beaver population is now back to normal, and the hunting regulations here in Alaska, helps prevent them from being over-hunted again. The State sometimes hires trappers to come into certain areas to glean out Beavers because of they have over-populated areas, which cause environmental problems.

To read more about Beavers:
http://www.alaskan-adventures.com/alaska-beaver.htm


CU