Dreaming of Spring....already

Lesser Yellowlegs, near Pelly Crossing Yukon (Spring 2011)

Once again, my apologies for the lengthy delay in updating this blog.  Lots on my mind these days.

Most of the Yukon is finally ankle-deep in fresh snow.  Daily temperatures remain well below zero degrees with the mercury hovering near the minus 20 degree mark during the night.  The days are noticeably shorter and I'm finding it a challenge to catch even a fleeting glimpse of the sun.

As we adjust to another winter season my thoughts drift back to this past April and May when the entire Yukon landscape was basking in the glow of the midnight sun.  Regardless of where one looked, the entire Territory was alive in colour, song and endless photo opps.

I'm finally sorting through the thousands of images of shorebirds, swans, grizzly bears and scenery from that fabulous spring.  Pictured above is one of my favourites - a lesser yellow legs ruffling its feathers in a small lake near Pelly Crossing.  Oh, how I long for those endless days of spring when I can spend countless hours outdoors chasing birds and searching for that perfect shot!

I know, winter does offer the photographer some wonderful photo opportunities as well.  One just has to bundle up and make the effort to get outdoors and search for the image that captures the beauty of the land during this season of pure white snow, delicate textures and the soft pastel colours of a northern sky dominated by the silhouettes of rugged mountains, thick stands of black spruce and soaring ravens.

I promise - grizzly bear images from my trip to Haines Alaska will be posted in the next day or two.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Cheers,

Claus