A trip to The Flats was not on my schedule for today. I had a lot of things to do around the house, and I hoped to get a little rest to prepare me for a busy work week ahead. But I had to drive into town for a couple of things, and I decided on a detour through The Flats for a quick visit. What a good choice I made...it was spectacular.
A few flurries fell as I headed down the four-lane towards the parking area at Reflections Lake. I love this stretch of road. It is a panoramic scene with mountains, creeks, rivers, wetlands, tundra-like flatland, forest, and the ocean inlet converging in one spot.
Rarely do I drive through The Flats without seeing at least a glimpse of a moose or two, but today I was totally blown away by what I saw. There were moose everywhere. It was as if they were having a Moose family reunion or maybe Bullwinkle's birthday party. There had to be at least 40 moose along one mile-long stretch. I pulled off onto the shoulder of the road and tried taking a few pictures (I wish I had a good camera and knew how to use it).
I drove on towards my destination, and saw a couple of ravens ahead on the shoulder of the road. As I got closer, I saw another one approaching. I thought to myself, "That is a huge raven." The bird came to a landing near the others about 20 feet off the road as I got closer. Once I got alongside, I saw that it was not a huge raven at all -- it was a bald eagle, just sitting there looking at me as I drove past. I wanted to stop and attempt a picture, but there was other traffic around and I couldn't do it. It was as if the eagle had stopped just to pose for my photo, but I wasn't able to get the picture taken. Sigh.
At the parking area beside the Knik River, I noticed a black and white bird sitting on a garbage can. The little guy appeared to be trying to find some shelter from the bitter cold wind. I haven't been able to identify what kind of bird it was, but it was pretty good looking little bird. Anybody know what this is?
As I came within a few hundred feet of the parking area, I saw another moose. This was not far from where I had seen the cow yesterday. This could have been the same one as yesterday, but I don't know for sure (those moose sort of all look the same anyway). I parked, grabbed my hat, gloves, and camera, and headed up the trail in the direction of the cow.
I moved slowly as I hoped to get close enough for a good view and photo op. I spotted her at the edge of a clearing a hundred feet or so away. The only thing between us was a small patch of trees and brush. I zoomed through the trees and snapped a few photos as she stood looking at me.
I decided to leave the trail and cut through the brush to get closer. About four steps later I buried up in snow almost to my waist. Old Maggie Moose stood there watching, and I'm pretty sure I saw a smirk on her face; I think I even heard a giggle or two. She watched me struggle for a few more steps, then turned and jogged away into the woods. I'll see you again another day, old gal.
By the time I got back on the trail, the flurries had become a pretty steady snow shower. Miles to go before I sleep tonight, so I headed back to the truck for the ride home. As I drove back across The Flats towards home, all the moose were still out there having their fun. Hopefully I'll see you again tomorrow, pals.
That bird is a magpie. Aren't they striking? That's why they caught my attention. Hopefully you can learn more about them next week from my blog.
ReplyDeleteHeather Miethe