Monday, December 24, 2007

Thoughts of summer

Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an oasis for birds and wildlife in the Fairbanks area. The refuge offers habitat protection and public use for nature viewing, education and research. You can learn more about it here.

It has taken me a few years to get the timing down to capture a Savannah Sparrow perched on a stalk of fireweed in full bloom. Look closely and you will notice the band on the bird's leg. The Alaska Bird Observatory has operated a migration-monitoring station at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge since 1992. This study will help document long-term trends in the abundance of landbirds at Creamer’s Field as well as provide information on the life histories of passerines migrating through interior Alaska. To date, more than 65,000 birds of 72 species have been banded at this site.

Savannah Sparrow perched on a stalk of fireweed,
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II, 500mm IS with 2x converter, 1/250 sec @ f8.0, ISO 320


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