Saying Goodbye to a Legend

Noteworthy Meals

I never know where to eat when I travel but I always seem to find places that are spectacular and those that are just blah. This time I found many more spectacular than blah.

Homer:
Cafe Cups - The food is as quirky as the napkin rings which often have wing-nuts and beads woven into them. Cafe Cups makes use of a wide pallet of flavors and incorporates many sweet berries into their wonderful dishes of local seafood. I could eat there every night and never get tired of the ingenuity. I think there are more specials than there are regular entrees so you'll never get tired of the same old dishes.
The Homestead - Get out of town! If you are tired of the crowds on the spit and want a fabulous dinner without feeling crammed in like sardines, the Homestead is just the place. They specialize in fusion cuisine using all the bounty of the local fisheries. The service was fantastic and the food... wow! Just make sure to save room for dessert because this is the place to have it!
Captain Patties - On the spit

Juneau
The Twisted Fish - There were many restaurants in Juneau that were very tasty - we enjoyed burgers at the Red Dog Saloon and ate at a few other places but by far the Twisted Fish was the best meal. I had seafood over angel hair pasta with a pesto sauce that was out of this world.

Sitka
Ludvigs - I cannot thank the tour guide who recommended Ludvigs to us enough. It was by far the most amazing meal of the trip. The homemade breads for dipping in olive oil and seasoning almost spoiled my dinner - I had to set the bread aside though I kept snapping up more in between courses. The chowder was absolutely the best I have had in Alaska and perhaps even New England. I had Paella which was masterfully prepared and incredibly flavorful. I regret that there was no room for dessert as I am certain it would have been divine. A reason to come back to Sitka to be sure.

Photos from the Boat

I finally had the chance to head out to Gull Island and I can't wait to go back! The wind died down overnight but the rain settled in for a dark overcast sky with light drizzle. I punched my iso up to 800 and then 1000 to try and compensate for the rocking of the boat. It seemed to work pretty well. and I was pleased with many of the shots. Of course, I could have spent much more than 2 hours cruising the bay. We followed an enormous raft of sea otters, my focus shifting from otter to wave and back to otter. For all of the wave shots and fuzzy otters I managed to get several in focus shots too! And! I got a puffin in the wild. Not too bad for my first ever... now I am hooked on these cute little guys, I want to go to Iceland and hang out in a rookery like I did with the penguins in the Falklands. Every new discovery opens the door to 20 more opportunities.

My Eagle Addiction

I can't seem to get enough Bald Eagles. I love raptors with the cool talons and the sharp eyes and that strong beak... but there is just something about eagles that makes my camera shutter fly. They don't even need to do anything to look cool - just stand there.

I took some wonderful head shots and close up's while I was here in Homer this winter but I didn't get many scenics. Today my boat trip to Gull Island was canceled due to huge waves so we went driving around the countryside and discovered a great recreation area near Anchor Point. The eagles were wary but with a little bit of patience and without too much trouble I was able to get close enough to get the wide angle shots I was craving. I love the mountains rising up in the background. To me these images scream Alaska much more than the close up portraits.

Wandering in Alaska

We reached Anchorage yesterday evening and after getting a good night sleep, headed out for Homer. Along the way we stopped in Seward to visit the Alaska Sea Life Center. They do quite a bit of rehabilitation work with Stellar Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and sea birds.

I was delighted by their aviary which included long-tail ducks, kittiwakes, harlequin ducks, king eiders, tufted puffins, murres, guillimonts and many more all within reach of a 200mm lens. I wish I had more time to just sit in there and watch the birds but I had to finish the drive to Homer. I saw many more harlequin ducks along the way and I hope to be able to get some photos in the wild. Until then, I'll just enjoy these images from the Sea Life Center.

Predator vs. Prey

We had the privileged of photographing from Jean's backyard today and I learned that Jean helps more than just eagles through the cold winter. She also feeds an enormous flock of Grey-crowned Rosy-finch. These tiny birds swarm together and are very skiddish. One false move can send the entire flock into a panicked flight. I watched them soar through the sky as the eagles ignored them. They poured over the roof and descended on the feeders full of sunflower seeds as if they were one large organism.

Then, seemingly from nowhere, a large blur appeared in their midst and the flock disbursed, scattering it's members left and right. I didn't think any bird could be faster than these tiny little finch but I was wrong. A Sharp-shinned Hawk had found the flock and was determined to make a meal of at least one of these finches. It happened so quickly that I can't be sure if the hawk was successful or not. A local passing by said he had not seen a hawk out on the spit in the 8 years that he had lived there.

When compared to the eagles he seemed so tiny and yet, he was just as fierce a hunter as the eagles. I feel very lucky to have seen this hawk let alone to have the pictures to prove it.

Eagles of Homer, Alaska

Located on Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska is the southern-most town on the Alaska Highway system. Despite the recent uproar about feeding, Homer is still the premier location for viewing Bald Eagles up close and personal. Jean Keene aka the Eagle Lady, feeds the eagles from December to April in an effort to help them make it through the hard winter months. Though she is in her 80's, she is out there every day, rain, snow or shine.

I had no idea what to expect when I flew in from Anchorage. It was a clear day and the mountains were covered in snow. I made it to my hotel on the famous Homer Spit and watched the setting sun as it lite up the mountains and made them glow. Long-tailed ducks, Glaucous gulls, Common goldeneye, sea otters and of course, eagles, could be seen right out the window of the Lands End Resort.

This morning was a different story. A thick cloud cover rolled in overnight and the entire spit was covered in a layer of white snow. It was beautiful... beautiful and COLD. Bundled in my trusty thermals I headed out to the beach to photograph the eagles for the first time. In the low light shutter speeds were too slow to keep up with the birds as they soared and swooped so I pushed my ISO up to 1600 and found my shutter speed. It was amazing to see these enormous and majestic birds flying and perching.

Once the feeding was over the birds dispersed though a few remained on the beach, happy to digest while they watched us crawl ever so slowly closer to their position. One eagle in particular was extremely accommodating and posed for wide angle shots, close head shots and mid-range full body photos. He seemed to know exactly when I had enough of one pose and he would switch to another. I don't think a professional model could have done a better job. Once he was board (or perhaps when he realized his performance wasn't going to get him any more fish) he retired to a perch high on a rooftop to preen and nap.

I can't wait to discover what tomorrow will bring!