- 2017 Vacation photographs
Part 1
An overview of the destination - Baker Lake town, in perspective to Chicago.
The relation of Baker Lake to the site I camped for 11 days, marked Natazhati, because I found an uncommon and hard to find butterfly, Boloria natazhati, at this site.
A view of the Natazhati site, magnified. The mark is my tent site, and the B. natazhati site is at the right end of the tent site lake.
The town of Baker Lake. Did not feel the need for another photo.
July 1, seagulls resting on ice flows just offshore from my tent site, located on the southwest side of town.
Another chunk of ice. These were gone by July 14.
Semipalmated plover on the shore just near my tent.
A Lapland Longspur, fairly common.
Saturday was Canada Day. All stores were closed, so I had to delay my remote trip by 2 days, as I would get supplies on Sunday. An air show was in town. I was hiking just north of town.
Show lasted an hour or so.
These were headed to the lake.
Now I crossed a hill and entered a narrow valley. I spooked an American Teal from her nest.
Mom is feigning distress, to lure me away. She's about 100 yards from the nest.
Still acting.
Same bird.
On the next hill, a rock pile, actually, I spied this snowshoe hare.
Same hill, I spied this falcon, who had just missed a gull.
This ground squirrel, locals call Sik-Sik, has a mouth full of furry flowers for lining the nest.
Yet to ID.
This one was sharing the small pond with a Canada goose.
Now this is a nest! I feel sorry for the Herring Gull who had to build it.
Sunday night these flew over my tent.
A panorama from the hill just south of my remote tent site, near the Natazhati mark.
The lake on which I camped. I named it Lone Gull Lake.
Another panorama on the hill.
The south end of Lone Gull Lake, from my tent site.
On a hill on the other side of the lake, directly across from my tent. Found P. machaon, O. melissa, and P. glandon here.
Same hilltop.
This is Tuesday, July 4, at the tent site. I did fire a ceremonial bear banger, a Leski tradition on July 4 in Canada.
This is the snow pack on the east side of the lake, just at the start of the site where I would collect for 11 days.
Another view.
Just east of the previous photos.
This is further east still. I shot these in series, heading east.
Looking a little more south.
And looking a little more west of the previous photo.
There was a rocky area I had to cross to finish my collecting walk.
Just about to cross the rocks.
Now I have just crossed them.
A little more east, just about 50 more yards to go.
Here is a close up of the terrain.
Another close up.
Now I am on the hill, overlooking my tent site. That brown spot in the right is the natazhati spot.
At the natazhati spot looking toward my tent, just visible.
One more shot of the terrain.
Some rock shots, along the collecting path.
This was near the rocky stretch.
This was just north of the beach, where the hunter debris is found.
This is the ATV trail headed down the hill by my tent. Locales hunt caribou in September in this area.
Caught a few Lake Trout, this one about 4 pounds.
Another shot of the pants along the natazhati site.
Another view of the natazhati site.
This is the brown grass that bordered the site. Natazhati did not fly over this, but stayed just to the north, on the barren spots.
Nice rock.
B. natazhati would land here.
Just over the rocky stretch was the caribou grave yard.
This is the far shore from my tent, just left of the natazhati spot.
The Lone Gull is about to land on the snow pack.
This one amused me during the first few days.
This is the snow pack just north of the natazhati site.
Savanah Sparrow.
Least Sandpiper.
Another Lapland Longspur
Red-breasted Mergansers.
Landing.
Got a few shots of two male Red-breasted Mergansers following a female.
The males.
The female.
A male cruising toward the female.
The female, stretching.
Taking a break.
Same female.
Now the female has moved, and the males are in pursuit.
This Lapland Longspur was photographed just north of town, foraging on the tundra.
Sandhill cranes were very common. I would see them in the evening on the many ridges.
They were usually in groups of 2-3.
Saw a lot of these views.
They were hooting because I was following.
Saw a few Musk Ox. This was just north of Lone Gull Lake.
Same male.
Nice gull shot.
About 3 km east of the tent site was an emergency shed. I never visited.
This was the dominant male in the area and had the best site, a rock pile on a point where I would set my pack every day.
He was pretty tame.
Another view of the natazhati site from my tent.
In this view, the snow is nearly gone.
This is the end of Part I. Click here to go to Part II.
The relation of Baker Lake to the site I camped for 11 days, marked Natazhati, because I found an uncommon and hard to find butterfly, Boloria natazhati, at this site.
A view of the Natazhati site, magnified. The mark is my tent site, and the B. natazhati site is at the right end of the tent site lake.
The town of Baker Lake. Did not feel the need for another photo.
July 1, seagulls resting on ice flows just offshore from my tent site, located on the southwest side of town.
Another chunk of ice. These were gone by July 14.
Semipalmated plover on the shore just near my tent.
A Lapland Longspur, fairly common.
Saturday was Canada Day. All stores were closed, so I had to delay my remote trip by 2 days, as I would get supplies on Sunday. An air show was in town. I was hiking just north of town.
Show lasted an hour or so.
These were headed to the lake.
Now I crossed a hill and entered a narrow valley. I spooked an American Teal from her nest.
Mom is feigning distress, to lure me away. She's about 100 yards from the nest.
Still acting.
Same bird.
On the next hill, a rock pile, actually, I spied this snowshoe hare.
Same hill, I spied this falcon, who had just missed a gull.
This ground squirrel, locals call Sik-Sik, has a mouth full of furry flowers for lining the nest.
Yet to ID.
This one was sharing the small pond with a Canada goose.
Now this is a nest! I feel sorry for the Herring Gull who had to build it.
Sunday night these flew over my tent.
A panorama from the hill just south of my remote tent site, near the Natazhati mark.
The lake on which I camped. I named it Lone Gull Lake.
Another panorama on the hill.
The south end of Lone Gull Lake, from my tent site.
On a hill on the other side of the lake, directly across from my tent. Found P. machaon, O. melissa, and P. glandon here.
Same hilltop.
This is Tuesday, July 4, at the tent site. I did fire a ceremonial bear banger, a Leski tradition on July 4 in Canada.
This is the snow pack on the east side of the lake, just at the start of the site where I would collect for 11 days.
Another view.
Just east of the previous photos.
This is further east still. I shot these in series, heading east.
Looking a little more south.
And looking a little more west of the previous photo.
There was a rocky area I had to cross to finish my collecting walk.
Just about to cross the rocks.
Now I have just crossed them.
A little more east, just about 50 more yards to go.
Here is a close up of the terrain.
Another close up.
Now I am on the hill, overlooking my tent site. That brown spot in the right is the natazhati spot.
At the natazhati spot looking toward my tent, just visible.
One more shot of the terrain.
Some rock shots, along the collecting path.
This was near the rocky stretch.
This was just north of the beach, where the hunter debris is found.
This is the ATV trail headed down the hill by my tent. Locales hunt caribou in September in this area.
Caught a few Lake Trout, this one about 4 pounds.
Another shot of the pants along the natazhati site.
Another view of the natazhati site.
This is the brown grass that bordered the site. Natazhati did not fly over this, but stayed just to the north, on the barren spots.
Nice rock.
B. natazhati would land here.
Just over the rocky stretch was the caribou grave yard.
This is the far shore from my tent, just left of the natazhati spot.
The Lone Gull is about to land on the snow pack.
This one amused me during the first few days.
This is the snow pack just north of the natazhati site.
Savanah Sparrow.
Least Sandpiper.
Another Lapland Longspur
Red-breasted Mergansers.
Landing.
Got a few shots of two male Red-breasted Mergansers following a female.
The males.
The female.
A male cruising toward the female.
The female, stretching.
Taking a break.
Same female.
Now the female has moved, and the males are in pursuit.
This Lapland Longspur was photographed just north of town, foraging on the tundra.
Sandhill cranes were very common. I would see them in the evening on the many ridges.
They were usually in groups of 2-3.
Saw a lot of these views.
They were hooting because I was following.
Saw a few Musk Ox. This was just north of Lone Gull Lake.
Same male.
Nice gull shot.
About 3 km east of the tent site was an emergency shed. I never visited.
This was the dominant male in the area and had the best site, a rock pile on a point where I would set my pack every day.
He was pretty tame.
Another view of the natazhati site from my tent.
In this view, the snow is nearly gone.
This is the end of Part I. Click here to go to Part II.
