Sure, Alaskan summers have an unquestionable appeal — the luxuriously long days, the balmy temperatures, the landscape coming to life with fireweed and foragable foods. But autumn in Alaska has its own allure. It’s a season of winding down, where the verdant vistas of high season mellow out into muted tones of silver and gray — a transition that happens, seemingly, before one’s eyes.
Yet there’s still a sense of vitality in the air. Following the autumnal equinox, even as the flora retreats into dormancy, the fauna of the region are active in patterns of seasonal migration and preparation. It’s BBC-documentary-level drama that can often unfold right in front of you, whether you’re simply driving to the store for groceries, taking a casual stroll through the woods, or trekking deep into Denali. All of Alaska is a stage for wildlife, any time of year.
Fall is the season of moose rutting, when both the bulls and cows shift their attention outward to find and attract a suitable mate, something they’ll do through the end of October. Bull moose can be heard (from over a mile away!) fighting in their habitats, clashing head to head with their large sets of antlers locked together in a battle for dominance. Cow moose, solitary during the rest of the year, begin to herd together into small groups and eagerly anticipate the winner of these battles by rolling around in rutting pits that have been scent marked by bulls.
Bald eagles also congregate in the fall — for a frenzied feeding at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Southeast Alaska, where you can spot thousands of these ravenous raptors hunting for chum and coho in the late fall runs in Chilkat River. The peak of this congregation (in fact, the largest one in the world) coincides with the Bald Eagle Festival, a celebration that takes place from November 9th through 12th. Sponsored by the American Bald Eagle Foundation, the festival supports bald eagle education and stewardship with a lineup of events for bird watchers and general nature lovers alike. Bring your binoculars!
For those of you who are looking to enjoy Alaska’s wildlife virtually, may I suggest participating in Fat Bear Week? It’s an online single-elimination tournament that pits bear against bear in a completely subjective competition where these chunky bears are judged by their looks. They’ve been eating all summer, storing fat in preparation for a long winter hibernation. A fat bear is a healthy, well-prepared bear. The Fat Bear Jr. competition starts next week — you can vote for your favorite “chubby cubby” on the 29th — while the official full-grown tourney begins on October 5th.
Caption: Some bears I saw in Katmai National Park and Preserve, doing their best to prep for Fat Bear Week.
Happy Autumn, from the WAC team!
Live Wild,
Monica
Pictured above: This incredible portrait of a bald eagle was taken by WAC team member Matt R., an MX specialist during the WAC onsite gathering last month. “I feel like I really connected with this eagle,” he noted. “I feel like we understand each other: this is an uncanny likeness of me before coffee.”
