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The weather is warm late this year, with the exception of a one week cold snap in early October daytime temperatures were still 40˚ fahrenheit until the first of November. The first thin sheet of ice covered the lake on November 3 but with temperatures back to 38˚ on November 5, most of the lake is open again. Our cove is frozen all the way to the west shore, but open water starts about 200′ south of our dock all the way across the lake to the south shore.

Dozens of Mallard ducks fly in and fly out, sometimes skidding on the ice. Traditionally Thanksgiving marks the time when people can safely play on the ice, but I’m beginning to think that might not happen. We won’t know for sure if the ice is safe until an auger hole is drilled to verify the thickness. At the end of last winter the ice pack was 3 feet thick! I look forward to winter, skating and skiing on the lake.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

As if on cue, the migrating Trumpeter Swans showed up to the delight of our guests attending the annual Open House last weekend. It was the largest group of swans to appear so far, sixteen in number! They stayed just long enough to parade by our windows in single file, then continued on around the peninsula and out of sight. I grabbed the camera and tried to capture the scene, but the swans are hardly visible! You have to use your imagination. This photo proves that I’m a better painter than a photographer.
We had guests from all over the state; Kodiak, Fairbanks, McCarthy, Kenai, as well as visitors from as far as Germany. Quite a few originals found new homes and lots of prints were carried out the door. Early Christmas shopping and planning definitely took place.

For me the best part of the Open House was reuniting with old friends and collectors, sharing our lives, and getting caught up with each other. Today we are exhausted, but happy. It is a lot of work but definitely worth the effort.

Gail Niebrugge, Artist of Alaska

As soon as it was light enough to see we found all six Trumpeter Swans feeding near the shore next to our dock.  They stayed until human activity disturbed them, then swam away to a quieter spot. (more…)

Late in the afternoon the phones were ringing around the lake spreading the news that six Trumpeter Swan landed and were cruising the shoreline.  All eyes were glued to windows watching these gorgeous creatures!  As evening approached the swans settled comfortably in our cove, feeding and resting. (more…)

The other evening while entertaining guests, one of whom is an avid birder and wildlife biologist, I alerted everyone to watch a flight of Trumpeter Swan approaching overhead. Much to our guests delight the magnificent white birds flew across the sky perfectly framed by our big view windows, very low and easy to see. Our birder guest remarked that one of the swans had something unusual in its beak, and then exclaimed excitedly that the bird wasn’t a swan but a white pelican flying in formation with the swans! A very rare sighting, so quick and fleeting, almost as if it were a dream. day. Such a rare moment and none of us had a camera handy, drats! Entertaining guests is easy in Alaska, it seems like something interesting happens almost every day.
Gail Niebrugge, Art of Alaska

Today is gray, blustery, and cloudy, golden leaves are stripped from trees and swirl about piling up in sheltered areas of our yard. Migrating waterfowl seek respite from the pounding gale and are gathered in our cove. Ten Trumpeter Swan arrive seeking protection from wind, four adults and six signets, elegant but cautious during this temporary rest stop during their annual southern migration. A unexpected, but beautiful sight to pause and watch during our busy day.

Gail Niebrugge, Pointillism Artist

I talked to Patrick, the owner of Applied Organics, about the growing population of ducks dining on the corn gluten weed seed killer that he spread on our lawn last month. He was mortified, ours was the first lake property he has serviced and has never had this problem before. The corn gluten came in small pellets, just perfect for waterfowl to nibble. On his next visit Patrick assured me he would reapply new gluten, and this time use the powdered version. Meanwhile, I’m spending a lot of time cleaning poop off of the dock.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

A busy little family on the nest in our cove.  Redneck Grebes with three chicks.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

The pair of Rednecked Grebe’s attending the floating nest in our cove are proud parents of two baby chicks!

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Our cove on the lake is full of nesting birds; two Rednecked Grebe nests (one is floating about 50 feet from shore), several Mallard Duck nests some with babies along the shore, next to our dock a feisty Bonapart gull regularly attacks guarding a nest somewhere in the woods, and a Magpie nest in the tall lone spruce tree. This does not include the Tree Swallow nests that have been built inside three nesting boxes that we mounted on trees earlier this spring. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game provided a sign cautioning lake users of the nesting area, and we built a contraption to hold the sign that floats in the water on the outside of the cove. It seems to be working, boats slow down when approaching and wake is kept to a minimum.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

The ducklings have hatched! Now the biggest threat is predators.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Our son and his wife built this Tree Swallow nest box for us, this is the second year it has been inhabited. Tree Swallows occupy three nest boxes in our yard this year. It is fun to watch their precise aerobatics as they zoom and dive grabbing insects on the fly, sometimes inches from the ground or the surface of the water. Their aerodynamic skills are remarkable. Plus, they eat mosquitoes!
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Often, during the evening, Common Loons appear swimming close to the shore in our cove. They are beautiful to watch, preening and fluffing their feathers and cruising back and forth. One day three arrived at the same time and talked to each other in a soft cooing Loon language. What I love most is their haunting melodic call that can be heard far away throughout the night.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

An unforseen by-product of using Corn Gluten as a weed killing agent is that it has attracted ducks and birds to dine on the lawn. Several pair of Mallard Ducks and a bevy of assorted birds are happily gorging themselves with the corn pellets. I wonder if enough will remain to do the job of killing weeds? Patrick at Applied Organics said he would spread another coat and use the powdered form instead of the pellets at his next visit.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

This original acrylic painting Pond Lily Swans is now available as a miniature open edition print, image size 5.5″x7.25″, printed on acid free paper, signed by the artist, and priced at $22.00 US. The beautiful Trumpeter Swan are featured floating among yellow pond lilies, a common sight in the wetlands of the Copper River Basin and the Copper River Delta, Alaska. Trumpter swan are always a thrill to watch, I have spent countless hours sitting motionless observing, sketching, photographing and learning about these magnificient creatures.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

Break up of the ice on the lake was going along quite well until last night, the temperatures dipped to 28º and at noon today a thin crust of ice still remains on the water along the shore. The waterfowl avoid landing on the ice, even if it is thin. So, today it is pretty quiet on the lake. Last night before the water froze we saw our friend, the muskrat, cruising the shoreline.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

The ice is thawing rapidly now, a pair of Mallard ducks showed up this morning and will probably build a nest in the cove as they did last year, and several Trumpeter Swan flew low over the dock. We hear the sounds of Canada Geese as they circle above in large goups seeking a field to rest and feed before they continue the journey to their summer nesting grounds. This is one of my favorite times of the year in Alaska!

More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Artist

It was cold last night and the temperature has not risen above freezing today. In these conditions it is amazing how fast ice forms on the lake surface. An undulating streak of thin crusty ice is growing fast, starting at the south shore and extending almost to the opposite side. Waterfowl are congregating in the open water along the north shore in our cove. (more…)

Even though it has been snowing for several days very little has accumulated. Above freezing temperatures are keeping ice from forming on the lake, but there is no doubt that winter is on the way because the ducks are gathering. Today the ducks disappeared during an especially heavy snowfall, oddly we could still hear the sounds of their quacking. On closer inspection we saw over 50 ducks hiding out under shelter of our dock! Their are no dumb ducks in this group. (more…)

The days are getting shorter, noticeably shorter. At 5:30 AM it is almost too dark to see the waterfowl as they gather each morning in the cove on our lake. Every day more and more ducks congregate. Three weeks ago their were four ducks, each day a few more appear until this morning I counted a total of fifty. Later every morning they disappear, only to return again at dusk. I wonder if this a preparation ritual for the fall migration. (more…)