The Green Flash

Green-up happens quickly in the north--almost overnight. Last week a tinge of green was visible on the trees one morning and by the next morning it was solid. Warm temperatures make the leaves grow like crazy and the "green flash" happens. Although small, the aspen leaves are large enough to tremble in the wind and create that sound only aspen leaves can make.

Leaves are rapidly growing on a cottonwood along the Koyukuk River

Along with the warm temperatures came the mosquitoes, insects and birds. A few sandhill cranes are still hanging around the runway and the gravel pit.

Sandhill Crane

The white-crowned sparrow sings a beautiful song in the morning along with the robins, warblers and white-winged crossbills. One morning, a male and female white-winged crossbill were singing to each other from the tops of two spruce trees--a delightful song.

White-crowned sparrow

The swallows returned two weeks ago and immediately occupied existing nests or started building new ones. Both cliff swallows and tree swallows spend the brief summer here eating as many mosquitoes as they can, but they can't eat enough of them to make a dent in the population.

Cliff swallows nesting on the beams of the hangar

Memorial Day weekend was one for the record books with highs in the 80's--about twenty degrees above normal for the end of May. The heat definitely helped with the 'green flash' of summer.

Break-up on the Koyukuk River

Friday the 13th was lucky today--the ice broke free on the Koyukuk River. 

Break-up on the Koyukuk River

Warmer temperatures are helping melt the ice and snow everywhere. High temperatures have been in the 40's with warmer temperatures forecasted. More snow is melting off the southern slopes of the Brooks Range each day.

Bettles, Alaska

Snow is still prevalent in the far north. Upon arrival in Bettles, Alaska earlier this week, nearly two feet of snow blanketed unplowed areas. However, areas that have been plowed are open.

Main Street of Bettles in early May

A fresh dusting of snow occurred last night and snow flurries continued through the day--no significant accumulation though.

The Koyukuk River on the edge of town is still solid with ice along with some channels of overflow. Break-up should happen any day with the warmer temperatures. However, temperatures are still dropping below freezing at night.

Koyukuk River with overflow

Migrating birds are taking advantage of the overflow. Canada geese stopped in the river and sandhill cranes have been visiting the gravel bar and the airport runway. The sandhill cranes have been wandering around the runway and leaving their large tracks. What are they eating or looking for?

Other bird sightings include juncos, robins and ravens. More will come as the snow melts and the temperature increases. The temperatures are warm enough for the first mosquito though, but it might have froze today--since the high was 33 degrees. 

Koyukuk River and Jack White Mountains