#332 In the field: Noatak River, Alaska, con't . . .

The Noatak River watershed lies in the northwestern Brooks Range and is the largest mountain-ringed river basin in America.  Start with blog post #329, Oct. 16, for more information about this wilderness canoe expedition in Alaska.

The breeding season for birds in the Arctic is brief, but the abundance of food makes the challenge worthwhile.  All five species of loons breed in the Arctic:
the Red-throated, Yellow-billed, Common, Pacific, and the closely related Arctic Loon . . . We saw them all.

Below, is a field study of an Arctic Loon from my sketchbook journal.

Above, sunset on the Noatak

Above, approaching the Noatak River headwaters