Below are images compiled in one of the many photo galleries illustrating our blog, Musings From Paradise. Click on any photo and then sweep through the collection (or use your keyboard’s arrow keys). More Albums
This trip consisted of 5 destinations covering approximately 4 weeks. Stops were Anchorage, Dutch Harbor, Nome, Bethel, Utqiagvik (Barrow), and Seward.

"Hudsonian Godwit (© Nick Viani) Ship Creek, Anchorage, AK",

"Arctic Tern (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Magpie (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"River Otter (© Nick Viani) Ship Creek, Anchorage, AK",

"Cackling Goose (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Arctic Tern (© Nick Viani) Potter Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Arctic Tern (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Greater Scaup (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Mew Gull (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Red-necked Grebe (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Red-necked Grebe (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Russian Orthodox Church Cemetery (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Companions for the Dandilions (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Bald Eagle nest (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lapland Longspur female (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Bald Eagle (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Least Sandpiper (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Immature Bald Eagle (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"American Pipit (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Fish processing plant in the distance - photo taken from our room at the Grand Aleutian Hotel (© Sooney Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Piled line on at the harbor (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Immature Bald Eagle (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Piled line on the harbor (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Bald eagle and stacked crab pots (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Fishing vessels used to catch crab, pollack, and cod (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lapland Longspur female (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Savannah Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lupin growing wild on the Spit (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lupin detail (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

Kamchatka Fritillary on Spit (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska"

American Pipit (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska

Only small planes can land on the shorter runway (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska

"Disposing of wreckage appeared to be a problem (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

Red Fox (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska

Harlequin Ducks (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska

"Pigeon Guillemot (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska"

"Red-necked Merganser (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Sea Otter (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Sea Otter (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Dock to nowhere (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Song Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Thick-billed Murre (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Black Oystercatcher (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Common Merganser (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Bald Eagle in mountainside nest (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Semipalmated Plover (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Semipalmated Plover (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Marbled Murelet (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Rock Ptarmigan (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Willow Ptarmigan (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Fishing vessels in Captain's Cove Marina (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Little South America, a favorite picnic site by locals (© Sooney Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Arctic Ground Squirrel (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Adult successfully protecting its catch (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Adult protecting catch from an attacking juvenile eagle (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Arctic Ground Squirrel (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Dutch Harbor from Mount Ballyhoo (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Terry, Marty, and Sooney during our climb up Mount Ballyhoo (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Detail: remains of garrison of US Army Fort Schwatka up on Mount Ballyhoo (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Juvenile Bald Eagle soaring above the fishing industry (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Sea-going barges transport most of supplies to distant coastal ports (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Black-legged Kittiwakes (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Glacous Gull and Pelagic Cormorants (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Marty and his long lens wearing their raincoats (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Great traveling buddies (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Black-legged Kittiwake (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Horned Puffin (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin Juvenile (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin Juvenile (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"USS Northwestern wreck bombed and sunk June 4, 1942 during attack by Japanese warplanes in WWII (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Arctic Bumblebee (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lapland Longspur male (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lapland Longspur male (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Lapland Longspur female (© Nick Viani) Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, in the Aleutian Chain of Alaska",

"Willow Ptarmigan (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Long-tailed Jaeger (© Nick Viani) Milepost 72, Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Bristle-thighed Curlew (© Nick Viani) Milepost 72, Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Bristle-thighed Curlew (© Nick Viani) Milepost 72, Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Bar-tailed Godwit (© Nick Viani) Milepost 72, Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"American Widgeon (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Blackpoll Warbler (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Rusty Blackbird (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Northern Waterthrush - New World Warbler (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"American Tree Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Golden-crowned Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Semipalmated Plover (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Northern Wheatear (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Say's Phoebe (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Gyrfalcon on nest beneath bridge (© Nick Viani) East Fork of Solomon River, Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Yellow Warbler (© Nick Viani) Nome, AK",

"Muskox at higher elevation (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Muskox in the tundra (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Pectoral Sandpiper (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Muskox (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Pacific Golden Plover (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Pacific Golden Plover (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Hoary Redpoll (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Tundra Swans on Tundra (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Arctic Terns (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

Nick_Viani_-_Nome-1(1)

"Red-necked Phalarope (© Nick Viani) Nome, AK",

"Long-tailed Jaeger nesting (© Nick Viani) Ponds near the Water Treatment Plant, Nome, AK",

"Red-throated Loon (© Nick Viani) Pond near the water-treatment facility, Nome, Alaska",

"Long-tailed Duck (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Wilson's Warbler (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Gray-cheeked Thrush (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Fox Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Looking back to Nome from the rock jetty (© Nick Viani) Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Yellow Warbler (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Wandering Tattler (© Nick Viani) Kougarok Road, Nome, Alaska",

"Hoary Redpoll (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Kougarok Road Detail (© Sooney Viani) Nome, Alaska",

"Common Redpoll (© Nick Viani) Teller Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Arctic Terns (© Nick Viani) Nome River, Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Aleutian and Arctic Terns (© Nick Viani) Nome River, Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Aleutian Tern (© Nick Viani) Nome River, Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Aleutian Tern (© Nick Viani) Nome River, Council Highway, Nome, Alaska",

"Terry & Beth, our guide on the river (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK",

"American Tree Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Close-up of tundra landscape (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Arctic Cotton - Wildflowers on the tundra (© Nick Viani) Bethel, AlaskaArctic Cotton",

"Alongside the road to Bethel's landfill (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Water & Sewer pipes are above ground due to freezing conditions beneath the surface that will break pipes (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Insulated water and sewer pipes waiting for installation. Note the depth of the insulation. (© Sooney Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Great Horned Owl Fledglings (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Great Horned Owl (© Nick Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Yellow-rumped Warbler (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Bald Eagle (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Bank Swallows (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Wildflowers on the tundra (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Tundra (and Nick's boot) (© Nick Viani) Bethel, AK",

"Osprey nest (© Nick Viani) Bethel, Alaska",

"Arctic Tern (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Tree Swallow (© Nick Viani) Potter's Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Widgeon (© Nick Viani) Potter Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Cackling Geese Goslings (© Nick Viani) Potter Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Mallard Duck & Duckling (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Green-winged Teal (© Nick Viani) Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK",

"Sand Hill Crane (© Nick Viani) Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK",

"Plane taking off from Lake Hood Floatplane Base, Anchorage (© Nick Viani) This is the largest and busiest aerodrome in the world.",

"Greater Scaup (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Cackling Geese Goslings (© Nick Viani) Potter Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Trumpeter Swan (© Nick Viani) Potter Marsh, Anchorage, AK",

"Cackling Geese & Goslings (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Mallard Duckling (© Nick Viani) Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, AK",

"Harbor Seals (© Nick Viani) Northwestern Fjord, Seward, AK",

"Parakeet Auklet (© Nick Viani) Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Black-legged Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gull (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK.",

"Steller's Sea Lion & pup (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK. Note: This animal was branded for scientific study by the captain of our birding vessel.",

"Pelagic Cormorant (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres shared nesting (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Northwestern Glacier (© Nick Viani) Northwestern Fjord, Seward, Alaska",

"Avalanche on Northwestern Glacier (© Nick Viani) Northwestern Fjord, Seward, Alaska",

"Humpback Whale Diving (© Nick Viani) Fox Island, Resurrection Bay, Seward, AK",

"Red-faced Cormorants, Black-legged Kittiwakes (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Steller's Sea Lion (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres shared nesting (© Nick Viani) Resurrection Bay, Chiswell Islands, Seward, AK",

"Song Sparrow (© Nick Viani) Seward, Alaska",

"Wilson's Snipe (© Nick Viani) Seward, Alaska",

"Mew Gull (© Nick Viani) Seward, Alaska",

"Wild Iris (© Nick Viani) Seward, Alaska",

"Varied Thrush Approaching the Nest n(© Nick Viani) Lowell Point State Park, Seward, Alaska",

"Varied Thrush with Chicks (© Nick Viani) Lowell Point, Seward, AK",

"Lowel Point Detail",

"Song Sparrow with a mouthful (© Nick Viani) Seward, Alaska",

"Downtown Seward, Alaska (© Nick Viani)",

"Rockfish (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

"King Eider detail (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

"Smew (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, AK. Note: This bird frequents northern latitudes from Scandinavia to Siberia and is not a common visitor to Alaska.",

"Red-legged Kittiwake (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, AK. Note: a small gull found breeding on remote oceanic islands at only four locations in the world, all in the Bering Sea.",

"Rhinoceros Auklet (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

"Common Murre (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

"Tufted Puffin detail (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

"Steller's Sea Lion (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

""Misty" - Steller's Sea Lion (© Nick Viani) SeaLife Center, Seward, Alaska",

Nick_Viani_-_Seward-1(1)

"Roofing detail, Lowell Point, Seward, AK",

"Pacific Golden Plover (© Nick Viani) Nome, AK",

"Whale Carcass on Sea Ice (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Cemetery Detail (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Dunlin (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Long-billed Dowitcher (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Snow Bunting (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Snowy Owl (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Sea Ice on Bering Strait (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Short-eared Owl (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska, AK",

"A couple bird lovers (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Arctic Tern (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Red Phalarope - female (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"King Eider couple (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Dunlin (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

,

"Red Phalarope - male (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"American Golden Plover (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"River Ice Breakup (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Long-tailed Duck - female (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Steller's Eider (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Long-tailed Duck - male (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Red-necked Phalarope (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

"Pomarine Jaeger (© Nick Viani) Utqiagvik (Barrow) Alaska",

Nick_Viani_-_Anchorage-2(1)

"Common Goldeneye (© Nick Viani 11/25) Putnam Park, Link River, Klamath Falls, OR",

"Barrow's Goldeneye (© Nick Viani 11/25) Putnam Park, Link River, Klamath Falls, OR",

"Barrow's Goldeneye (© Nick Viani 11/25) Putnam Park, Link River, Klamath Falls, OR",

"Barrow's Goldeneye (© Nick Viani 11/25) Putnam Park, Link River, Klamath Falls, OR",