Back on the Road Outside Nome, AK

It is not a great surprise that we would find arctic terns here in Nome. They are, after all, named for this place, more or less. These birds hunt by flying above the water and hovering when they see activity below the surface. This fellow in the midsts of such a hovering maneuver.

In the field beside the road, we found another herd of musk ox. As you can see, the wind is blowing pretty strongly. I'm guessing that standing just downstream from one of these large bulls would be a bit unpleasant with the wind blowing the old fur off.

Even here in the relatively warm weather of high summer, we get hints of how these animals cope with the long winters. The herd is huddled in small groups where they slowly graze about and take turns in and out of the wind.

Below, you can clearly see one shielding the other from the wind. I remember visiting Little Big Horn back in the '90's where the wind is constantly blowing. We learned that the soldiers and cowboys would wear women's bonnets pulled down over their ears to keep the wind out. The constant sound of wind in the ears was literally maddening. It must be similar for the musk ox on these treeless plains. There is no bush taller than about 6 feet anywhere within about 2 hour drive of nome. these animal have found their own ways to cope with the constant wind and harsh weather.