Thomas Bancroft Photography

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Alaska Brown Bears All Galleries
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01 - The Glance of the Grizzly

23 images Created 3 Mar 2020

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  • The Brown Bear bolts forward, instantly at full speed, coming directly toward where we stood in the tundra. His glare seemed to come right through my telephoto lens and made me blink rapidly.
    The Glare-Port Alsworth-Katmai Penni...jpg
  • A salmon darts in front of the charging bear. The flick of the sockeye's caudal fin creating a massive splash. The bear couldn't resist, pivoting to follow.
    The Pursuit-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • Boreal forests line the valleys coming up from Lake Clark and tundra wrap over the hills.
    The hills above Lake Clark-Port Alsw...jpg
  • Spruce forests lined the streams and tundra covered the rolling hills south of Lake Clark. The Spruce Bud Worm had arrived, killing many of the spruce in this area. The warming temperatures have allowed the bud worms to gain their footing in this area and now are changing the dynamics of the forest.
    Spruce Forest-Port Alsworth-Katmai P...jpg
  • Mirror Lake provided the landing site for our hike down Funnel Creek. Wide rockky beaches are formed by the wind pushing ice drifts against the shore.
    Mirror Lake-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • The brown bear feasts on his catch along the edge of funnel Creek. Glacous-winged Gulls lurke around him, waiting for any scraps he might leave.
    The picnic spot-Funnel Creek-Katmai ...jpg
  • A massive adult male Brown Bear steps onto a rock in Funnel Creek. He was the distance of first base away from our perch and never once acknowledged our existence.
    The Black Male-Port Alsworth-Katmai ...jpg
  • A blonde rug lay on the tundra at the edge of Funnel Creek. A dozen or more sockey lurked in the water just below the nose of this sleeping bear.
    Morning nap-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • My photography group wait by the falls along Funnel Creek for a bear to return to this favorite fishing spot. Paired salmon are spawning both below and above the falls while several dozen wait below the rapids for their turn to continue the migration to their natal area.
    Anticipation-Fennel Creek-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • The bear stands on a rock to survey the sockey working upstream in Funnel Creek. Fireweek dots the slope behind him.
    Which one next?-Port Alsworth-Katmai...jpg
  • The bear had been chasing this salmon for more than ten seconds and showed no sign of giving up his pursuit.
    The leap-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pennis...jpg
  • The sockeye dashes through the shallows of Funnel Creek, trying desperately to out manover the pursuing Brown Bear.
    Moving in for the kill-Port Alsworth...jpg
  • The head rose out of the water, teeth grasping a still wiggling sockeye. The bears eyes seemed to look right at me as if he was telling me that this was his fish. He chased it relentlessly for 14 seconds before his lunge pinned it to the bottom.
    This is mine-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pe...jpg
  • A Glaucous-winged Gull grabs a scrap of skin and flees the other gulls that were bickering for morsels.
    The pickings-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pe...jpg
  • The brown bear lunges for a sockeye salmon. His left paw will pin the fish to the bottom and then he goes in with his teeth for the kill.
    The Lunge-Port Alsworth-Katmai Penni...jpg
  • Chomping on a morsel of salmon, the bear stares right at me. He manipulates the piece with his tongue and lips, clearly satified with his fresh meal.
    A light Snack-Port Alsworth-Katmai P...jpg
  • The claws on this bear were as big as my fingers and extended from feet larger than my two put together.
    Claws-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pennisula...jpg
  • The red sockey bolts right in a desperate attempt to out maneouver the Brown Bear, but this young male is as quick as a cutting horse and makes the turn to follow.
    The cut-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pennisu...jpg
  • Full steam ahead! The bear moves through knee deep water as if its cotton balls. His eyes are glued on a salmon that he intends to eat.
    The Pursuit-Port Alsworth-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • The young male Brown Bear pauses after lunging and missing a sockeye, looking right across Funnel Creek to where we stood. Perhaps he was considering an alternative meal.
    -Port Alsworth-Katmai Pennisula-4281.jpg
  • A flock of Glaucaous-winged Gulls wait for the resting bear to go back into the water and fish. They have moved up the rivers of Katmai National Park, following the salmon migration, and feeding on the scraps left by bears.
    The Wait-Day 3 Location-Katmai Penni...jpg
  • Funnel Creek weaves down through the valley from Mirror Lake. Tundra cover the valley bottom disappearing to linken as the slopes climb into the foothills.
    Funnel Creek-Fennel Creek-Katmai Pen...jpg
  • A bear picks a single salmon and then pursues it with all his energy. At least seventeen others zip away from this bruin, knowing that they maybe next if he fails on his chosen quary.
    The Choice-Fennel Creek-Katmai Penni...jpg
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