Sitka Singers: Thrushes

I got an e-mail today from someone wondering about resources for learning the common singing birds of Southeast Alaska. Of course I’m most familiar with Sitka, but there are probably only a few other species that are commonly heard singing in the Southeast, and most of those would be limited to the mainland or nearby … Read more

May Rain

Spruce pollen washed in to a small puddle during a May rain and was left to dry The last three days of May this year doubled the rainfall total for the month. Given that we’re in a rain forest here, you might think that meant a substantial storm, but the reality is just a touch … Read more

Around Swan Lake

It’s the first day of summer by bird recording conventions, and while I didn’t really going birding per se, I did spend a little time around Swan Lake this morning before walking to frisbee. It was nice to hear the Red-winged Blackbirds in the distance. I was a little surprised to see a lone Greater … Read more

Cloudberry Flowers

Over the years, I’ve noticed that even though sometimes cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) plants are common in a muskeg, there might not always be any fruit. At some point along the way I learned that male and female flowers are on separate plants, and the reason some places had plants but no fruit is that all … Read more