I was outside today and noticed a sizable flock of small birds that I was not able to identify moving from alder to alder. They would flit about in the tops of the trees, but I was not sure what they might have been finding there. A little later I happened to walk back toward one of the large alders behind our place and noticed on the snow numerous little brown specks. Upon closer inspection, they looked like they looked like a mature version of what I had found in green aldercones earlier in the year. They were small, circular and flat with a papery margin and more solid middle. I suspect that the birds were going after the seeds.

I have noticed that the crows seem to have become especially active around our neighborhood lately. I’m not sure what they are doing, though.

The black cottonwood trees are releasing their cotton now. I did not think they were native to the island, but according to the reference books I have, they are. So far, I have only seen them around Sheldon Jackson Campus where I assume they were planted. They are primarily associated with the mainland in Southeast; especially on rivers that originate in the interior.

It’s almost surprising how fast plants are producing new growth. This morning when I walked to work, it looked like the buds on the raspberry canes were just barely swelling open and by this afternoon there was an additional centimeter or so. The salmonberry blossoms are starting to open amongst the growing leaves when it was only a day or two ago that there was just a hint of leaves pushing out of the buds. The deerheart are showing up as many spikes that consist of rolled up leaves which will soon unfurl to cover the forest floor in green. Along the beach this evening there seemed to be far more seaweed then the last time I was there.

Connor and I hiked up to Beaver Lake today. Most of the lake still had a layer of ice on it, but there was open water along the edges. While we were there, I heard a dipper singing. I did not see it, but it sounded like it was coming from near the outlet stream. I imagine it must have recently returned to Beaver Lake, as I do not know how it could have survived when the lake was (presumably) frozen during the last cold spell.