Sitka Nature Homepage

Highlights of Recent Photo Uploads


Photojournal

The summer of 1999 was the first time I returned to Sitka after my parents had moved south. I had started working on a website the previous school year, and had purchased my first digital camera that spring. I had dabbled with photography and journaling my outdoor adventures with analog tools (film and notebooks) previously. Now converted to digital, with family to keep up to date, I started my photojournal. It now has grown to over 3000 posts spanning 25 years, with more to come.

Recent Updates (includes older recently published or updated entries – go to the Photojournal page for only recent entries):

Montane Forest

Harbor Mountain Road in the Clouds

Heavy overcast with rain. Temperatures around 50F and breezy. The weather made it easier to stay inside and work on collections from Wednesday. My …
Read more
Bog Rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)

Spring Flowers in the Rain

Overcast with rain, especially in the afternoon. Temperatures around 50F. Breezy. This afternoon I tagged along on a walk along part of the Estuary …
Read more
Snowy Slopes

Visiting Starrigavan Ridge and Port Krestof

Partly cloudy early, becoming overcast. Temperatures to near 50F. Light winds becoming moderate later. This morning’s sun inspired to get out. However, it was …
Read more
Anna's Hummingbird

Neighborhood Birds

Overcast with showers. Brief bits of sun between showers, becoming more extended later in the day. Breezy. Temperatures in the 40s. When I stepped …
Read more
Semipalmated Plovers

Migrating Shorebirds and Nesting Dippers

Overcast with light rain later in the day. Winds becoming moderate in the afternoon. Temperatures in the 40s. The marine layer never really broke …
Read more
Mt. Edgecumbe and O'Connell Bridge

Sun Returns

Partly cloudy with light winds early becoming breezy late in the day. Temperatures into the 50s. Clouds built up a bit over the mountains …
Read more

Radio Show/Podcast

The Sitka Nature Show airs on Raven Radio alternate Sundays 1:30-2:30pm, and recordings are available here sometime after (not infrequently after a long delay). Find the most recently uploaded shows below. I also have a full archive.
Chestnut-backed Chickadee at Nest

Sitka Nature Show #339 – Laura Kaltenstein

Download Radio Show The April 20th show featured a conversation with Laura Kaltenstein. Originally recorded and aired in April 2023, we spoke about bird …
Read more
Gray Whale

Sitka Nature Show #338 – Andy Szabo and Lauren Eckert

Download Radio Show The April 6th show featured a conversation with Andy Szabo and Lauren Eckert of the Alaska Whale Foundation. They shared about …
Read more
Cedar Cluster

Sitka Nature Show #337 – Zach LaPerriere

Download Radio Show The March 23rd show featured a conversation with returning guest Zach LaPerriere. He shared about the process of selecting, permitting and …
Read more

Sitka Nature Show #336 – Alice and Chuck Johnstone (encore)

Download Radio Show The March 9th show featured a conversation with Alice and Chuck Johnstone. Originally recorded in 2012, Alice and Chuck had lived …
Read more

Explore the Archive

Today in Sitka Nature History:

Watching Gulls

May 24, 2021

Overcast, but no significant rain. It was a little breezy this morning, but calm this evening. I didn’t notice an early morning text from Connor until closer to 9am. He … Read more

Sitka Nature Show #211- Lauren Bell

May 24, 2020

Download Radio Show The May 24th show featured a conversation with Lauren Bell, who is studying kelp forest ecology in Sitka Sound as part of her PhD research. We talked … Read more

More Sun, Brief Note

May 24, 2015

The marine stratus burned off by mid-morning, though some clouds lingered around the mountain slopes into early afternoon. I don’t think the temperature reached 60, as there was a bit … Read more

Boat Trip to St. Lazaria

May 24, 2014

The forest service was running a training for local guides to learn some birds, and I was able to participate on some of the activities (some were open to the … Read more

Rainbow in front of Mt. Verstovia

May 24, 2014

I was impressed by the intensity of this rainbow I saw recently, and also by its width. I remember reading that the brightness of a rainbow has to do with … Read more

Morning Walk to Swan Lake

May 24, 2011

Went for an early (for me) morning walk to Swan Lake. Was interested to notice a fledgling Dark-eyed Junco already out and about.

Yellow Warbler

May 24, 2010

Yellow Warbler Singing Recently I have been asking people if they have seen any Yellow Warblers this spring. While not an especially common species along the road system in Sitka … Read more

Daily Observations

May 24, 2008

Connor, Rowan and I hiked up to the ridge on Verstovia today. Weather: It was clear with light winds. Temperatures were 60 or higher, it certainly felt hot in the … Read more

Mt. Verstovia Hike

May 24, 2008

Daily Observations

May 24, 2006

Weather: It was partly cloudy throughout the day with little wind. Birds: There was a Dark-eyed Junco calling today around the house, I later saw him foraging. It is the … Read more

Snow Update

May 24, 2006

Last week I wrote a post on snow with a photo showing where an avalanche had cut loose. Since that time a second avalanche has also released on the same … Read more


Selection of random posts from the past 25+ years.


SitkaBirds email List (subscribe here)
SitkaBirds List is an e-mail list for birding around Sitka. It serves as to share photos and ask questions about birds or birding in Sitka. Also to notify others of sightings that may be unusual or of interest. If you are interested, please subscribe here. There is also a Sitka Birds Facebook Group (while both are active, the Facebook group has more active participants).
Sitka Natural History Seminar Series
To be notified of upcoming talks in the series, you can (subscribe here) to receive the announcements
The Birds of Sitka, Alaska by J. Dan Webster.
A comprehensive summary of published historical records (including looks at museum specimens) for the Sitka area.
Species Checklists for Southeast Alaska (links below are currently only intermittently active, I have some work to do on that site)
Pre-2007 Photojournal
Photos and journal entries from 1998-2006 (on a different site – I eventually intend to migrate entries to this one)
Sitka Trails (on another site)
A trail guide I am working on for trails on the Sitka Road system. It was on (or just off of) many of these trails where I took many of the photos seen here. I started redoing it in early 2024, but haven’t completed the remodel.

13 thoughts on “Sitka Nature Homepage”

  1. This is an amazing effort, already well underway! As a botanist/naturalist, I naturally went straight to the plant page. Two hemlocks! You are so lucky. Thanks for the great photos and site!

  2. Thanks for the great site. Was referred to by Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin (my aunt). I’m a displaced native (not a blood native, just born there) Now living in Chicago. Your site really tugs my strings to get back there for an extended period of time. Keep it up. Your photography is really coming along! Hard to take a bad shot around that area, if you are “in it” as much as you are. Keep hiking and sending pics. I’ll be there soon!

  3. I had a friend send me some of the sound clips you have made. Wonderful! Do you have a mailing list in which you send out info from time to time? if so, please put me on it! great work! pat

  4. An eastern kingbird: St. Lazaria Island, 2 July 2010…. made forays from its foraging perch in a lone mature Sitka spruce on a slope otherwise dominated by rye grass and salmonberry.

  5. Thank you for posting all this photos, and keeping updated your quest of knowledge and beauty. I feel like walking with you on this wild path, day by day, you who wander, in this distant country. Magic of internet.

  6. Up In Pelican…Have had a Short-eared Owl around, and a small flock of
    Lapland Longspurs. Don’t see them often !

  7. Dear Naturalist,
    Do yoy know of a database containing observations of all kinds of species (but certainly mammals and birds are of utmost interest) in the Sitka area? (or perhaps all of southeast Alaska).

    I’m writing from Denmark. I once visited Sitka, it was a brief stay, but I hope to return next spring.

    Best regards Mads Kusk

  8. Thank you for identifying my many plants on iNaturalist. I had no service for 10 days so just took pictures to upload later. The plant life in Yakutat is quite different from the plant life is south Texas. I was however pleasantly surprised to find a number or plants that were native to both.

Leave a Reply