Highlights of Recent Photo Uploads
Photojournal
Recent Updates (includes older previously unpublished entries – go to the Photojournal page for only recent entries):
Returning Gulls
Snow Returns
March Birds
Swan Lake Birds and Lichens
Visiting Herring Cove Creek Cascade
Boat Trip and Returning Robins
Radio Show/Podcast
Sitka Nature Show #336 – Alice and Chuck Johnstone (encore)
Sitka Nature Show #335 – Adam Haberski (encore)
Sitka Nature Show #334 – Mary Goddard
Sitka Nature Show #333 – Connor Goff
Explore the Archive
Today in Sitka Nature History:
Birds, Whales, and Sunset Tidepooling
March 20, 2023
Mostly cloudy, becoming mostly clear by this evening. Calm winds through much of the day. Light winds out of the north this evening. I watched the gulls from the ramp … Read more
Herring Cove to Beaver Lake
March 20, 2022
Overcast and breezy, occasional light rain mixing with snow in places. Today’s main outing was a hike up Herring Cove and around Beaver Lake loop. I had been told of … Read more
Equinox Snow
March 20, 2021
Snow bridged the astronomical transition from winter to spring. It was snowing when I went down to bed last night near midnight, and a couple of inches had accumulated by … Read more
Spring Equinox Herring Weather
March 20, 2018
Tuesdays are one of my busier days, and this spring equinox was no exception. It was interesting to watch the volatile conditions (aka Herring Weather) outside as I participated on … Read more
Sitka Nature Show #102 – Alan Pope
March 20, 2016
Download Radio Show The 20th of March show featured a conversation with Alan Pope. He was in town as part of the Sitka Sound Science center’s Scientist in Residence fellowship. … Read more
First Day of Spring
March 20, 2015
July 2010 Sunset from Hillcrest Drive The forecast today was not particularly inspiring (100% chance of rain), and I had some work to do, so I didn’t pay too much … Read more
Who knew limpet teeth were some of the strongest t…
March 20, 2015
Who knew limpet teeth were some of the strongest things around? wanderinweeta.blogspot.com/2015/03/they-c…
Cumulus Clouds and Gavan Trees
March 20, 2014
Another day of active cloud formation over the mountains. They were not really moving fast enough for me to observe directly, but I suspect there was more motion than I … Read more
First Day of Spring
March 20, 2013
Although it’s officially the first day of spring and despite much of the last couple of months having above freezing temperatures, we received some snow and temperatures down into the … Read more
Nesting Raven
March 20, 2012
I was interested to see a raven gathering small twigs from a neighbor’s spruce tree today. This evening I was struck by the texture on a quarried hunk of Sitka … Read more
20 March Photo: Indian River
March 20, 2008
Snowshoeing in Indian River Valley
March 20, 2007
Fellow natural history enthusiast Kitty LaBounty wanted to make a trip up the West Fork of Indian River to look for mosses over spring break. I thought that sounded like … Read more
20 March Photos: Snowshoeing in Indian River Valley
March 20, 2007
Photos taken while snowshoeing up Indian River Valley.
Daily Observations
March 20, 2007
Today seemed very fitting for a last day of winter in many respects. Snow had fallen overnight and there were snow showers with clear and chilly breaks between. I spent … Read more
Neighborhood Deer
March 20, 2006
This evening the neighbors knocked on our door to let us know there was a deer out in the driveway. I got my camera to try taking a picture, but … 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)
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- Birds
- Mammals
- Vascular Plants
- Bryophytes
- Lichens (incomplete)
- 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.
THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION TO COME HOME SOON! CLASS OF ’94 KARI NILES (BLANKENSHIP)
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
Up In Pelican…Have had a Short-eared Owl around, and a small flock of
Lapland Longspurs. Don’t see them often !
Thanks for the report from Pelican – nice to hear what’s going on in some of the less populated areas of the region!
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
Mads – check out Southeast Alaska Natural History Wiki – there are other sources that have a bit more depth for some things, but that’s probably the best single source for what you’re looking for.
Thanks for all your hard work on this site. I have you in my RSS feed and read every post!
Thanks Rab – I appreciate your interest and encouragement!
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.