Highlights of Recent Photo Uploads
Photojournal
Recent Updates (includes older recently published or updated entries – go to the Photojournal page for only recent entries):
Fall-like June Weather
Drizzly Morning Walk
Gulls and Tern at Totem Park
Collection Work and Afternoon Walk
Early Season on Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain Hike
Radio Show/Podcast
Sitka Nature Show #339 – Laura Kaltenstein
Sitka Nature Show #338 – Andy Szabo and Lauren Eckert
Sitka Nature Show #337 – Zach LaPerriere
Sitka Nature Show #336 – Alice and Chuck Johnstone (encore)
Explore the Archive
Today in Sitka Nature History:
Moths and More
June 21, 2021
Another overcast day, though the rain mostly held off. Tomorrow is forecast to have even less chance of rain than today, but Wednesday, Thursday, and into Friday is looking more … Read more
Sitka Nature Show #213 – Joseph Cook (encore)
June 21, 2020
Download Radio Show The June 21st show featured a conversation with Joseph Cook originally recorded and aired in October 2013. Co-author of Recent Mammals of Alaska, Dr. Cook is a … Read more
Locating the Golden Eagle Nest
June 21, 2018
Late last week, Eric and Cathy Parker reported seeing a raptor and hearing calls that were probably a Golden Eagle. Yesterday Chuck Susie found a nest on the cliffs above … Read more
Moth Captures
June 21, 2014
Weather-wise, things seemed much nicer than forecast, at least in the morning, though I didn’t spend a lot of time out in it. I decided to take care of several … Read more
Rainbow over Cross Mountain
June 21, 2014
While up at the Kimsham ball fields, I saw an intense rainbow over Cross Mountain. I took a break from playing frisbee and grabbed my camera to take some pictures. … Read more
Red Bluff Bay, Final Day
June 21, 2010
On our last full day in Red Bluff Bay, three of us paddled over to hike up to Deep Lake. Adam went up to near the top of the hill … Read more
Daily Observations
June 21, 2007
Today we went for a walk along Westwood Trail and into the park. Weather: It’s been partly to mostly cloudy with minimal rain and temperatures that are comfortable, but not … Read more
21 June Photos: Totem Park
June 21, 2007
Recent Observations
June 21, 2006
I have been trying to get things organized around the house lately, so have spent little time outside. I was able to get out on an Allen Marine tour Tuesday … Read more
Indian River Valley Hike
June 21, 2003
I had noticed a clearing in Indian River Valley from the top of Gavan Hill last time I was up there. The clearing looked much greener than the muskegs I … 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.