On a Lifelong Journey to Learn my Place
Ancient Murrelets are considered fairly common in Southeast Alaska, except in winter, when they are considered uncommon. However, it seems they are not actually very common through much of the region, as no local checklist currently lists them as more abundant than uncommon (Glacier Bay), and all the checklists from inside waters have their occurrence … Read more
Marbled Murrelets are one of the most common birds on the water here in Southeast Alaska. They are common enough that despite paying little attention to birds when I was young, I still was aware of them (though I never bothered to learn their names at the time). Sometimes I see them skipping across the … Read more
Sometimes the black line of black band lichen (Verrucaria maura) is described as a bathtub ring when rocky shores are viewed from a distance. A trip to John Brown’s Beach this past spring was the first time I had noticed such a narrow distinct band around the edge of a pool in the rocks. The … Read more
My second post in the series about singing birds around Sitka is on the sparrows. (previously I wrote about Thrushes). There are only four commonly breeding sparrows known from the Sitka area. There are some additional species that migrate through and may be heard singing during a brief window of time in spring, but I’ll … Read more
A Swainson’s Thrush started singing in the yard recently. I first heard it last night, and it stopped by again this afternoon and at dusk Clouds and rain gave way to partly cloudy skies by late morning. After taking care of some moths from overnight, I spent a bit of time working on pictures, and … Read more
In the first week of June this year, the snow level dropped down to around 3000 feet one night. Until the heavy low overcast started breaking up in the evening, it was difficult to see the snow on the mountains, but it’s possible to see remnants of it on the upper slopes of Bear Mountain. … Read more