Bear Mountain from Indian River Mouth

Connor refound the dark-mantled gull this morning and was able to get better photos of it. With those photos it was possible to confirm that it was a Slaty-backed Gull, rather than a Western Gull. Both are unusual for Sitka, but Slaty-backed Gulls have been nearly annually over the past few years, while Western Gulls … Read more

WhaleFest Cruise

It was fortunate that the winds were mild enough this morning that the annual Food Web fundraising cruise was still a go. Drizzle and cool breezes were not enough to put a damper on the excitement of the folks who went along and were able to witness a small group of Humpback Whales bubblenet feeding … Read more

Spring Continues

Picture from yesterday along Halibut Point Road Yesterday it was quite nice out. I did not have a lot of time to get out and about, but my kids and I went back out to Halibut Point Rec to see if the large flock of birds was still there. We were a little surprised to … Read more

Diving Ducks

Herring season continues, though the activity has primarily been away from town. I heard there would be an opening this afternoon which might be at least partly visible from town. As it turned out, the opening was only barely visible and was not considered a success. While driving out to check and see what we … Read more

Wood Duck

Spring-like conditions continued today, though it was not as sunny as yesterday. Overcast skies this morning did break up enough to let the sun shine through. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my skin while out checking on plants growing in containers. This morning on my way home from class, I took a … Read more

Sitka Nature Show #102 – Alan Pope

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. We discussed some of his work on glaciers and the use of remote sensing to monitor changes in snow and ice cover around the planet. … Read more