Highlights of Recent Photo Uploads
Photojournal
Recent Updates (includes older previously unpublished entries – go to the Photojournal page for only recent entries):
Equinox Outing
Herring Cove Creek and Sunset Clouds
Returning Gulls
Snow Returns
March Birds
Swan Lake Birds and Lichens
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:
Waterfowl at the Edge of the Ice
March 22, 2023
Overcast with occasional light rain. Temperatures in the 40s and breezy. I went out for a bit this afternoon. There were still plenty of gulls in the channel, but not … Read more
Rainbow Views Working on Collections
March 22, 2022
Mostly cloudy with heavy rain and hail (or graupel) at times. Brief sun breaks between showers. Gusty winds. It felt unexpectedly warm when I stepped out last evening. I checked … Read more
Gulls and Scaups
March 22, 2021
Overcast and warm enough (with enough rain) to melt the snow in the yard. Clouds did thin enough a couple of times that, given the lack of sunshine so far this year, I might be inclined to say they were sunny breaks (but friends from elsewhere would roll their eyes at that, for sure).
Early Spring Winter Wind
March 22, 2020
The first couple of full days of spring were overcast with occasional rain, and I didn’t really get out much. It wasn’t hard to heed the guidelines to self-isolate, as … Read more
Sunny Sunday
March 22, 2015
It dawned with clear skies this morning. The lack of clouds overnight led to a decent amount of frost, although I don’t think the official temperature dropped below freezing. Once … Read more
Food Web Cruise
March 22, 2014
Today was the annual WhaleFest fundraiser food web cruise. I’m not sure how long it’s been an annual fundraiser, but I’ve been invited to talk about birds for the past … Read more
22 March Photos: Swan Lake Birds
March 22, 2007
Daily Observations
March 22, 2007
I didn’t get out at all on Wednesday, but today I did manage to go for a walk to Swan Lake and make some observations around the house. Weather: The … Read more
Winter and Spring
March 22, 2006
With warm weather like we have been having the last couple of days, it’s easy to forget that it was less than a week ago that we were experiencing record … Read more
Observations
March 22, 2006
It was mostly overcast throughout the day, but the sun started poking out in the late afternoon. Temperatures were in the 40s throughout the day, though it is now down … Read more
Little Things
March 22, 2006
Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia sp.) I find this a good time of year to go out and take a look at the little things. The light is coming back and … Read more
Herring Opening
March 22, 2003
This afternoon I spent some time watching the buildup and start of the herring opening. Initially boats seemed to be fairly evenly distributed from Crescent harbor down to the mouth … Read more
Herring Opening
March 22, 2003
Just heard on the radio that there will be an opening this afternoon. Fishing is expected to take place between Eastern Channel and Japonski island in Crescent Bay and along … Read more
Herring Season
March 22, 2003
The herring fleet has been on two hour notice for the last couple of days. The herring sac roe fishery is often not more than a couple of hours. From … 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.