Highlights of Recent Photo Uploads
Photojournal
Recent Updates (includes older recently published or updated entries – go to the Photojournal page for only recent entries):
Low Tide at Sage Beach and John Brown’s Beach
Food Web Cruise
Return to Picnic Rock
Herring Season and Record Warmth
Food Web Cruise
18 March Photos: Whalefest Fundraising Cruise
Radio Show/Podcast
Sitka Nature Show #337 – Zach LaPerriere
Sitka Nature Show #336 – Alice and Chuck Johnstone (encore)
Sitka Nature Show #335 – Adam Haberski (encore)
Sitka Nature Show #334 – Mary Goddard
Explore the Archive
Today in Sitka Nature History:
Spring Moths and Spawning Herring
April 3, 2023
Mostly sunny skies until this evening when clouds began to move over from the west. Freezing temperatures overnight warmed into the 40s, melting what little snow fell late last night. … Read more
April Sun, Showers, and Rainbows
April 3, 2022
Windy and rainy through the first part of the day. Around mid afternoon it shifted to more of a showery regime, with brief sunny breaks between the mix of rain, … Read more
Verstovia Snow Pack
April 3, 2021
The sun was out for a bit this morning and again this evening, but the middle of the day was cloudy with some light rain and snow. (The forecast for … Read more
April Flower
April 3, 2018
So far this year, I’ve not been inspired to get up especially early. As the daylight has increased, each day the sun is higher by the time I manage to … Read more
Channel Gulls and Yard Plants
April 3, 2017
A colorful mix of bryophytes colonized soil below a tree I planted last year Gulls continued in good numbers in the channel. I made a trip to look for anything … Read more
Sitka Nature Show #103 – Kathy Hocker
April 3, 2016
Download Radio Show The 3rd of April show featured a conversation with Kathy Hocker, an artist whose works include scientific illustration. She was in town to work with students Keet … Read more
Evening Walk to Totem Park
April 3, 2015
The sun was out for much of today, though this evening for a while it became mostly cloudy before breaking up enough for there to be some nice color in … Read more
White Trees in the Forest
April 3, 2014
While taking a break in a spot of sun along Indian River trail recently, I was struck by how white the lichen-covered bark of a riparian stand of red alder … Read more
Sit Spot Challenge Day 3
April 3, 2011
See Sit Spot Challenge at Kamana.org for more about the challenge. Time of sit: 9:15-9:35pm I didn’t get to sit until later this evening and once again sat on the … Read more
Gallery: 20100403 Immature Gull
April 3, 2010
Daily Observations
April 3, 2007
A friend and I made a morning trip to Starrigavan with the hope of seeing Snow Buntings. Upon returning to campus, the Herring were spawning on Sage Beach, so I … Read more
3 April: Herring Time
April 3, 2007
The herring spawned on Sage Beach this morning. This afternoon I went with the photography class out on the boat toward where the herring fishery was taking place.
Daily Observations
April 3, 2006
Weather: It was partly cloudy this morning when I woke up. When I left the house a little before 8am, it looked like there was an overcast off shore that … 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)
-
- 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.