January 1st
The Trees of the Forest
January 1, 2006
(Larger Version) Baranof Island is covered in temperate rainforest. What parts of Sitka that are not bounded by the sea are typically surrounded by forest slopes of the mountains of Baranof Island. The mature forest consists of Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, and Yellow Cedar, with Mountain Hemlock becoming dominant at higher elevations. The photo shows
Daily Observations: Eliason Harbor
January 1, 2007
The first of the year brought stormy weather, but I braved the winds and rain to see what birds might be about. I visited Swan Lake and New Thompson Harbor. The harbor was taking a bit of a beating from the wind blown waves that built up in the channel. I could hear the wind
Fresh Ice on Swan Lake
January 1, 2010
I was able to get on Swan Lake and check out some small features on/in the ice before they disappeared.
Wind, Rain, and Birds
January 1, 2012
Today was the Christmas Bird Count for Sitka. Unfortunately there were strong winds and heavy rain for most of the day. Despite this I managed to walk over 10 miles and tallied over 30 species of birds. I’ve had a bit of computer trouble this evening, or I would offer a better summary of my
Immature Northern Goshawk @hpr rec spotted when sh…
January 1, 2014
Immature Northern Goshawk @HPR rec spotted when shorebirds flushed-a nice bird for first day of Christmas bird count week. #birdlanguage
Checked out Starrigavan on 12.64 tide. Highest of…
January 1, 2014
Checked out Starrigavan on 12.64 tide. Highest of the year so far! (also one of the highest there will be all year) http://t.co/16GIL6PVHU
Highest Tide of the Year (so far)
January 1, 2014
With a predicted 12.5+ tide, I thought it would be interesting to check out Starrigavan and see if any voles were scrambling for high ground around the estuary (and perhaps attracting predators that might be interesting to observer). No luck on that, but it was fun to see the water level right up over the
Highest Tide of 2014
January 1, 2015
A line of grass fibers mashed into the gravel road marks the high point of the year’s highest tide A year ago today I
New Year’s Day CBC
January 1, 2017
2017 got off to a clear start here in Sitka. I got up relatively early to go count birds for the annual Christmas Bird Count. This year I was participated by counting birds on the water (via boat with Kitty L.) and one of the residential islands near town. Although it was an excellent day
New Year’s Day Birds
January 1, 2018
Weather conditions were not great (pretty dismal, in fact), but I decided to spend some time out looking for birds despite the dim midday light. The start of a new year means the start of a new year list. After last year’s big year push, I think I will take it much easier this year,
First Day Sunset
January 1, 2019
With heavy clouds, bringing dim light and rain, the first day of 2019 did not inspire me to get outside, and I spent a good chunk of the day working on things inside. Among other things, I finished up getting all of my relevant 2018 photos into iNaturalist observations. I ended 2018 with 2770 observations
New Year Outings
January 1, 2020
Temperatures dropped overnight, and the snow was down to only hundred feet or so on the mountains. Temperatures dropped a bit more and snow came down to sea level by late morning. My dad had wanted to see the marble, and take a small chunk or two to try cutting and polishing. As he and
Sitka Nature Show #279 – Paul and Brooke
January 1, 2023
Download Radio Show The January 1st show featured a conversation with Brooke Schafer and Paul Norwood. We spoke about their explorations and adventures in the southern part of Southeast Alaska during 2022. Later in the conversation we also talked about iNaturalist our on-going progress observing species, and some of our ambitions for the future. If
Blustery New Year, Old Year Precipitation Wrapup
January 1, 2023
Windy and rainy. Temperatures in the lower 40s. Not for the first (nor second) time I headed out into gusting winds and rain on the first of the year. This time I covered more ground and stayed drier (by mostly sticking to my car). Heavy clouds made for dim light, so I didn’t take many
Clear Start to 2025
January 1, 2025
Mostly clear. Light to moderate outflow winds, depending on location. Temperatures mostly in the upper 30s (at least where the sun was shining). I was already in bed last night when Connor texted me to let me know the northern lights were out. I stepped out on the porch and could see them, but decided