Mostly sunny with tempreatures in the 30s. Light winds.
I visited Sawmill Cove late this morning. A boat was loading up crab pots. I guess the fishery must be starting soon. There was room for me to park out of their way.
During the time I watched, I saw several species scattered around the cove, though nothing came especially close. I did get good enough looks at a Thick-billed Murre.
I was somewhat surprised to see a fair amount of ice on Jamestown Bay. There was probably a bit less when I stopped to take pictures on my way back in. It wasn’t especially cold last night, but I’ve previously noticed when winds are calm, ice can form on the ocean even when official temperatures are in the upper 20s.
With the sun shining, I stood out by my hummingbird feeder in hopes of getting pictures of the Anna’s Hummingbird with good light. It did show up once while I watched, but didn’t flash its gorget, and did not stay for long.
I ended up taking pictures of other birds while I waited for the hummingbird. Redpolls and siskins were active in my yard. A Pine Siskin took over the hanging feeder and aggressively chased off other birds that tried to use it. A chickadee got around the aggressor by picking at seeds from underneath.
After taking care of an errand, I went for a walk around Totem Park. I hoped the Killdeer, Eurasian Wigeon, or Gadwall might be around, but didn’t find any of them.
I did notice Orthotrichum pulchellum growing on devil’s club where the narrow side trail goes along the estuary. Once I noticed it there, I saw it growing abundantly on other small-ish diameter shrubs as well. I had previously only noticed it on elderberry. The epiphytes seemed particularly lush, perhaps due to fertilization from eagles perching in the trees above during salmon season.
Late this afternoon I got up to discourage starlings from discovering/using the suet feeder. While up, I noticed a pale redpoll. I’m not sure Hoary Redpoll will be countable a separate species for much longer [Update: later in the year, redpolls were lumped into a single species], nor am I sure whether this bird would be accepted as one even if we do consider Hoary Redpoll as a separate species. However, I think this bird was as close to Hoary Redpoll as any I’ve noticed here in Sitka.
My iNaturalist Observations for Today
