A low level marine layer moved in overnight and slowly lifted through the morning, before burning off completely late in the morning. Clear skies through the afternoon and into the evening, though smoke haze was apparent. The official high reached 70F again.

The main street downtown is blocked off on days that cruise ships are bringing a potentional of 5000 or more visitors to Sitka

Yesterday’s official high of 73F tied the record for the date (originally set in 1994 – I would have been in Sitka at the time, but I have no idea what I was doing that day).

After getting my radio show done this morning as the marine layer was breaking up, I went to the park to check for moths.

Today had enough tourists for Lincoln Street to be closed. There were plenty of people at the park as well. I didn’t stay long.

The Gray Catbird nest was quiet when I stopped by, but the adults are still around. I’m beginning to wonder if the young haven’t survived, but if so, I don’t know why the parents would still be hanging around the nest.

This afternoon I headed out for what I thought would be a relatively short outing.

It’s been over 10 years since I last visited the cliffs at the base of Verstovia a little ways up Indian River valley. Until today, I had never visited them in the summer (a fact I hadn’t really thought about previously).

I crossed the river not far up the trail. With the dry month we’ve had, water levels were low and the crossing was easy.

The synthetic materials used to bind things together last much longer than the wood. Alder in particular is not at all rot resistent. Much of the structural supports were alder. I was interested to see the peeled alder bark (I believe used as part of the roofing, but perhaps also for walls) has held up as well or better than the poles.

I found a collapsed shelter. I was impressed by the bark work that had been done for the roof (though I don’t know how effective it was in practice).

It appears at least one bear was compelled to chew on this section of log. I'm curious if there was more than one, and how long it was worked at (i.e., did one bear sit there and chew for an extended period, or did one or more bears visit multiple times with just a bit of gnawing each time?)

Walking through a muskeg I hadn’t visited in years, I noticed signs of recent bear activities. Given how close it is, it might be a convenient location to place a trail cam?

Fresh blazes made to mark boundaries of national forest land

It looked like earlier this summer a Forest Service crew went through doing boundary work. Multiple trees were blazed, and one dead one near a blazed tree was cut down. It looked like bears had been chewing on one of the sections of the cut tree.

A Cedar Waxwing that flew up to a tree was a bit surprising to me. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one away from development. [Update: on a subsequent visit to Beaver Lake, I remembered I had seen them up there earlier this year]

If I wasn't already sure that I was on a bear trail, the foot prints confirmed it

I followed a bear trail out. In hindsight it was not the best route as I ended up spending more time in scrubby forest than I would have liked. Even so the trail wasn’t difficult to follow. What finally put me off of it was the sounds of a large animal moving through the bushes not far away. The vegetation was thick enough that I couldn’t see what it might be. From the sounds of it a deer or bear.

I noticed some of the shrubs appeared to be pushed over. I think it was done by bear or human. It seemed like a lot of effort for humans, but perhaps the surveyors had to thrash around a bit in places. I'm not sure why a bear might have done it, but I wouldn't put it past them

I took that as motivation to cut more directly up to larger forest where I could see better.

I missed the spruce grove. It was probably lower down the valley (but I think not too far).

I remembered that on previous trip(s?) I had missed the cliffs, when I passed below them and didn’t notice them above.

Had I not been favoring further up the slope and really trying to make sure I didn’t miss them, it would have been easy to miss them again today. There was much more obscuring vegetation than on previous visits (which had always been in the winter or very early spring).

On this trip I visited more of the cliff band than I think I have previously.

I was curious about where my brother and I had previously tried picking our way up through the cliffs. I remembered a ledge we had gone around on, but couldn’t quite remember how we got to the ledge. (It’s been nearly 20 years, plenty of time to have memory fade. Plus we were there in icy conditions – so things looked different.)

Not so obvious among the ferns, but there is a deer trail going along at the base of this cliff

A deer trail that kept quite close to the base of the cliff was not something I expected. In parts there is probably good eating, so I imagine that’s part of the reason they go there.

I poked around especially looking at bryophytes growing under the abundant maidenhair ferns.

Ptychostomum pseudotriquetrum, a new moss for me

I took pictures of many things, some I recognized, others I think will be new for me.

Rhizomnium magnifoliumm

Rhizomnium magnifolium was especially lush in places.

I found some Fissidens, will try to determine if it’s the usual species (Fissidens adianthoides), or one of the other ones.

As it was starting to get late, and I had made a pass by most everything I was comfortable getting to, I started back.

I followed a trail back down. It took me by the resistant volcanic ash water feature I’ve previously seen.

I visited a clearing I don’t have memories of being in before. I’m pretty sure I specifically made an effort to visit each of the clearings, so I think my memory of it just faded.

A reasonably nice bear trail took me to the river, where I crossed and hopped back on Indian River trail.

Back at the car, I curious about the sun. Though sunset was yet to come, I wasn’t seeing shadows.

Chain link and barbed wire to keep people out of the airport tarmac

A layer of smoke made it easier to see some of the sun spots facing our way

I considered stopping at the bridge to take pictures, but there was not much foreground of interest in the direction of the sun. Sea Mart was my next thought. (In hindsight I probably should have just skipped the airport and gone to Sea Mart to start with.)

Later this evening the moon was yellow and Not very high in the sky. It should more or less follow a path the sun takes in winter near solstice, but it seems like the sun is usually a bit higher. I will have to try and remember to check if the weather cooperates next December/January.

I didn’t do a great job of labeling collections in the field, so it might be a challenge to associate them with photos/observations. I didn’t have time to work on them this evening, so will try to set aside some time tomorrow while memories are still relatively fresh.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Heavy clouds and frequent rain. Winds seemed diminished from yesterday.

I ended up having a full day, with little outside time. This morning I finished up gathering the information I needed to get my taxes taken care of. My timing at the tax accountant was not great, as I had to wait the better part of two hours (for all but the last few minutes of that, no one else showed up that would have been in front of me if I had come later).

I made a brief stop by Swan Lake and saw a Northern Pintail (reported earlier by DK) at the far upper end. It’s the first of those I’ve seen this year, my 84th of the year. I’m a couple species ahead of the pace for birds compared to the past couple of years. I also got my first decent look at (and photo of) a Savannah Sparrow for the year.

I did go out again later in the afternoon. The channel was much quieter (I had seen many gulls there on a brief stop before going to the tax office).

Most of the ducks seemed to have left Swan Lake, and I didn’t see the pintail.

I checked the mouth of Indian River in case it might have flown to the park. It’s possible that it did, but I didn’t see it right at the river mouth.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Cloudy with periods of rain. Breezy and cool. Snow level down to around 2000 feet.

Connor flew south on the early flight. I headed out late this morning with the intention of going to get the car. Fortunately he parked in 7 day parking, since I was downtown before I realized I had not brought the spare key with me.

When I had started out the rain was light, but it had gotten heavier. That and the blowing wind diminished my motivation for going back home and then heading out again.

Instead I checked on prices of note cards at a couple shops downtown. I will probably get some printed, and it looks like I should aim for a retail price around $4-$6 depending on size and quality.

I got a report of an odd looking scaup. My first impression of the photos was Greater Scaup. However, its bill was oddly pale behind the tip, more like a Ring-necked Duck.

This scaup has a paler than typical beak behind the dark nail at the tip

Conditions weren’t great, but I spent some time hunkered under a tree at the lake trying to get some photos. I’m pretty sure the bird is a Greater Scaup. In reviewing photos, I’ve seen others that have a similar pale (though not quite as pronounced). This bird is nearing completion of molt into adult plumage, and I think that is also contributing to its slightly off look. The shape and size seemed consistent with Greater Scaup. It didn’t stand out to me from the others that were there. I would expect a hybrid to have at least some difference in head shape and size, given how much different a Ring-necked Duck is.

Althoug the bill of the bird in front has more pale on it and it is not finished molting into adult plumage, it has a similar size and shape to the more typical scaup on the right

I returned this evening when the clouds had thinned and the rain let up and got slightly better photos.

The Hooded Merganser was on the lake, as was the Pied-billed Grebe. The latter is showing the dark bar on its beak now.

I spent part of the day trying to work out where to get note cards printed. I may try a couple different places and see about quality and service. Pricing varies significantly, and it looks like shipping charges might as well. It would be easy to dither on a decision, but it’s probably best to just get some printed in small volumes, see what I learn, then do larger volumes with that in mind.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Overcast with some rain.

I went out this afternoon with the thought that I might walk the Starrigavan ATV trail and hope for a grouse to call.

When I got out that way and found a steady rain falling, I decided I was not that ambitious.

It looked like at least some herring spawn was taking place from near Sea Mart out as far as Kerr’s Island. I couldn’t really tell how much of it was active spawning versus remnants of earlier spawning still coloring the water.

I looked at the channel, where it was mostly quiet. A few Long-tailed Ducks and mergansers were on the water. Perhaps a few dozen gulls total.

I got a report of a Ring-necked Duck on Swan Lake earlier in the day. I checked from my car when I was headed out, but didn’t spot it. On my way back, I got out and looked from the peninsula. I saw both Greater and at least one Lesser Scaup, but still didn’t find a Ring-necked Duck. This is one of the few winters I remember where I didn’t see any. I would expect some will show up on the lake this spring, and if not, then in the fall.

I made a brief stop to check moths at the park. I didn’t see as many of the Malacodea pulchraria moths as yesterday, but there were still a few.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

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.

I woke early this morning and heard a robin singing loudly outside. It’s the first I’ve heard in full song. I promptly went back to sleep.

I decided to head out during my call this morning. I drove out Halibut Point Road to see if herring might be spawning. I did not notice any areas of active spawn as far out as Kerr’s Island.

Malacodea pulchraria has an early and short flight season. They are variable in shade, with this one being on the paler and more contrasting side

After the call, I went for a walk around Totem Park. Several spring moths (Malacodea pulchraria) were on the walls at the visitor center.

Spring can seem slow in the weeks after equinox. Slowly but surely plants are pushing forward

I checked the spot where fern-leaved goldthread grows. I didn’t see any flowers blooming. I didn’t notice any blueberry flowers out either.

This evening I drove out the road again.

The lighting was not the best, but I could see cloudy water indicating spawning inside of Kerr’s Island. I went down to the shore and was able see a few herring in the shallows.

I’m not sure how consistent it is, but it seems like I’ve typically observed herring actively spawning on a falling tide. They start before it’s fully out, and it’s hard to say how long they continue.

I had set out with the idea of stopping by the tidepools at Little Magic Island. When I arrived there, I saw herring had also been spawning. The tidepools were cloudy and had bubbles on the surface, so I didn’t try and look into them.

Herring spawning activity turned the waters green

The herring spawn was happening from at least Little Magic Island to Magic Island. I’m not sure how much of the shoreline from there to Kerr’s Island was seeing spawn happening.

Spring song bird migrants have started showing up. A Savannah Sparrow was reported at Swan Lake today. Also I think robins are arriving from south. It’s hard to be 100% we’re not seeing robins that overwintered, but the behavior of newly arriving birds strikes me as different than the overwintering ones. The new arrivals are often out in open areas by themselves at first. In the coming days and weeks we’ll see more of them, though not really behaving as a group.

This afternoon I caught up on the last of my observations from January through March. I also published the last photojournal for that time period. It’s the first time since I started doing iNaturalist that I’ve kept up this long. It’s also the first time in a long time that I’ve kept up with publishing photo journals this far into the year without at least some gap.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Frosty overnight, with occasional periods of rain sometimes mixing with snow during the day.

I met up with Kitty around midday and we drove out to Starrigavan to take a walk along Katlian Road. I saw a report (either last fall or earlier this year) that the crews working to construct the road from each end had met, though there was still much work to be done. There are still signs posting the road is closed, but I regularly see people walking it on the weekends. The first mile or so appears to be basically completed, so I suspect they don’t mind people walking there, especially when they’re not working.

The only other time I’ve walked out that way was in January 2022. This time we went as far as last year. At that time the worked appeared to be stalled out at a steep section (though I apparently didn’t take any pictures).

Last year this was a blasted rock face. The original line for the road went along the left edge of the frame, much lower than they've cut the current road. Presumably due to steepness of the slope and/or rock that wouldn't hold up, they've found it necessary to push higher

It looked like they may have opted to go up and over that part. Based on what’s there now, it would be a steep, narrow section with quite a drop off. Perhaps they’re planning to blast it down a bit so it doesn’t go up quite so far. They may also widen it.

While we were on the north side of the ridge, we regularly heard and saw falling rocks (mostly small ones) from the uphill side of the road. I think it was due to the overnight freeze causing some expansion with temperatures finally warming enough to melt the ice while we were there.

After I got some lunch at Beak, the next stop was Cascade Creek.

I wanted to revisit the Macrodiplophyllum flaccidum. This time I found a couple other patches of it on the same rock. I didn’t look any further.

The channel only had a few gulls, and none that looked unusual.

I’m almost caught up getting my January-March 2023 observations into iNaturalist. I’ve also done well getting photojournals published. On the other hand, I’ve neglected finishing up getting my observations from 2022 into iNaturalist.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

View of Sitka Sound from near the 5th tee on the Sea Mountain Golf Course. I am often struck by the gray to blue transition of the water (due to whether it's reflecting blue sky or clouds)

Mostly cloudy with a little rain. Clearing near sunset, with low clouds beginning to form late (after dark).

Total precipitation in March was almost 3 inches below normal (3.06 inches vs. a long-term mean of 5.91 inches). This year’s precipitation is about half what we had at this time last year. (Last year was exceptionally wet in January and February.)

The channel had very few gulls. I suspect they’re out where the herring are spawning.

I drove out to Starrigavan this evening to see if there might be spawning happening along the road system. I didn’t see any.

While out that way I walked around the golf course. It was quiet bird-wise there. I imagine it will pick up with migrants soon.

I was slightly surprised to see this buck rub right along the path up to the 5th hole tee

While driving Swan Lake, I noticed fish surfacing. I think they were going after chironomid midges that have hatched in number in recent days.

Taken at twilight, this is a focus stack of two long exposures (one for foreground focus, the other for the waterfall)

As light was fading this evening I drove out to Herring Cove. I wanted to experiment with light sculpting/painting. It’s a technique of photography where photos are are taken in the dark, and artificial light is used to illuminate parts of the scene. The particular technique I tried involved illuminating different parts of the scene separately, then combining the images into one later.

One of 30+ images that went into a composite - this one with the light illuminating the waterfall

Though the final result was interesting, and quite different from a straight long exposure, I wasn’t excited by the results I got. However, I was primarily wanting to experiment, and I did learn something from the experience, so I considered it a success. I’ll probably try it again in the future.

This is a composite of 30+ photos. Each was a 30 second exposure taken in the dark with a patch of the scene illuminated by a light I was holding

I may also try doing a different mix of the composite. In this one I largely took all the light and made it as even as I could. I may find something more compelling by leaving more of the scene darker.

By the time I was finishing up, a nearly full moon had come around enough to clear the mountain and shine down. I left my camera going for a 11+ minute exposure while I walked up the trail to the split rock and back. It’s always a little surprising to me how much long exposures by moonlight can look like they were taken in daylight.

Lit only by the moon, this scene was captured with a 695 second (11+ minute) exposure at ISO 800, with the exposure further boosted 1.7 stops

I stopped to take photos of Silver Bay on my return. Low clouds were beginning to form around the mountains. Perhaps a precursor to the “areas of fog” mentioned in the forecast.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

The needles turning orange are a sign of infection. This is probably caused by Dothistroma septosporum

Overcast with rain later in the day.

I didn’t get out much. This morning I had a call, and this afternoon I worked to figure out what I needed to fulfill a request for a larger print than I’ve been typically making.

By the time I was ready to go, I didn’t have much time before I needed to meet with some visiting whale biologists to record a conversation.

I stopped to return a book I had borrowed from K. Hanson. He was in the process of harvesting the last of his carrots. He said he got about 80 pounds from his one bed (which looked like it might have been 8’x12′ or so).

The conversation went well, but by the time I made it out of the station, light had started to fade.

I stopped by the channel. Common Mergansers had gathered up in some numbers, but there were few gulls. I had seen more earlier on my way to the station, but only scanned the briefly.

I went by Baranof Street to check the pines. On a closer look, especially checking the older needles, I saw there were fruiting bodies of a fungus.

The older, now dead, needles show more of the black fruiting boadies of the fungual pathogen

I looked at the forest service webpage featuring common forest insects and diseases in Alaska. From there I followed the link to the information about Dothistroma needle blight, which I think is causing the discolored needles.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

I saw a few dead shoots of Hookeria lucens. I thought they might have parasitized, but didn't find anything conclusive. Perhaps a closer look with a microscope will reveal something

Overcast, with light rain in the afternoon. Light winds.

When I checked the radar late this morning and saw rain moving closer from the south, I decided to put off lunch and get out before the rain arrived.

I stopped at Sandy Beach and accidentally locked myself out of my car. Fortunately Connor was about to take his lunch, so he was able to bring the spare key to unlock the doors.

In the meantime I walked on the beach for a bit.

Gull activity had caught my attention. It appeerad they were finding food on the shoreline, but it wasn’t obvious what. As best I could tell they were picking things off the surface. However, it was not something with much bulk.

When I got down to the water and looked, I could see what looked like the gurry stuff that sometimes comes ashore in the channel. Unless the currents were extra strong, that seemed unlikely. I wonder if there had been a test set earlier and what they were finding remains from that.

The channel had some gulls, but none unusual.

I revisited the Metzgeria I had photographed yesterday. Looking closer today, I’m pretty sure it is infected by a fungus. I’ll probably need to take some photos through a microscope to have any hope of an ID.

After spending much time at Moller Park earlier in the winter, the crane seems to have shifted to hanging out on a few different lawns along the margin of Swan Lake

The Sandhill Crane was in a yard next to Swan Lake.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Clear with temperatures in the 40s. Breezy (in the afternoon, at least).

The Gavan Hill ibuttons were due for servicing, so I walked up there late this afternoon.

When I headed out, I noticed the breeze felt chilly. Once I was on the trail the breeze was no longer so apparent.

Many of the shore pines in the muskeg near the start of the Baranof Street connector did not look very happy. Several have died not far off the trail, in the direction of the cemetery but that’s been going on previously.

Many of the shore pinees in this muskeg had needles turning orange due to a needle blight

What stuck out to me today was how many of the trees had many (or all) of their needles turning orange. It was not just the ones near the trail, but also others further back in the muskeg. I wonder if there is a disease affecting them.

I stopped to check out liverworts on a couple of cedar trees near the low point between Pherson Street connector and the Cross Trail intersection.

I noticed a thallose liverwort that at first made me think Pellia. I’ve never seen that growing up on a cedar tree, so I took a closer look. The lobes were too narrow, and looked different in other ways as well. I now suspect it’s Aneura pinguis, but I’m not sure.

I took pictures of Metzgeria conjugata even though it looked a bit battered. I assumed it was due to recent freezing and the winter season. Upon reviewing my photos, I noticed black bits associated with the bleached out parts. Now I think what I had attributed to seasonal wear and tear is probably due to a fungal infection. I’ll need to go back and make a collection. There are some folks who do bryophilous fungi, so I might even be able to get a name on it, if that’s what it is.

I only noticed the black stuff on the liverwort when I reviewed the photos at home. I think it is a bryophilous fungus

Pale patches lit up by the sun on an alder along the cross trail puzzled me until I got close enough to see they were patches of Scytinotus longinquus that had been infected a mold-like fungus (maybe a Hypomyces) that had covered them in cottony white.

I let the sun on a moss covered outcrop be an excuse to take a break while on my way up the hill. I climbed up and investigated. While there, just a handful of feet off the trail and in plain sight, someone came down the trail and walked by without noticing me at all. To be fair, I was behind the rock from where they were coming, but all it would have taken is a glance to the right as the passed, and I would have been right there.

The ibuttons were still about 100 hours from full, but it was good to take advantage of the dry weather. It made for a more pleasant outing.

I found only small pockets of snow in the woods. This was around the 600ft level

While walking back, it occurred to me that the Baranof Street to Indian River road loop is a nice route for observing important types of habitat in this area. There’s both high and low productivity old growth, a couple sections of second growth, some wind throw, muskeg, and riparian habitats. I think all of our local tree species except cottonwood can be found right along the trail. I may work on a little self-guided tour sort of thing that folks could refer to as they walk the trail.

Along Degroff Street I noticed a chunky looking bird up in a branch. Before I got my binoculars on it, I was trying to make sense of what it might be. Once I had a better look, I realized it was a (the?) Townsend’s Solitaire. I didn’t notice any berry bearing trees nearby (it was on a spruce branch), but it was reported in the same area within the last week or so. I imagine it must be finding something.

As I approached my porch, a chickadee flew up and landed on an old crab pot Connor scavenged (I’m not sure what he intends to do with it). It started picking at a crevice. I couldn’t figure out what it might be going after. I didn’t thin there would be any spiders or insects there. When it pulled out a peanut (or something like that), I realized it had stashed it there previously and was retrieving it.

At first I was puzzled about what it was going after, but I eventually worked out that it had stashed food and was now retreiving it

I saw on Facebook the whales were active not far off between Sea Mart and the breakwater for awhile late this afternoon or early evening.

I spent a chunk of the afternoon updating my print sales spreadsheet. I have now sold 185 prints of 100 different photos. Only seven photos have 5 or more prints sold (in various formats), and those account for nearly 1/3 of total prints sold (and almost half of total revenue). If I include the two additional photos that have 4 sales, it’s over third of total prints and over half of total revenue.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Mostly cloudy, sun broke through occasionally. Temperatures in the 40s, breezy out of the north.

I went for a drive out the road this afternoon.

95 Barrow’s Goldeneye at the mouth of Starrigavan Creek were the most I’ve seen this year. It could be some have come from further south, or maybe they’re moving around locally.

(Gooshúḵ jinkaat ̱ḵa keijín hinyikgáaxu G̱ájaa Héen wátx’ áwu ← practicing Lingít, probably not totally correct and might not even be sensible)

Some of the 95 Barrow's Goldeneyes at the mouth of Starrigavan Creek

On a stop at Sea Mart I saw a Raven fly up with a clump of what looked like surf grass. Two other ravens chased it around.

By the time I grabbed my camera and got out of the car, I didn’t see the chase happening. However, I did notice one raven on the rocks below Pioneer Park and next to it was the clump of grass.

It messed around with it for a few moments before taking off. When it did, one of the other ravens (there were at least two or three in the vicinity) started chasing it. They flew several circles overhead, with a third joining in the chase briefly. They flew further up the shoreline and too far away for me to try to keep up with following them visually.

I’m guessing the ravens were playing chase more for fun. If the other ravens had actually wanted the grass, they presumably would have continued after it when it had fallen to the ground instead of waiting to pick up the chase again later.

I watched the channel. There were probably two or three hundred gulls there, so well down from what it had been. I imagine many have moved out to where herring are spawning.

I saw no swans at Swan Lake. Though I hadn’t taken a look specifically to check, I hadn’t noticed them there the past couple of days. Before I had seen them near the peninsula even when I was driving along Halibut Point Road. It seems like they left over the weekend.

The paper reported the first opening of the herring fishery happened at Aleutkina today.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Clear. Frosty overnight with temperatures in the 40s. Becoming breezier as the day progressed.

The tide has been trending well below predicted. After a call this morning I went to Little Magic Island to check the tidepools.

I forgot my light which limited what I could try and photograph, especially when I realized the camera light ring wasn’t working very well in the water.

This leather star has been in the same tidepool each time I have visited. It has moved around a bit in the pool (which is only about 3 feet across in its longest dimension)

The water is looking murkier. I think the plankton blooms have started.

The water is not as clear as it was a month ago. Plankton blooms have begun

It also seemed to be molting day for the crustaceans. I saw barnacle molts and at least one hermit crab molt in the pools.

I was back at my car and had just set my camera down when I noticed something on the surface of the water not far off shore. Just a moment later a whale surfaced. It’s tail came up and disappeared before I could get my camera up for photos.

The whale was travelling parallel to the shore heading north, so I went to Magic Island to see if I might get a better opportunity for photos there.

I did see it from Magic Island, it had moved further out.

A bumblebee flying about didn’t land where I could see, so I wasn’t able to document it (and see what species). It’s the first I’ve noticed this year.

There were not many gulls in the channel.

I didn’t hear whether there was additional spawning today.

Today I worked on cleaning out my email inbox. I got it down to under 35 (it’s been between 90 and 200 for several months or maybe even a year). My target is under 15, but I’ve rarely managed to keep it there for long. I’ve got some ideas I’ll try for managing my email better.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Clear skies, frosty early with temperatures climbing into the 40s. Light winds.

The tide was more than a foot below predicted. I went out to Little Magic Island to check the tidepools again.

Today I saw a bunch more barnacle-eating dorids (Onchidoris bilamellata) than I have seen previously. I’m sure they’ve been there the whole time, I just didn’t happen to notice.

I made note of various starfish I’ve been seeing in pools. I guess I should decide whether to document them. I’m kind of curious if they stay (or return, as the case may be) to the same location. One leather star I’ve been seeing has moved around a bit, but I’m not sure about the ochre stars. It may also be worth paying attention to the anemones. I don’t usually think of them as moving around, but they can.

After a walk around Japonski Island (where the channel was not very busy with birds), I spent the remainder of the afternoon watching the local production of the musical Amelie, then joining friends to eat dinner and visit.

Herring began spawning today around Shoals Point. I don’t think any fishing took place, however.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Overcast and cooler today. Snow fell overnight, and later this afternoon. There was not any significant accumulation.

After finishing up my setup for the Rainy Day Bazaar and leaving Connor to take care of my table, I headed over to the harbor for the Food Web Cruise.

Fortunately, winds were reasonably calm, and the swell had settled down a bit, so it was relatively smooth cruising.

We spent most of our time out along the eastern shore of Kruzof near Inner Point. We saw plenty of whales, but they did not seem especially organized in their behavior (i.e., no bubble netting).

This murre appears to have an injury on the back of its head

I did not see many of birds. A few scattered murres and cormorants. I was talking to others for a lot of the trip, so certainly didn’t spot everything. I watched more carefully during the faster moving part of the trip when we headed in, but gulls, murres, eagles, and cormorants were mainly what I noticed.

From the harbor, I went back to the Rainy Day Bazaar and took over from Connor. He said things had gone fine, that it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be (he might have even enjoyed himself a bit from the sounds of it).

A few of the prints I sold at the Rainy Day Bazaar. I take pictures of everything I sell because I don't currently have a better system for tracking which prints sell

I had my best single day of sales so far. My picture of the full moon rising over the Sisters continues to be popular. It and the variations of the moon setting behind the lighthouse are easily my best sellers. The pair of Cedar Waxwings and photo of a Bald Eagle coming in to land are also popular. All of those combined still made up less than half my print sales (18 out of 48 in various sizes, but mostly 4×6).

Falling snow made splotches of white in this picture of a junco in my yard

After finishing up my radio show, it the light was fading. I liked the snowy mountain look, so stopped by Crescent Harbor to get some photos.

This evening it felt good to just sit in one place and not need to talk after a long day full of activity.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Mostly cloudy, becoming partly cloudy as the day went on. The clouds were such that the sun shone where I was for significant chunks of the day. Light winds in town.

Although it hasn’t been all that windy in town, I think the story has been different offshore. Buoy conditions had waves over 10 feet, but they have started to diminish. Hopefully there’s not too much swell for tomorrow’s cruise.

I was on the morning interview for Raven Radio talking about the food web cruise tomorrow.

From the radio station I went to Little Magic Island to check out the tidepools.

I’m thinking about making something of a habit of going there regularly. The nice thing is the tidepools are relatively small, so they don’t take too long to check. I’m curious about the consistency of organisms. So far I’ve found the branched sapsucker repeatedly on the same piece of seaweed, but I only saw the leopard nudibranch the one time.

Before returning home, I checked out the channel. I spotted the Slaty-backed Gull in the flock on the ramp.

Crow Behavior
A pair of crows were engaging in interesting behavior over a mussel. In hindsight I wish I had paid a little more attention and/or made note at the time about which bird was doing what.

The crow on the right is displaying to the other one. It seemed to be at least somewhat related to the mussel underneath the crow on the left (which it had been dropping to try and crack)

As best I can remember and/or reconstruct (from photos and video), one had a mussel it had dropped a couple of times, but had not yet successfully cracked. I had a shorter video that started after the bulk of their interaction was done (so I didn’t upload it). Here’s where I am hazy about which crow started with the mussel, and which ended with it. The (not uploaded) video suggests it switched beaks, but the second bird who ended up with it walked away upon discovering it wasn’t cracked open. I’m not sure which picked it up again.

In the video below, the crow that had been in control of the mussel and dropped it another time or two was approached by the second crow. As seen in the video the second one came up and did the, bobbing head bows, plus the rattling sound and eventually seemed to be allowed to take the mussel.

Again, I lost track/don’t remember which one of the crows ultimately kept the mussel. Whichever did, it dropped it a couple more times and then ate it. I’m wondering if this was all part of a courtship ritual.

I was feeling tired after my earlier than normal rise time and spent part of the afternoon napping.

This evening I transported most of the stuff I’ll need for the Rainy Day Bazaar down to the Centennial Building. I’ll take a few more things down in the morning and finish setting up before leaving it to Connor and heading over to the food web cruise.

There seems to be just two swans left at Swan Lake.

Later this evening I saw my first moth of the year at the porch light.

The first moth I've seen this year

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Cloudy with minor breaks in the afternoon and evening. Cooler temperatures. Snow mixed in with rain this morning.

This morning I recorded conversation with Jim Baichtal for my next radio show. Before getting to the conversation for the show (about Sitka Black-tailed Deer), I got some updates on Kruzof geology. It sounds like he and Britta will be here in June to do some field work.

I went out for birds this afternoon.

I saw a pair of Wood Ducks at Swan Lake (and later heard from Connor the crane had been there at least briefly).

From the kelp patch pullout I saw a Pigeon Guillemot. It did not come too close to shore, but slowly worked its way south while I was there.

This time of year seems to be the best for observing Pigeon Guillemots from along the road system

I’m still waiting to see my first Red-necked Grebe, perhaps there will be one on Saturday’s food web cruise

Occasionally a gull has much more vibrant color in their bill and/or legs than the other gulls

Gulls were less abundant in the channel again. Perhaps there have been fewer deliveries coming in the past couple of days? Or maybe they’re moving out and about for herring?

Lower numbers of gulls may be why there were a few more Long-tailed Ducks in the central part of the channel.

When the gulls show up to the channel en masse, the Long-tailed Ducks tend to vacate. With gull numbers dropping, I've seen more in the centeral part of the channel again

There was a break in the clouds as the sun was setting. I expected it was a limited break. I got busy working on stuff (with a couple of busy days coming up) and didn’t look out again until much later.

At nearly 11pm I happened to look at Facebook and see a bunch of aurora pictures posted from this evening. However, when I looked out it become cloudy. I guess the break had been brief, just not as brief as I expected. Based on the photos I saw, the show as pretty intense while it was visible.

I did see a caddisfly at the porch this evening. It’s getting to be insect season. I’ll probably try to get my uv light going again soon.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

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 on the Japonski Island side shore. I spent a few minutes scanning without spotting anything unusual.

From Kerr Island pullout I saw whales in the far distance, but not bubble net feeding.

Five river otters swimming together was unexpected.

At Swan Lake the ice is beginning to open up around the edges. A single Bufflehead and the Hooded Merganser with both in the open water near the peninsula.

I sat on the shore for a bit to take some pictures. With the limited open water, they stayed closer than they probably would have otherwise.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Mostly sunny, becoming overcast. Light raining begining this evening. Calm winds.

I hope to ge up into this area later in the year after most of this snow as melted

I was not feeling too ambitious today. I did go out to Silver Bay. I didn’t see much action out there on the water. Snow has been shedding a bit on the slopes above treeline.

Clouds were beginning to form over the mountains.

I checked the gulls in the channel. I didn’t spot anything unusual.

I did find a Glaucous Gull at Indian River mouth.

I was a little surprised to see the Pied-billed Grebe at the grid. I watched it briefly until it swam under North Pacific Seafoods

White Cheeks was at the feeder in my yard.

I saw some reports that whales were not far off the beach at the park this morning. They were bubble net feeding of Galankin Island later. Perhaps the same group?

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Mostly cloudy, becoming mostly clear by this evening. Calm winds through much of the day. Light winds out of the north this evening.

I watched the gulls from the ramp in front of UAS this morning while on a call.

There were lots of gulls, but I didn’t spot any of the unusual ones.

Several eagles were perched at various points along the Japonski Island shoreline. I’m not sure what drew them there, but they would scatter nearby gulls when they took off from time to time.

Before heading home, I drove out the road. While scanning from Kerr’s Island pullout, I spotted whales bubble-net feeding out by Little Gavanski Island. They were much too far out for good views, but a couple boats in the area were probably enjoying the whales.

I spent much of the afternoon working on some recent collections.

Among them were a possible bryozoan on some seaweed, two collections of Riccardia (uncertain whether they are the same species or not), a Hypogymnia on a spruce twig, three or four lichens on an alder twig, Belpharostoma tricophyllum, and Kurzia.

I followed up by spending a much of my later evening processing the photos (primarily doing the focus stacks).

In between, I went out to Little Magic Island for low tide. The tide ended up being a -2 (nearly a foot lower than predicted) at 7pm. I didn’t make it out as early as I might have liked. The sun was still up when I left a few minutes before 7.

The sun dropped behind a bank of fog laying across Kruzof Island as I walked down on the beach.

At first there seemed to be enough light for photos, but I underestimated how quickly light would fade. Soon it was getting dim and I hadn’t brought a light other than my phone. I did use the light on my phone for a few minutes, but I didn’t want to submerge it (though it should be waterproof, it didn’t seem worth the risk).

While there I did find the branched sapsucker again (this time I took photos).

In a lower tidepool I found a nicely patterned chiton, but struggled a bit to get pictures with the lighting options I had.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Overcast with occasional light rain. Temperatures in the 30s. Calm winds.

I woke this morning to see snow partway down Gavan Hill. It was clear temperatures had dropped significantly since yesterday.

I got a report of a Slaty-backed Gull at Totem Park this morning. The tide had come up since it was seen, so I didn’t head down there.

I checked the channel from both sides. Gull numbers appeared much higher than yesterday. I didn’t find any unusual gulls in the mix.

I met up with Kitty and we walked around Mosquito Cove trail. I wanted to check a couple of things that I had previously observed. As it turned out, I didn’t find either of them.

I did take pictures of several mosses and liverworts on the wet rock outcrops along Mosquito Cove.

Coming back around on the shore side of the loop, we heard a big crash. At first I thought something had fallen at the loading facility across the bay. Then I noticed what sounded like a whale breath.

When I looked out I saw a splash and then heard another crashing sound, though not quite as loud as the first. It took a minute to get to a place where I could get out on the shore for a better look.

I got photos of the Humpback Whale coming up out of the water. It wasn’t a full on breach, but when it fell over, the splash did make a sound. I think the first (loudest) crash had probably been a full breach.

I got a text that the Slaty-backed Gull was found near Indian River mouth. I’m not sure when the text had been sent, but I didn’t get it until viewing the whale.

At Eagle Way Beach many gulls were on the rocky point. I didn’t find a dark-mantled gull among them. Nor did I see one among the gulls at the river mouth.

I saw Connor and Joe (who had refound the gull and texted me) on the park side of the river. I called Connor and found out they weren’t seeing the Slaty-backed Gull.

I decided to check the channel and asked Connor to let me know if they refound it at the park.

On my first scan of the channel, I did not find it. However when I looked again awhile later, I spotted on the roof of a building across the channel.

The dark mantle of a Slaty-backed Gull sticks out relative to the other more common gulls

It was distant enough that pictures weren’t great, but the dark mantle still stood out.

I drove over to Katlian Street and was able to get much closer looks from there. The angle wasn’t great, but good enough.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Partly cloudy early, becoming mostly cloudy with rain later in the evening. Temperatures into the low 50s. Quite breezy with some strong gusts.

I had agreed to go on a walk with some college students here on spring break. They wanted to learn about mosses. I had suggested Kitty come along, since she knows much more than I do about the botany of mosses.

Now that I am familiar with Orthotrichum pulchellum, I'm finding it much more frequently by looking on red elderberry branches

I met Sejal, Cora, Brady, and Eric (Cora’s dad) at the park at 10am. Kitty was running a little late, but I was surprised she had made it at all due to the strong, gusty winds raising whitecaps all across Crescent Bay.

The folks were enthusiastic about mosses, birds, and other things we saw. We walked around the park, up Westwood Trail and then through part of the SJC campus.

Along the way a couple different Pacific Wrens sang songs that seemed to be approaching full vigor.

We looped back towards the park along the seawalk. While some of us were checking out some mosses on the beach, Kitty noticed a boat on its side in Crescent Harbor.

Strong successive gusts of wind pushed this boat over on its side as it was leaving the harbor

It turns out it had been heading out of the harbor to go get ice (so was probably riding fairly high). Apparently a strong gust of wind caught it broadside and pushed it over.

Early this afternoon Connor spotted a banded junco in the yard. I was able to get some photos.

One of the juncos banded in our project, most likely in fall 2019

At the channel I saw a large pale first-year gull, without a by-colored bill. It might be the same one I saw yesterday and am wondering if it’s a Glaucous x Glacous-winged hybrid?

I spotted a California Gull out in the mix and was able to get some photos before I lost it in the multitude.

The more extensive black on its primaries and yellow feet indicate this is a California Gull

When I came back later in the afternoon, the California Gull on the ramp at the edge of the flock. That made it much easier to photograph.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Some of the many gulls are using the ice on Swan Lake as a resting place

Mostly cloudy, temperatures in the 40s. Gusty winds out of the southeast and occasional rain showers.

Temperatures were warm enough, it looked like it was above freezing at least to 2500 feet, and probably higher.

I went over to the channel while on a call this morning. There were plenty of gulls out on the water, but few came to shore while I was there.

A pair of Green-winged Teal were at Swan Lake. I wonder if they were two of the three birds that spent much of the winter at Starrigavan, but it’s hard to be sure.

On a return to the channel later this afternoon, many gulls were on the ramp. Most were Glaucous-winged Gulls. I also saw Cook Inlet Gulls and a handful of Thayer’s Gulls and Herring Gulls. Also one Glaucous Gull.

On a visit to Little Magic Island it was still breezy, but a lower tide and less wind than yesterday made it easier to poke around in the tidepools.

My timing wasn’t the best. I got hit by stronger winds and a bit of a rain shower for part of the time.

I did see the branched sapsucker on the same Codium fragile as I first found it. I didn’t take any additional photos. I did spend time with coralline algae and revisited other tidepools on the north side of the island.

Two species of coralline algae

Before heading home, I made a third stop at the channel. This time there were again fewer gulls on shore. One large first year gull seemed on the pale side for a Glaucous-winged Gull, but had a mostly dark bill. I wonder if it might be a hybrid between Glaucous-winged Gull and Glaucous Gull.

This gull seems too pale for a pure Glaucous-winged Gull. The dark bill makes me wonder if it's a hybrid Glaucous x Glaucous-winged Gull

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Windy and rainy, temperatures in the 40s.

Much of the snow melted off overnight and through the day.

I heard strong gusts of winds overnight. It was still pretty gusty at times today.

Gull numbers continue to increase. I visited the channel three times, but didn’t see any unusual species. Connor saw a Glaucous Gull this evening, but when I went an hour later (my third trip), the channel had far fewer birds.

I went back to Little Magic Island. This time I brought a chisel to collect a small chunk of rock with lichen I had observed previously.

I also wanted to revisit the tidepools. The tide was low enough, but wind blown waves were pushing into a couple of the lower pools. The wind also raised ripples on the surface of the pools, so it was difficult to see in them.

I did get a couple pictures, and a collection, but will need to go back again to find one other thing I want to revisit and collect for better photos.

The first in-person natural history seminar since 2019 took place this evening. Simon Hook spoke and shared some of his pictures and stories from his time in Antarctica late last year. The last time he was a guest on the Sitka Nature show, we spoke about his experiences there as well.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Snow showers this morning with brief sunny breaks between. Becoming overcast in the early afternoon. Snow started again later in the afternoon and changed to rain this evening. Breezy with temperatures in the upper 30s.

Snow started sometime early this morning. By the time I was up and about, a couple of inches had accumulated. With warming temperatures, it started melting off.

I first took pictures of this windthrow in 2012, when it was already at least a couple of years old. It is recognizably the same windthrow, but there are apparent changes

I revisited the shore below the kelp patch pullout. Mostly to follow up on a lichen observation I had made. I needed more than I had photographed on my earlier visit.

While there, I was curious if I could refind the conch. The tide was out significantly further than when I had first found it. That contributed to my disorientation as I tried to remember which rocks had been checking out when I noticed it. With some help from the gps coordinates recorded when I took pictures, I was eventually able to locate it again.

I had similar troubles with the lichen I was interested in. I remembered the area I had seen it, but had forgotten the rock it was on was not an one that stood out very much. I did find it, took additional photos, and scraped a bit off for a collection.

The tide was out far enough for the pools at Little Magic Island to be exposed, so I went there next.

What had seemed like a warm-ish breeze at the kelp patch pullout now felt quite chilly. The wind also rippled the surface of the tidepools, limiting my ability to see into them.

I didn’t find the branched sapsucker this time. I did find a leopard nudibranch (Diaulula odonoghuei), the first of those I’ve seen in a couple of years.

I will try to get back in the next couple of days, since there were some small growths on seaweed that I think might have been bryozoans. I didn’t get very good photos, so I’ll probably try collecting a bit to look at under the microscope.

One nice surprise was finding two California mussels (Mytilus zonarius). The large one several inches long. They are the first I’ve come across along the road system (they can be abundant in places along the more exposed outer coast).

Thayer's Gulls are common here, and now considered a subspecies of Iceland Gull. This gull is paler than our typical Thayer's Gulls, and may be one of the other subspecies

Gull numbers in the channel were up since yesterday. I saw one that seemed on the pale side. I wondered if it might be pale enough to be a Kumlien’s Gull. I didn’t see any Glaucous Gulls or dark-mantled gulls, but I’ll keep checking.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today

Mostly sunny this morning, becoming partly sunny this afternoon.

While out today, I went by Little Magic Island. My initial motivation was to check on Draba grandis, a plant that is common on rocky shorelines in the area. I have only found it three places along the road system.

The Draba was up. I guess I don’t know if the rosettes formed last summer/fall, or have already grown this much during the winter.

I noticed some tidepools I think I’ve before, but probably haven’t spent much time looking at. Usually if I’m there for low tide stuff, much more shoreline is exposed, and that’s where I’m spending my time.

Today I realized that despite there relatively small size and location at about the 2ft tide level, they have some interesting stuff in them.

The highlight was a branched sapsucker (Placida dendritica), a species I have only seen once before.

This was only the second time I've observed a branched sapsucker

Longliners have begun delivering their catch after season opened on the 10th.

Accordingly, gulls have gathered in greater numbers in the channel.

I didn’t see anything unusual on my first visit. I went to look a second time, but right as I parked, a dog walker went down on the ramp and all the gulls there took flight.

I took that as a sign to go elsewhere, and ended up checking the turnaround (where I had noticed some gulls on an earlier drive by, but hadn’t stopped).

I didn’t find many gulls there, but did take some pictures of the Sandhill Crane with some nice light.

My iNaturalist Observations for Today