A Wild Life

It was nice and sunny today. After lunch I went down to the lake to look for the Virgina rail again. They were done working on the road by the time I had gotten to the lake. There were quite a few people skating on the lake when I got there. I got on the lake and walked up the lake to the other end of it. I went into a marshy area to see if I could find the rail. I walked back a little ways and sat by some open water for a few minutes to see if the rail would show it self. After it did not show up I walked on up the marshy area stopping every once and a while to listen and look to see if I saw or heard the bird, but I did not see it or hear it. I walked around, and back to the ice. As I was getting back on the ice it gave way, and I almost went in over my boots. I went to step on the ice again, and it broke again, and I almost went over my boot again. I finally got back on the ice and walked to another marshy area, but did not find the rail. After that I went on down the lake followed some good sized cracks along the way. I got back to the peninsula, and went home.

1. Question is the Virgina rail still around?
2. Question where is the Virgina rail if it is still around?
3. Question how long had it been there for before the cat caught it?

Today dad, Connor and I went down to Swan lake to look for a Virginia rail that someone’s cat had caught then they had released. It was sunny and the lake was frozen and some people were working on something by the lake so the cars had to take a detour up a different road. We walked out onto the lake. At first we walked farther out, then we walked by the grass to look for the rail. We saw some ducks by an open patch of water when we were walking to one end of the lake. Once we were at the end of the lake, Connor went out into the grass and waited in a tree looking for the rail and dad went to another spot of grass nearby, and after a bit of waiting around, I went over to by where he was. We didn’t see much. After that dad went back over to where Connor was and went to look around in the grass, and I went back over to the edge of the ice to wait around. While I was waiting, I heard and saw some chickadees, juncos, robins and a winter wren. One time I got bored and went to where the ice met the grass, and testing the thin ice there. It wasn’t the best idea. After a bit, the ice that I was testing broke and one of my feet got wet. And after what felt like a long time waiting, dad finally came back and we started walking slowly back home.
How did that person’s cat catch the rail?
What were those people working on?
where did the rail go?

Today dad,Rowan and I went down to the lake to look for a Virgina rail that someones cat had caught. They released the Virgina rail back on swan lake because it did not appear to be heart. We had to do a little deture because a water pipe had broke and they were fixing it. It lake was frozen over, so we walked out onto the ice. It was a little bumpy in most places, but in some places it was smooth. It looked like the ice was between six inches and twelve inches thick, depending on the place. It was sunny while we were out there, and no one else was on the lake when we got on. I got on the lake just up from the peninsula, and walked up the lake. We walked along the edge of the lake to see if we could find the rail. It was nice and warm out on the ice, and it was fun to slide around on it on the way up the lake. We did not find the rail on our way up the lake, so once we had gotten to the end of the lake dad said that I could go sit, and watch over a marshy grassy area. He said that I should listen for any movement in the grass, because the grass was dry and noisy. I went out in to the marsh grass, and found out that not all the water that went through the grass was frozen. I was whereing boots through, so I did not get wet. I climbed a tree, and sat in it, and waited to see if the rail would show it self. After I had waited there for a while dad came over and walked the edge of the marshy area to see if he could flush up the rail. We never did find the rail, so we walked down the other side of the lake, and Rowan and I kicked a chunk of ice to one another. We walked all the way around the lake but never found the rail, so we went home. On our way home though we stopped by the gavan hill trail head area, and we say several robins, and a brown creeper, and some kinglet. Then we went the rest of the way home. It was nice to be out in the sun even though we did not find the rail.

Today after I went down to the park for the first time today then came back home, dad took me out to see the wind out at silver bay. When we got out there, dad stopped at one of the parking spots and we watched the wind whip up the water into things sort of like waterspouts but not quite. After we watched them in the parking spot, we drove down to the end then turned around and stopped at a trail off the road and went on the trail. The trail led to and open spot that was sunny and sheltered mostly from the wind and it ended in a place where other people had been, and you had to cross a very windy spot to get there. There was a net in the trees there that I climbed into and dad took a video of me in it. It wasn’t too bad in the net as long as I kept my fingers in my sleeves, It was actually kinda fun. I didn’t stay in the net for long though, and me and dad when back to the sunny spot for a bit and he took some photos of the waterspout like things and I sat and watched the things and messed with a small stick for a bit. When we left dad couldn’t find his camera lens but we left anyways.
Why did someone put the net up out there?
Why was that one spot more warm and less windy?
Why was it so windy today out at Silver bay?

This morning I got up a little faster then I should have. My legs felt like they were not completely awake, and I fell dizzy, and a little sick when I sat down at the table for breakfast. I lade my head on the table for a few minutes then I did not few so dizzy and sick. I ate breakfast then went back to bed, and listened to the radio for a few minutes and got up again. After I had gotten up again I went out to the airport to see if I could find the short eared owl or the northern shrike. On my way out to the airport while I was up on the bridge I saw a pelagic cormorant below me, so I stopped, and took some photos of it. It was a really windy while I was on the bridge, and it had not lightened up any by the time I had gotten to the airport. I walked part of alice island loop, then went down the old airport road. As I walked down the road I ran into a friend and we talked a bit. While we were talking I saw a bird that looked like it might have been the shrike, so I asked if I could go look and he said go ahead. He drove up and turned around while I walked down the road. The bird that I saw ended up being a robin unfortunately, so I walked on down the road, and ran into the friend in the parking lot. We talked for quite a while enjoying the nice sunny day we were having. We watched for the owl and for the shrike for quite a while but we did not see a hide nor hair of either of them. Eventually we both had to go, so we left.

1. Question where did the short eared owl go?
2. Question did the owl get shot or did it die because it starved or was it just not there while we were there?
3. Question did the shrike leave or was it just some where we could not see it?

Today when I went down to the park, it was partly cloudy. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw some ducks and sea gulls. When I was in the park, I saw two ravens chasing each other through the trees. While I was watching them, I saw that the one that the other was chasing had something in it’s beak. When I was near the battle site bench, I heard and saw some black oystercatchers and crows. When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide, and I saw some sea gulls and crows. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw one gadwall and some wigeons, ducks and one female bufflehead. Just after I got off the trail by the river, I saw a raven with a thick stick in it’s beak. I watched it for a bit and it landed on a branch then flew to another branch near by with the stick. After that, I started walking again. When I was on my way home, I saw some juncos and a song sparrow in someone’s yard.
What did the first raven that was being chased by another have in it’s mouth?
Why did the second raven, that was not being chased, have the stick?
How did the raven manage not to drop the stick when it was moving from one branch to the other?

Today when I went down to the park for the second time, the sun was setting and it was cold enough that I could see my breath. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls, ducks and one eagle out on a post in the water that had some grass on it. When I was in the park, I saw some varied thrushes that flew away when I saw them, and I heard what I think were ravens making some strange nosies. When I was at the battle site bench, it was low tide and I saw some seagulls and black oystercatchers fly off when an eagle flew past. When I was by the trail by the river, I saw some ducks and wigeons out in the water, and I saw a seagull dive into the water from a rock. I also saw that the sunset turned the clouds and some of the snow on the mountains pink. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw three wigeons on the side of the river I was on, but then they flew to the other side of the river. When I was on my way back home, I saw a place that had some bushes and trees torn down by an old house and there was a pipe on top of a black tarp.
Why does the sunset turn the snow and clouds pink sometimes?
Why is the pipe being put in?
Why were only the three wigeons on the river?

These are the highlights from the 2016 birding year. I saw a total of 136 different bird species in the year 2016 and this post is about some of my favorite bird species I saw last year.

Wood Duck

There was a male wood duck that has hung around the Sitka area for almost a year know. It was first seen in the first or second week of February 2016 and has been here ever since. It was first reported at swan lake and it hung out there for a few months but then it started being see down at totem park. It apparently would go with the mallards (that spent most of there time at swan lake) down to the park when they went down there then go back to the lake when they did.

Western Grebe

On the very last day of the year 2016 I went down to the park, and while I was down there I looked over by the airport through my binoculars. When I did that I saw a fairly good sized bird, so I took some photos of it and it turned out to be a western grebe.

Spotted Towhee

I herded that there was a spotted towhee out on an island near here. I wanted to go and see it a few days later it got to go and see it. Dad and I went out on a friends boat that lives on the island. We walked to the house that had the spotted towhee. We waited a few minutes and the spotted towhee came out and I was able to get some photos of it. After that we went back home.

Northern Pygmy Owl

On December 3rd 2016 a northern pygmy owl came in to our yard and caught a junco. I was in my room doing something when I herd a bunch of birds making noise out side my bedroom window. I got up and looked out the window to see all the birds back there going crazy. They were really going crazy though in the blueberry bush that is in out back yard, so I sat there watching thinking that it might be a cat or something. A few minutes though a bird flew up and out of the blueberry bush and landed in a tree by the chicken coop. It looked to me like a merlin or a sharp shinned hawk though I did not look at it very hard. I got up and got my camera and went out side to try to get some photos of it. I let Rowan know that it was out there but she did not want come out so I went out side by my self. I walked around the house to the back of it and found the bird sitting in a tree but it flew to another tree before I could get photos of it, so I went to the tree that it flew in to and found it sitting there, so I took some photos of it but while I was looking through my view finder on my camera I realized that it was not a sharp shinned hawk or a merlin it was a northern pygmy owl. I ran back in side and let Rowan know that it was a northern pygmy owl. She came out a short time later and we took some photos of it and watched it then went back in side.

Tropical Kingbird

In mid October some one said that there was a flycatcher out the road by magic island. Dad went out there and it turn out to be a tropical kingbird. I got a ride out there from a friend and we all looked hard but could find the kingbird. The next day I got a ride out there again with a friend since dad was busy and could not go out there right away. After a while of looking we finally found the bird I let dad know and other people that were out there already let other people know and this time the kingbird was quite cooperative, and I was able to get some photos of it.

California Gull

In mid September I was down at the park looking through the gull when I saw a California gull. I took some photos of it and watched it for a bit then went on my way.

Common Yellowthroat

In early September I went down to the park and was out at the end of the park when I herd a harsh chirp sound. A short time later a little warbler jumped up out of the grass. I got some photo of it, and when I got home I found out that it was a common yellowthroat. 

Alder Flycatcher

In early July just after I had gotten back from my trip to Idaho I went out to the airport to look for an alder flycatcher dad had seen while I was gone. It did not take me long to find it. I took some photos of it and went home.

Vaux’s Swift

In late may Dad, Rowan, Grandpa and I went up starrigaven valley to look at the land slide that had happened up there a couple years prier. Just after we had gotten to the slide area I looked up and saw a bunch of tree swallows, but I also saw one that flew a little diferent from the others and that one ended up being a Vaux’s swift.

Slaty Backed Gull

In late march I was down at the park looking at the gulls. When a dark mantled gull flew in and landed with the other gulls. (Dad had seen a dark mantled gull in the channel a few day earlier so I wonder if it was the same bird or not.)  I looked at it and took some photos of it then something scared the gulls away and the slaty backed gull went with them. Most of the gulls came back but the slaty backed gull was one of the few that did not come back.

It was a cloudy and cold day today. I stayed home this morning to get some stuff done but after lunch I went down to the park to see what was down there. The tide was out and there were some mallards and black oystercatchers on the shore line. I went down on the beach and took some photos of the black oystercatchers. After I took photos of the black oystercatchers I looked through the ducks with my binoculars. Most of the ducks were mallards but I did see the male wood duck mixed in with them. After I was done looking at the ducks I walked on down the beach to the end of the park. I walked down to the waters edge and walked along it and looked through the gulls that were at the end of the beach then I walked back on the upper part of the beach but did not see anything so I went do by the river. At the river mouth I saw some american wigeons and the eurasian wigeon and a green winged teal. I also saw a couple of trumpeter swans out further in the mouth of the estuary. After I had looked at the birds in the mouth of the river I went on up the river there was nothing in the river I was surprised that there were not one mallard or duck of any kind in the river that I could see any way that is. After that I walked the rest of the park came out by the visitor center then went up through a housing area walked across SJ campus and got back on the road that I normally walk on to get home. Then walked all the way home. There was quit a bit of frost on the ground when I did my walk and it was quit a bit colder outside then I would have guested since it was cloudy out.

1. Question why was it so cold outside even though it was cloudy?
2. Question when will  the bird migration finally start again for the 2017 year?
3. Question what will be the first migratory shore bird that I see this year?

Yesterday was new years day. It was also christmas bird count day in the sitka area. I had a couple of areas that I was going to be birding. One of them was the park and the other was the streets and neighborhoods around my moms place. I got up and left the house at around nine thirty am. I was sunny and a little bit cold out. I walked up the street nearest to my place and counted birds as I went. I saw quite a few birds up the road after I had done the one road I went on to the next road but while I was up that road my pen  stopped working but at least there were no other birds that I needed to count while I was up there. After I had got back down and by moms place again I went in side and got another pen. After that I continued to the next street. I walked up it and got a few more birds then went to the next one. Pretty soon I had all the neighborhoods walked that I needed to. I went down to the park and walked the first loop and got a few bird there but I got most of my birds on the second loop. It was still a nice sunny day and I was out in front of the park counting birds when I saw group of ducks on the water. I looked at them through my binoculars and saw that the wood duck was mixed in with them. It has been almost a year since the wood duck was first seen on swan lake so it was not a super interesting bird to me any more but it was not on the christmas bird count last year so I was nice to get this year. I continued on down to the estuary and I saw a bunch of mallards and the eurasian wigeon with a bunch of american wigeons in th estuary along with a gadwall and a couple of swans. I counted the birds and took some photos of the eurasian wigeon then went on. After I had finished the park I went back to moms and rested for an hour or so then went back down to the park. Most of the stuff was the same as what I saw down there earlier in the day but instead of there being one gadwall in the estuary the was three. After I was done in the park I went to dads and dropped of the paper work then went back to moms. My total species count in the area I was birding wood duck for the day was 39.                                                                      eurasian wigeon