A Wild Life

Today when I went down to the park, it was sunny and a little bit cold when I first went out. When I was on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls, harlequins, ducks, and goldeneyes out in the water. When I was in the park, I saw three squirrels before I made it to the battle site bench. When I was near the battle site bench, I saw a bunch of goldeneyes out in the water. When I was at the battle site bench, I sat on the bench and looked out onto the beach. It was almost high tide, and I saw some seagulls out by the water. When I was by the trail by the river, I saw some more seagulls and some crows. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw even more seagulls and some ducks. When I was almost off the trail by the river, I saw a dead rotting fish on the trail. I had seen it by the trail a few times before that, but somehow for some reason it had been moved. When I was on my way back home, I saw a collard dove and a flicker in someone’s yard.
Why had the fish been moved?
How had the fish been moved?
Why was the flicker in someone’s yard?

Today when I went down to the park it was cloudy and a little bit windy. When I was on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls, goldeneyes, ducks, and crows. When I was near the park, I saw that the bucket on the bench was gone. When I was in the park, I heard some ravens in the trees all the way up to the battle site bench. When I was at the battle site bench, I saw a bunch of goldeneyes and a old small boat with out a moter by the shore. When I was nearing the trail by the river, I saw some small silver metal strips on the base of some of the trees and when I looked they had numbers on them. When I was on the tail by the river, I saw some buffleheads, seagulls, and ducks. When I was by the foot bridge, I saw a squirrel on a tree. When I was by sage beach on my way back home, I saw what I saw earlier, and an eagle and some shorebirds.
Why were those silver things on the base of some of the trees?
Why did those silver things have numbers on them?
Why were there buffleheads at the park today?

Late last month dad, Rowan and, I went up verstovia. It was a nice day when we went up it took  us a couple of hours to get to picnic rock but it was a nice hike over all. It was good and sunny when we started up the mountain with a light wind but the wind was nice because it kept us cool for the most part on the way up the trail. We had a nice view when we got to each of the view points. There were some very big steps on the way to the second view point they would have been a pane to get up if I was smaller but it was not bad getting up the big stairs. Dad was not sure if we were going to go all the way  to picnic rock but when we got to the second view point dad decided that we would go all the way up to picnic rock which was fine with me. It took us about an hour to get to the second view point and then about another hour or hour and a half to get up to picnic rock. I  only remember running in to One set of people on the way up. When we had gotten to picnic rock It was very windy and it was a very cold wind. While we were at picnic rock there was one person that was heading down and then there were people up on arrow head peak. We were up there for a little while then we headed down. I was happy we went on that hike.

1. Question why did I not see any ptarmigan when I was up there?
2. Question why was the wind so cold up there?
3. Question why was it not that windy down on the road?

Today when I went down to the park, it was raining a little bit. When I was out on the breakwater, it was low tide, and I saw some seagulls, harlequins, ducks, goldeneyes, crows, ravens, and a merganser. When I was nearing the park, I saw that someone had moved the bucket from where I put it on the log, to on the metal bench by the side walk. When I was at the battle site bench, I sat on the bench and watched the seagulls and eagles. When I was watching a eagle flew by a couple of times scaring most if not all of the seagulls. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some seagulls and ducks. When I was nearing the foot bridge, I saw a squirrel on a dead tree. It ran farther back into the forest after I saw it. When I was on my way back home, dad came down to road in the car and told me I had to come with him to look at a kingbird.
Why had someone moved to bucket to the bench?
Why was there only one merganser by the breakwater?
Why are there always seagulls by or on the river?

This morning I got a ride out to where the kingbird was seen yesterday by a friend. Some one had seen the kingbird earlier in the day so I knew it was still out there some where. We walked up and down the road looking for the kingbird. but was unable to find it a short time later some one else had showed up to look for the kingbird as well. We looked and looked for a while but did not find it. When I was walking back down the road though I saw a adult northern goshawk which I do not normally see here so it was exciting to see it. After we saw it chase a collared dove (but was unable to get) we went down the road a bit further and we found the kingbird sitting up on a telephone wires (It ended up being a tropical kingbird). I was able to get some photos of it and I also sat and watched it for a long time since it was raining and the bird was not in the best spot for talking photos of it any way. There were quit a few people came out to look at the tropical kingbird since it was the first for sitka and only the fifth state record. After a lot of people left and dad had gone up the hill behind the kingbird I got a call that dad had found a northern pygmy owl up there so I ran up there and was able to get photos of the owl and a few more photos of the kingbird then dad, Rowan and, I left. It was really exciting to see all of the bird I saw while I was there.

1. Question does the adult northern goshawk hang out in that neighborhood a lot?
2. Question how long will the tropical kingbird stay here?
3. Question is the northern pygmy owl normally in that area?                                                               Northern pygmy owl                                                         Tropical kingbird                                                              Northern goshawk

Today when I went down to the park, it was raining on and off. When I was walking out on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls and a raven on the railing. When I was at the breakwater, it was low tide. On the breakwater I saw some seagulls, crows, ducks and harlequins in the water and on Sage rock. When I was near the park I saw a small bucket out on the sandy part of the beach, so I went out on the beach to move it out of the tide zone. The bucket was pinkish and its handle was broken and a small purple broken shovel was in the sand next to it. I put the broken peaces of the shovel in to the bucket and moved them up onto a log out of reach of the tide. When I was nearing the battle site bench, I saw a flicker fly up from the ground and into a outer branch of a tree. At first I was not sure what sort of bird it was because it was back lit, so I went to get a better angle and it flew off down the beach and I wandered after it for a little bit then went back onto the trail. When I was at the battle site bench, I saw some seagull out by the water. When I was on the trail by the river, I saw some more seagull and ducks, and I saw an eagle. When I was by the foot bridge, I saw a squirrel in a tree.
Why was the bucket and shovel just left out there on the beach?
Why was the flicker on the ground?
Why were the bucket and shovel broken?

This morning I went down to the park to see what birds were down there. It with a light rain when I left and not very windy but when I got to the park it was raining more and it was also more windy then when I left. I got down there and went out on to the beach but did no see any really exciting things out there. I got down the beach a little further and saw a big flock of what looked to me like they might be wigeon get up and fly away I watched them fly a circle then fly back and land where they came from. I went in to the woods so that I would not scare them because I wanted to see if the eurasian wigeon was in there I did find one eurasian wigeon in with all of the american wigeon and was able to get some photos of it this time. After I got home from my walk to the park rowan said that dad had gone to look for a flycatcher. A bit later dad let me know that some one was going to stop by and pick me up on there way to see what ended up being a king bird. I went out there but by the time I had gotten out there the king bird had flown away and had not been refound yet so I looked around for a bit but was unable to find it and then it was time to head home.

1. Question how did the king bird end up here?
2. Question why did the wigeons come back more then once today but did not do the same yesterday?
3. Question how did the eurasian wigeon get here?

Today when I went down to the park, it was raining a little bit and cold and I could see my breath in the air. I wore gloves and boots while I was walking so my feet would not get really wet and my hands would not get to cold in the rain. When I was out on the breakwater, I saw some seagulls in the water and on Sage rock, and I saw one eagle out on a pole in the water. When I was by Sage beach, I saw some harlequins and goldeneyes out in the water, but some of the harlequins were on Sage rock. When I When I got to the battle site bench, I saw some seagulls on the beach by the water, and it was semi high tide. When I was on my way back home I saw some more seagulls and harlequins on the water, and I saw some song sparrows in the bushes by someone’s house. The sparrows flew off when they saw me.
Why dose it get colder this time of year?
Why could I see my breath today and yesterday?
Why have there been more goldeneyes at Sage beach this month?
Also, today is Alaska day!

Today I went do to the park to see what was down there. It was raining when I left the house. It continued to rain the entire time I was at the park. On my way to the park I was walking on the seawalk when I see a varied thrush fly up from a mountain ash tree. I was able to get some photos of it before it flew away. I continued to walk to the park. I was on the beach when I saw a flock of mallards at the edge of the water. I walked down the beach a ways further and I came upon a big flock of duck. There were a lot of american wigeon and a few shovelers and a few green winged teal and a few mallard and one eurasian wigeon in with all of the american wigeon. I was about to get my camera out to take photos of the eurasian wigeon when all of the ducks flew away they did not land back at the park the rest of the time I was there. I went down the beach a little ways, and saw a flock of gull I looked to see if there was any unusual or rare gulls in the flock but did not see any. I went on down the beach a bit further, and came to the mouth of indian river. There were more gulls there but I did not see any unusual or rare gulls there either. I did see some goldeneyes and other ducks but nothing really interesting. I went home after that.

1. Question why did all the birds fly away while I was there even though I was not doing anything aggressive tores them?
2. Question why did they not land further down the park?
3. Question why were there a lot of ducks down at the park today?

Today Dad, Connor and I went to the stargaven boardwalk. It was really high tide when we got there. Connor and I went head of dad. Soon after we crossed the foot bridge dad called us beck to the foot bridge. It turned out there was a vole swimming in the water. Once the vole got to a non flooded patch of land around a tree, it went into a hole. We waited for it for a little bit, then it came back most of the way out of a different hole and stayed out long enough for us to get some photos of it and I got some videos of it too. Then it when back into the hold for a minute of two, then it came back out of the hole and I got another video and Connor and dad got some more photos of it. After a few more minutes it went back into the hole, and I continued walking while Connor and dad stayed behind to wait and see if the vole came out again. It did after a while.
now it’s time for those questions. Why was it raining on and off while we were there?
Why was it so high of a tide?
Why did the vole swim to that patch of ground?