A Wild Life

This morning I left around 6:00 am and headed to the lake.

On my way to the lake it was raining some and my hands were getting wet and a little bit wet. I walked some what quickly because I was excited to see if the Northern rough-winged swallow were still there.

I got to the lake and saw that there were swallows, ducks and geese there. I walked out onto the peninsula when I was getting towards the dock a Green-winged teal flew out of the grass calling and landed a little ways out on the lake and started swimming away from me. I then turned my attention to the swallows that were darting around eating flies. It took me a moment or two then I found the Northern rough-winged swallow but this time I saw two of them instead of one. I watched them for a bit after texting dad. They mainly flew around but they did land a couple of times. On when I was on my way back home someone was burning trash and I could smell and taste it, it did not taste good.

On Sunday I left the house around 7:30 am. The tide was very low so I crossed the road and walked down to Back beach. There were a lot of shorebirds at Back beach so I slowly walked out onto the beach so that I didn’t scare them. I spooked them a little bit any ways but they came back. I walked out and just stood still out by the water line. The sandpipers came back and landed a little bit away from me then they walked around me some of them as close as a few feet. I watched and took photos of them poking their little bills in the ground looking for food. After watching them for a bit I slowly moved away from them so that I didn’t spook them. After I had gotten a little ways away I walked more quickly, I walked over to the river and found a spot that looked crossable but it would be over my boots so I pulled my rain pants from the inside of my boots and put them over the outside so that little to no water would get into my boots. I carefully made my way across the river, after I had made it across the river I started looking at the shorebirds and other birds that were there. In with all the sandpipers and turnstones I saw that there were three Lesser yellowlegs. I slowly and carefully walked closer to them to get photos of them. While I was taking photos of one of them it got low to the ground like it was trying to hide from something. The last time I had seen a shorebird do this a Peregrine falcon flew over but this time I didn’t see any raptors fly over. After a few moments it stood back up and the other shorebirds (that had flew about the same time the Lesser yellowlegs had ducked down) were back and acting normal. I walked around the beach more and saw some Short-billed and Long-billed dowitchers, Black-bellied plovers and Greater yellowlegs. While I was walking on the trail toward the visitor center I heard a Orange-crowned warbler singing.Lesser yellowlegs

I proceeded from the park to the Turnaround. When I got to the Turnaround I saw that there were some shorebirds out by the water so I walked out there. They were Dunlins, Semipalmated plovers, Western sandpipers, Short-billed dowitchers and a couple of Marbled gowits. I sat down on a dry spot on the gritty, rotten egg smelling, mud and watched the birds for a while. After I was done watching the bird I got up and walked towards the lake. Short-billed dowitcher

When I was walking up the side of the lake I saw a brown swallow flying around. It took me a few moments before I decided that it might not be normal here and I should try to get photos of it. I was able to get a few not very good photos before it disappeared. I walked over and sat down on a bench to wait and see what was there and watch for the swallow. After a bit I saw the swallow again. It was obviously more brown than the Tree swallows that were around and it appeared to have a brown throat and half brown belly. It disappeared again and I was left anxiously sitting there thinking that it might be a Northern rough-winged swallow, which would be rare for the state and would be the first one I have seen in Alaska, and trying to decided weather or not I should send dad a text since I wasn’t supper sure that it was a Northern rough-winged swallow. I decided that I should text him just in case it was a Northern rough-winged swallow. Shortly after I was done texting with him it showed back up and I was able to get good looks at it and feel more confident that it was a Northern rough-winged swallow. I watched it for quite a while trying to get photos of it before it landed on a wire and I was able to get better photos of it and see that it was indeed a Northern rough-winged swallow. Which means I now have 200 Photographed birds in Alaska!Northern rough-winged swallow

After I left the lake I went back by the park. The tide was up so there weren’t very many birds there. There were a few gulls and a couple of Marbled godwits. I crossed the river again then headed across the estuary for home. On my way across the estuary I saw that there was sand floating as the tide same in.    Floating sand

This morning I got up did a few things ate breakfast then left for the park.

It was cloudy when I left and the temperature mild. I walked some what quickly and excitedly down to the park. I got down to the beach, the tide way quite low. I walked up by the visitor center then out onto the beach. I saw a couple of Common loons one of them was still in winter plumage. I walked down the beach and saw eight Greater yellowlegs in a deep pool that during a low enough tide has some land exposed. I walked through the pool to the end of the park. I got out to the end and saw, among other things a lot of Black turnstones. I walked over and watched them turning rocks over. While I was there I saw a few Long-billed and Short-billed dowitchers. While I was watching the shorebirds a Merlin tried to catch one of them but missed and flew back to the forest. I was out there for a bit then I went across the river to the other side and looked at the shorebirds over there. The mud over at Back beach smells strongly of rotten eggs at a really low tide and today was no different. I looked at the sandpipers that were there for a bit then they flew back across to the park beach so I went to cross the river. I crossed in different spot on the way back that looked shallow enough but what I didn’t account for was that since the water was moving fast, when I put my boot in the water the water would push and stack up against my boot so then the water would be deeper on the up river side of my boot then it would have been if was flowing more slowly. When I was out in about the middle of the river I feel some cold water go down my boot, so I got up on my tippy toes and carefully made but quickly made my way across the river without any more water going into my boots.

I watched the birds for a while longer then I headed back and got on the trail. On my way back on the trail I heard my FOY Hermit thrush. A bit further down I tried a young Devil’s club leaf. It tasted a little bit like mint. I then walked home.     Long-billed dowitcher

This morning when I got up it was raining so I waited until 6:30 before I went down to the park. When I left the house it was still raining, but it was lighter outside.

There was a few American robins singing in my neighborhood was I walked down to the park.

When I got down to the park I saw that the tide was out quite a bit and that a flock of what I was pretty sure were dowitchers, so I walked out onto the beach in the rain to see if they were Long-billed or Short-billed dowitchers. I got out there and walked out into the water so that I could get a better angle on them. While I was in the water I had taken my waterproof gloves off so at I could take a few photos of the dowitchers. I had to put one of them down so that I could put my camera away, so I put it on top of my binoculars but it fell off and since I was in the water it got wet inside. After I had put my camera away I picked up my glove and put it on. It was wet and uncomfortable, so after waring it for a short time I took both of my gloves off and put them in my pockets. I walked down the beach and when I was nearing the end I smelled the sent of rotten eggs. If the tide is low enough it smells like rotten eggs where there is a lot of mud. I saw that there were a lot of Black turnstones out by the river so I walked over there in anticipation to see if there were any unusual birds over there. On my way over there I saw eight Black-bellied plovers feeding. I got over by the River and saw that there hundreds of Black turnstones, a lot of Surfbirds, Rock sandpipers, a several Dunlins and a few Least and Western sandpipers poking their bills into the ground in search of food. After carefully made my way back through a part of the river as to not go over my boot.

I walked back to the trail and walked down the trail. On my way down the trail and back home I stopped and ate a violet leaf. It tasted a bit bitter but it wasn’t bad. After that I walked home and took my very wet stuff off to dry.

This morning I got up at 6:00 am and went for a walk to the Turnaround.

On my way to the Turnaround I went by the lake to see what was there. On my way to the lake I heard a Ruby-crowned kinglet singing. I got to the lake and saw that there was a large flock of Greater white-fronted geese on the peninsula feeding on the grass. I crossed the road to see what else was over there. I got over there and saw that there were Northern shovelers, American wigeons, Mallards, Scaups and three Ring-necked ducks along with the Greater white-fronted geese. There were about a dozen Tree swallows darting around after the flying insects that were around.

I left the lake and head to the Turnaround after a few minutes. I got to the Turnaround and saw that there were four Marbled godwits and a Short-billed dowitcher there. I slowly walked out onto the beach. I watched and took photos of them as they walked around jabbing they long bills into the mud in search of food. After watching them for a bit I headed home for breakfast.

On my way home I felt some sprinkles, but thankfully it didn’t rain hard. As I was walking down the sidewalk I smelled the sent of exhaust and that made me realize how nice the air was down on the beach.

After I finished breakfast I got ready and went down to the park. I walked through my neighborhood, while I was, I saw and heard an adult Golden-crowned sparrow singing in the cool cloudy morning.

I walked along the seawalk then I carefully slid down a rock to get to the beach. I walked around on the uneven ground. I saw a Greater yellowlegs standing by the water and a few shorebirds flying around. I walked out along the shoreline, I didn’t see any shorebirds on the shoreline but there were some flying by. I walked up to a pool and saw a foot long worm in it, I bent over and put my finger in the cold water to poke it. It curled up a little bit but other than that it didn’t move. I continued down the beach to the end of there park. When I got down there there were a lot of ducks around, mostly Northern pintails, Northern shovelers, American wigeons, Green-winged teal and Mallards, but there were also a few Buffleheads and other diving ducks. I walked out further on the beach to look at the gulls and shorebirds that were out closer to the waters edge. I got out there a ways and saw six dark bird by the water. At first I thought they were crows but as I got closer I saw that they were Hudsonian godwits which don’t show up here every year. I took some photos of them then slowly walked around them as not to spook them. I looked at the gulls and the other shorebirds. There were Black turnstones, Surfbirds, Rock sandpipers, Dunlins, a couple of Black-bellied plovers, Short-billed dowitchers, and a few Least and Western sandpipers. While I was out there on the beach watching the godwits a couple more flew in. One of the godwits chased another one around a bit, flopping its wings as it chased the other one.

While I was out on the beach I heard and saw a Lesser yellowlegs fly in and land up by the river. I walked up the beach to go look for it, while in the process of doing that though someone with a couple of dogs walked out by the river and scared all the bird that were up there away. So I walked back and calmly sat down on the beach to wait for the tide to come in so that the other shorebirds would come closer. While I did that a few flocks of Hudsonian godwits flew by, one of them even had nineteen! The tide came up further but a lot of the birds left as this happened.  I walked up and sat down on a log at the top of the beach for a bit then I walked home.

On my way home I ate a tender watery Wild cucumber.Hudsonian godwit

After lunch I went down to the park to see what was down there. On my way down to the park I was walking through my neighborhood when I smelled and caught a faint taste of wood smoke. I got down to the park and walked out onto the beach. I felt the warmth of the sun but then the wind would come up and the warmth would disappear. As I walked down the beach I noticed that someone had let their dog lose and it was scaring the gulls that had been out at the end of the park. Right a way I was irritated that someone had let their dog chase the gulls, much of the time it does not both bother me when people have their dogs of leash except when the dogs chase the birds off that I want to look at. By the time I got to the end of the park though the dog was gone.

I walked out on the beach, at first it didn’t look like there was anything out there but then I saw a Black-bellied plover and after that I saw some Semipalmated plovers. As I spent more time out there I saw more and more birds. I walked out and sat down on the beach and watched the Semipalmated plovers. They would run and then stop, run then stop, run then stop, thats just how they moved around. While I was out on the beach I looked at the gulls that had landed out there when I heard a Caspian tern, I looked around and eventually saw it. I took photos of it as it flew around and while I was doing that I saw a second one. They flew around together for a few minutes then flew west. After I had looked at the gulls for a while I started heading back towards the tree when I looked up and saw a raptor flying towards me I realized that it was an Osprey and took photos of it as it flew by. I watched it fly over by Verstovia then start circling upwards.

I walked into the forest then quickly walked home after that. Osprey Caspian tern

This morning was a cool one as I left the house just after 6:00 to go to the park. My muscles were a little sore from crawling on my belly yesterday, but it wasn’t bad. I walked down to Back beach on my way to the park to check to see if there were any shorebirds down there. At first I didn’t see any but then a large mixed flock of Black turnstones and other shorebirds flew in and landed, following them a smaller flock of plovers and sandpipers landed further down the beach. I excitedly walked down the beach towards them, as I got closer to them I went and got on the road that ran along the beach. I walked down the road a ways then I sat down and watched them. There were 5 Black-bellied plovers, half a dozen Short-billed dowitchers, a handful of Least sandpipers and a Western sandpiper. It was interesting to watch out the plovers and the sandpipers moved. The plovers walked around more upright  and would take a few steps stop look around take a few more steps stop look around and repeat. Where as the sandpipers walked around more hunched over and closer to the ground.

I watched the shorebirds for a bit then I got up and walked down the road, cut around in front of the trailer court. I carefully made my way across the river so that I didn’t slip and fall then I walked down the park beach. I moved quickly because I only had an hour before I wanted to be home, but I also tried to move carefully so that I would avoid flushing very many birds. As I walked down the beach I smelled the sent of wet seaweed. I walked down the beach by the water then I walked up along the top of the beach. As I was walking along the top of the beach I noticed a raptor flying over, so I quickly got my camera out and took photos of it. AS I walked I looked at my photos and decided that it was a Northern harrier which I have seen only a handful of times in Sitka. I walked back through the park on the trail, listening to the Ruby-crowned kinglets singing. I stopped and ate a Wild cucumber it tasted like a very watery cucumber.

I waded back across the river and cut around the front of the trailer court. On my way around the trailer court I slipped on a rock and started to fall, I put my hand to catch myself and had it land on a rock covered in barnacles, boy did it hurt. I looked at my hand saw that it wasn’t cut then kept walking. I walked back to Back beach then home.           Black-bellied plover

Yesterday afternoon I was heading out to check the mail. On my way out to the mailbox I looked up and saw  a raptor with a white belly and underwing coverts. I realized that it was a Osprey so I turn around and went charging into the house to get my camera. I came back out and got a few photos of it then I went charging back into the house to tell dad. I ran up the stairs and told him that there was an Osprey soaring over the house. I went back outside to take more photos of it and he came out too. By the time we got out there the Osprey had stopped soaring and was now flying north.

It was the first Osprey I have seen and gotten photos of in Alaska!

This morning I walked down to the park. On my way down to the park I caught the aroma of of some freshly cut grass being carried by the light South, Southeast wind. As I walked along the Seawalk I noticed a couple of Ravens soaring. They did slow circles, calmly flapping their wings occasionally as they put more and more distance between them and the ground that was below them. I proceeded down to the park, where I noticed a pair of Green-winged teal close to shore. I walked along the trail like I was just going into the woods, as to not make them nervous. After I lost sit of them I headed over towards some Salmon berry bushes. Cutting through a section of the bushes was a old trail. I walked over to trail, got down on my hands and nees and proceeded to feel the damp trail as I belly crawled down it to the edge of the bushes where I pocked my head out to see that the male Green-winged teal had noticed me and was starting to swim away and that the female was following him.

I got up brushed myself off and walked down the beach. As I walking down the beach I saw that there was a flock of Green-winged teal sleeping out at the edge of the water. I walked down the beach so that I could get into a better position it attempt to sneak up on them. There was a low spot in the beach that extended out a ways towards the water line, so I walked to the edge of it then got down and started crawling on my hands and nees out towards where the Teal were sleeping. The low spot was deep enough that the Teal didn’t see as I approached, but I was going to need to go out of the low spot so that I could get closer to them. After I had crawled over rocks that didn’t feel all that great on my nees I finally reach the edge of the low spot where I was able to graduate from crawling on my hands and nees to belly crawling over the rocks to get closer to the Teal. As I excitedly crawled over the rocks, towards the teal which were still sleeping at the edge of the water, I felt the heat coming up from the rocks that combined with the sun beating down on me and all the work that I was doing crawling over the quite unconformable rock I worked up a sweat. I was able to get with in about 30 feet of them before they started to stir more and then eventually fly. After they flew I got up and walked back towards the trail. The three Great-blue herons that had been watching me the whole time remained where they were and did not seem to be to wried about me as I walked back toward the trail.

I got back on the trail and walked down to the end of the park. At the end of the park I saw a Pacific Golden-plover that stood bobbing up and down from time to time as I walked by. A bit further down the trail I saw a few Savannah  sparrows and an American pipit working the top of the beach. As I watched them move around I heard the dry seaweed crunch underneath their little feet. I watched them for a bit then continued down the beach and got back on the trail.

I calmly walked down the trail listening to the birds that were singing around me.  Just before I got to the entrance I was hit by a wave cool air that tasted a bit of fresh water. The park staff was using a fire hose to clean the parking lot. I proceeded around them and headed home.