Lynn Barber

As is almost always the case, Potter Marsh was fun to bird this morning. So much so that I wandered around on that boardwalk over 2 hours. In addition to birds, a moose strolled near the boardwalk and then under it (beneath us) and out again, twice! Mostly it spent time munching on one of its favorite foods, fireweed blossoms.

Shorebirds kept arriving the whole time that I was out at Potter Marsh. At first it was just both species of yellowlegs. Then there were four Wilson’s Snipe there, sometimes all together. A single Solitary Sandpiper was joined by two Spotted Sandpipers. There were five Short-billed Dowitchers.

A very larger Black-billed Magpie flock arrived on the mud, hopping about and fussing and squawking and then departed.

In the alders were numerous Alder Flycatchers calling and flitting about.

After Potter Marsh I went to Westchester Lagoon and the nearby trail for awhile. I did not take many pictures there as most of the birds were far out in the water or on the mudflats. My favorite birds there were the many Red-necked Grebes, some of which still had quite young youngsters.

All in all, an excellent morning of Anchorage birding.

288 species so far