Lynn Barber's Alaska Big Year – and Beyond

Heads up – it’s clearly well into fall here in Anchorage.

There are still many beautiful yellow trees, but more than a third of the deciduous trees have lost all their leaves, and many of the others have very few leaves left on them. Many of the fallen leaves have not yet reached the ground but are adorning nearby spruce trees.

When I was out at Campbell Creek Estuary Natural Area today, it was so still I could hear the whispery tap tap of falling yellow leaves hitting branches on their way down to the ground. The few little puffs of wind caused clouds of swirling leaves to leave the trees wherever the wind blew.

In the woods, the Steller’s Jays ignored me as they pushed the leaves around looking for food.

There was a flock of Canada Geese on a nearby lake. Out on the flats, a flock of about 80 Canada Geese had also gathered, often they too were in the heads-up mode. Soon most of them will be gone.

Although it is a beautiful time of the year, sometimes it is hard to be a birder in the fall when most of the birds disappear, especially for a big year birder who still hopes for some new bird to appear.

 

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