On June 8th I wandered around Anchorage, birding at Campbell Estuary Natural Area, Hood Lake and Point Woronzoff out by the airport.
At the Natural Area were the usual warblers, mostly unseen but just heard, and a couple of noisy, visible Alder Flycatchers.
At Lake Hood there were five Red-necked Phalaropes in the area where the Red-throated Loon hangs out but the loon was not around.
Beyond Point Woronzoff I had a good view of a bull moose that is getting his antlers.
At the pond at the big parking lot out there I was startled to hear the chirp of a Common Yellowthroat, which then started singing – my first for in-Anchorage itself.
The next day I went to Potter Marsh, where there were the usual Tree Swallows flying about and more Alder Flycatchers. Toward the south end of the marsh there was a Red-necked Grebe still on the nest, a preening dowitcher (plumage appeared to indicate Long-billed to me) and another Red-necked Phalarope. There were also some very cute goslings along the board walk.
On the Old Seward Highway behind the marsh a Wilson’s Snipe was calling and calling.
Today I joined nearly 20 others for Alaska Audubon’s Arctic Valley mountain walk for plants and birds, a long and windy, but great walk. Scenes and plants and birds were great, but as the distance between the plant people and the bird people increased I missed some of the plant information.
The usual summer birds that I find down in Anchorage were there plus when we got high enough there was a perched Golden Eagle.
Others saw and I heard an American Pipit, and we all got to hear and see a singing Horned Lark.
On the drive down the road after the walk, I noticed a bunch of cars pulled over. When I got near I saw that they were watching a mother bear and her three (!) cubs at the side of the road. I got a few pictures through my front window, and then as I sat there the whole family came past my car on the right side, giving me wonderful views.
What a cool thing it is to live and bird in Anchorage!!
Lynn Barber's Birding Blog 