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March 28, 2024

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Thursday, August 3, 2023

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Friday, January 28, 2022

A Call To Cameras – More Photographers needed in Indy Media

  I was on the Matthew Filipowicz Show last week discussing the need for independent media to have professional photographers on staff. On Matt’s show I discuss why news groups having access to a photographers back catalogue and being able to look at a wider edit of photos is intrinsic to being able to analyze events and stories. Please check it out at his site. http://matthewf.net  

Birds of the Week – American Herring Gull

American Herring Gull, Tangle River, Denali Highway

The largest gull In Interior Alaska, slightly larger than the Glaucous-winged Gull, is the Herring Gull. This is a highly variable species, and ornithologists disagree on how many species and subspecies there are, and even what its name should be. A big gull with pink legs and a honking big bill, it has black first and second primaries with white “windows” and a white tail, making it easy to distinguish from the similarly-sized Glaucous-winged Gull. The Herring Gull is another four year gull, resulting in a truly bewildering series of plumage changes. The International Ornithological Union and the American Ornithological…

Bird of the Week – Mew Gull

Mew Gull, Prospect Creek, Dalton Highway

By far the most common gull in Interior Alaska is the Mew Gull. And if you’ve been to Potter Marsh on the southeastern edge of Anchorage recently, you’ve seen flocks of them there, too. The Mew Gull is a three year gull, meaning there are 6-7 plumages to the mature, breeding adult you see here. In Interior Alaska, we only get adults and hatch years birds; first and second year birds wait to maturity before venturing this far north. The small, delicate bill, yellow legs and black primaries make this a pretty easy bird to identify. The yellow legs are…

Bird of the Week – Bonaparte’s Gull

Bonaparte's Gull, Adult Breeding Plumage

A couple of folks asked what WC meant by saying gulls had lots of different plumages. We’ll use today’s bird, the Bonaparte’s Gull, to illustrate the point. Here’s an adult Bonaparte’s Gull in breeding plumage: Note the deep black hood extending to the back of the skull, the black bill  and the pale grey back. If you could see the legs, they’re fire engine red. Then there’s this bird: This is the same species, except the adult is in non-breeding plumage. The head is white, except for a small black spot behind the ear; the bill is solid black. The…

Bird of the Week – Glaucous-winged Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull, Resurrection Bay

WC is an unabashed Laridophile, a gull lover. And in coastal Alaska, one of the most common Alaska gulls is the Glaucous-winged Gull. The Glaucous-winged is a four-year gull, meaning it takes four years to reach maturity. Each year, each young bird goes through at least two different plumages, as do adults. So you have at least eight different-looking gulls, that are all Glaucous-winged. It can make gull identification a challenge. Adult breeding Glaucous-winged birds are fairly straightforward: a large gull, with no black in the wings or tail, and medium grey wings. Hard core birders also note the small…

Bird of the Week – Great Grey Owl

Great Grey Owl

The largest, but not the heaviest, owl in North America is the Great Grey, an owl of the boreal forest. Even more than other owls, a Great Grey is mostly feathers. This particular bird is an educational bird some of you may recognize. Earl – that’s right, Earl Grey – lives with WC and Mrs. WC. You mean you don’t have mice thawing in your refrigerator? At 27 inches tall, with the distinct “bow tie” around the neck, this is one of the easiest birds to identify if you are lucky enough  to see one in the field. Or in…

Bird of the Week – Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl, Delta Barley Project

Short-eared Owls don’t usually breed in Interior Alaska, although there was an active nest along the Denali Highway a few years ago. They mostly breed on the north side of the Brooks Range and the North Slope, but pass through here in spring migration. The “ears,” like the “horns” on a Great Horned Owl, are feather tufts. They are “short” in relation to the tufts on its non-Alaska cousin, the Long-eared Owl. Short-eared Owls are among the most widely distributed owls in the Western Hemisphere. WC has seen them in Hawaii, in the Galapagos Islands, on Tierra del Fuego at…

Open Thread: Found Aurora

Just searching through my Alaska archives and came across a folder of some wonderful aurora photos from late last year. You can see the rest over at my new photo site (and get prints, if you like) at www.zdroberts.com.  

Bird of the Week – Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl, Delta Barley Project, Alaska Highway

Another Alaskan owl, now much harder to find, is the Northern Hawk Owl. The Hawk Owl has the longest tail among North American owls. The black border around the white facial disk is also a great field mark. Like the Boreal Owl, the Northern Hawk Owl is a plunge dive feeder, and is suffering from the unseasonable mid-winter rain storms, which make it impossible for them to punch through the snow to the prey below. Last year WC saw exactly one Hawk Owl. For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.

Bird of the Week – Great Horned Owl

Great-horned Owl Female

By far the most common owl in mainland Alaska is the Great Horned Owl. This pretty lady came to visit the WC household when we were hosting Gus, Bird TLC’s Great-horned. Gus was in an outdoor mew, and attracted this girl. It was certainly the most convenient bird photo WC has gotten: from his deck, in his bathrobe, with a cup of coffee at hand. For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.