Why birding is better than Pokemon Go.

This past summer there was a big craze in smart phone

gaming called Pokemon Go. I never played the game myself and perhaps it has seen it's 15 minutes of fame and faded into gaming obscurity. If so, it would render this comparison fairly obsolete. Even so, I am reminded of an incident last fall while birding in a popular local park. I was peering through my binoculars at a Raven high in a spruce tree when a small group of pre-teens accompanied by a couple of adults walked by. They paused as they walked up to me, and curiously asked what I was looking at. I simply said "bird watching."  They looked puzzled for a second as I'm sure they mulled over in their minds why anyone would be standing there just watching a bird. As their confused looks turned to acceptance, they replied "oh, ok" and turned to continue walking. As they departed, I took the opportunity to quip "It's better than Pokemon!" which got a few muffled chuckles from the adults.

Creepy Bird of the Month #5: Marabou Stork

Ah, the stork.  The universal symbol of new life.  If you’re anything like me, the mention of a stork brings up memories of Mr. Stork delivering a sweet baby “Jumbo Jr” to his mother, Mrs. Jumbo in the classic Disney cartoon, Dumbo.  Precious.

Not so much with the Marabou Stork.  I don’t think we need to do much to convince you that this ungainly bird is prime candidate for “Creepy Bird of the Month.” 

Brrrrr...baby it's cold outside.

Temperatures have dropped severely in the last few weeks, making it painful to get outside and do any photography for more than about 15-20 minutes.  We don't have that much good light these days, so on clear, cold days when the sun shines for a few hours, us die-hards embrace the frigid weather and make the most of the opportunity.

When I got into birding last year (read about it here), one of my obsessions became putting up bird feeders around my house. I wanted my house and yard to be a bustle of feathered activity and I tried several different varieties of bird feeders, both handmade and store bought. It didn't take long for the Black-capped Chickadees and the Red-breasted Nuthatches to find my suet cages and little plastic bird feeders. I bought the generic "wild bird seed" and watched as a few birds here and there came to enjoy the feast. I noticed that the Nuthatches would sift through the seeds and pick out tasty morsels,

Creepy Bird of the Month #4: Purple Swamphen

Welcome to another installment of Creepy Bird of the Month. This months featured freakazoid is the Purple Swamphen which was nominated for Creepy Bird of the Month by my good friend Matt. Thank you Matt, for your suggestion!

Now this bird isn't your typical ugly bird. In fact, at first look it's not ugly at all. But this series is called "Creepy Bird of the Month," not "Ugly Bird of the Month" and this bird gets creepy credit due to its enormously ghoulish legs and feet. Seriously, this bird is the Bigfoot of the Avian world. One look at those huge, disturbing spider-like claws they use as feet and you'll be creeped out too.

Getting my mojo back: 151, Pacific Wrens, and little owls.

I really enjoy winter birding. I think it's the challenge of it that I like best. I have to work harder hunting for new species. The reward of finding an owl or another winter bird is a thrill, and getting them in good light to photograph provides additional challenges. What's your favorite season for birding and why? Are you new to birding or a seasoned vet?

When I dropped my camera and lens back in September, I felt like the wind had gone out of my sails. I didn't shoot for weeks even though I still had my backup trusty D5100. Once I cleaned up my lens and discovered it had survived the fall, I started getting back out shooting again, but didn't quite have the drive I had had before. Well, I am happy to report that I feel like I've got my mojo back, or, as my friend Travis calls it, my "Bird Juju". Last week,

Finding owls

Here in Alaska, the days have gotten much colder and the leaves on the trees have been replaced by lumps of snow and frost. The ground is covered by about 3 inches of snow, which crunches under our feet as we venture outdoors. For me the changing season is like grinding to a screeching halt after the momentum of a sprint. The warmer months were filled with so many birds offering many great photo opportunities. Our summer birds have now departed, and many of our winter birds are returning, but not nearly as numerous or plentiful as their warm weather counterparts. Many of our cold weather birds tend to flock together in large numbers through the chilly season for food and safety.

Creepy Bird of the Month #3: California Condor

It's way past time for an installment of Creepy Bird of the Week Month. Yes, that's right, I will be switching this from a weekly to a monthly post. A monthly schedule just makes more sense since a weekly post is just not sustainable for me at this time. It's been a couple months anyways since my last one.

This months Creepy Bird is the California Condor which was recommended by my sister Joanie who is an avid birder in Washington State. This bird is MASSIVE! Massively UGLY that is. Well, it is pretty huge in size as well. But make no mistake, this is one ugly beast and rightly qualifies for the Creepy Bird of the Month.

Reaching my goal

It's been a really great summer here in Southcentral Alaska, but the leaves have turned golden and mostly fallen from the trees. Winter is right around the corner which means cold, short days with minimal lighting.

My goal this year was to see and identify 150 different species of birds. I've had the pleasure to shoot many of them, and have had a blast doing it. Honestly, about a month ago, I was wondering if I was going to make it as the flocks began heading south for the winter and new birds were more and more scarce. Thanks to a community of active birders, I have continued to add them up. Someone would

Owls, and Crossbills, and Hawks, OH MY!

My regular birding report has really been lagging behind and it's my own fault. I hope my "Creepy Bird of the Week" series is a good filler, it's certainly fun for me to dig up the ugliest birds I can find.

I've been out birding a lot since my last report, even finding some new areas to explore that have yielded interesting sightings. A few weeks ago I was looking for Green-winged Teal in a new area I had been exploring for several days in a row. There are pools of water throughout this area and the water is brackish there with pockets of sun shining through the dense forest like spotlights, which makes the teals look like the are in black water. It's a very neat look, and I had shot a hen in that water which turned out really great. So I went back to try to get the drake in that same type of scene. Well, in my search for Teal, I heard a Robin giving off some alarm chirps perched on a branch

Creepy Bird of the Month #2: Potoo

Welcome to another installment of Creepy Bird of the Month. This week we're going to take a look at a truly grotesque bird, the Potoo. Now this creeper looks like something straight out of a muppet horror movie. With it's big yellow, bulging eyes and gaping mouth, it just might take flight in your nightmares. And if that wasn't disturbing enough, it's got a seriously eerie, spooky call to accompany it's ghoulish looks.

Creepy Bird of the Month #1: The Shoebill

Welcome to the first installment of what will be a weekly blog post. The Creepy Bird of the Month takes a look at some of the truly ugly and sometimes, downright evil looking birds from around the world.

The creepy bird to have the honor of being the inaugural post is the Shoebill.
The Shoebill (Balaeniceps Rex) also known as Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large, Stork-like bird from Africa. This creeper is truly wicked looking. With a HUGE bill and mangy body, this thing looks like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock classic.

Bring on Summer!

I've let another month slip by without posting. There has been all kinds of activity and a lot to report on. I will try to condense this one, though it covers 4-5 weeks.

There is so much life happening all around. Baby birds are hatching and baby animals are being born. Plant life has spring to life after months of cold and darkness, bathing everything in fresh spring air. The sun is shining, bringing warmth and light, and energy to this fragile eco system. I love to pause and just listen to the birds sing, and take a deep breath of the fresh air. It smells deliciously sweet and almost intoxicating in it's purity. Take a deep breath and enjoy life.

Spring continues to blossom

Well we are in full on spring mode now, with leaves blossoming and more and more migrants returning to mate and nest in our local woodlands, and wetlands. I've continued to get out and explore new areas and revisit regular spots, seeing new birds quite often.

More birds arriving

I am seeing more and more birds every day. The last three days I have seen a new bird each day.
Last week was a great week as I ended the week with a Northern Pintail early in the morning. I had decided to get up early and go to a marsh in South Anchorage to shoot Trumpeter Swans and ended up seeing the Pintails there. They were pretty far away and the lighting was not yet good but a sighting is a sighting and I'll take it.

Spring is in the air.

It is an unusually early spring here in the great northern state of Alaska. We are seeing record early migrations around the state. That's music to my ears! I am thrilled to see the return of my feathered friends and I want to shoot them all. With my camera that is.

Activity has been amping up since my last post. Last week I finally got to see and photograph a Barrow's Goldeneye. These ducks are distinctive from their Common cousins in a blueish head plumage and more distinctive, closed white bars on the wings.

First migrants arrive

The last two weeks have seen some new species arrive here in Southcentral Alaska (seems my weekly blog has turned into a bi-weekly blog lately). Last week, at one of my usual birding spots I saw a pair of Gadwall ducks and also a lone Green-winged Teal drake. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was able to get some nice shots off. I wasn't alone there, as someone I admire and respect a great deal was there ahead of me and saw me arrive. he motioned for me to come over to the water and pointed out the Gadwall. While we were shooting, the Teal showed up. Two new species in one day is a good day this time of year.

Days are getting longer

Birding lately has been much brighter, thanks to our days growing longer and the sun rising higher in the sky. That means that the birds are more active as well, and I have been noticing that many species are already pairing up and beginning to build nests. Spring won't be far behind and with it will bring a bussle of activity.

I have not posted since the last half of February following my trip to Seward for the Audubon Alaska field trip. My new bird sightings have had a 3 week dry spell. Not for lack of getting out and

Audubon Seward Birding trip

Over the weekend I took my family down to Seward to join in the Annual Anchorage Audubon Seward field trip. We arrived on Friday evening around 4pm and after checkin at our lodging, took our son for a walk. We made our way to the boardwalk at Benny Benson Park where Common Goldeneye's where swimming in the half frozen water. After stretching our legs, we made our way back to the car to return to our room when my wife calmly informed me that there was a bird on a wire above the boardwalk. Sure enough, a Belted Kingfisher perched high above with a great view of it's fishing area. That was a "first" for 2016 of which there would be many more in the next 24 hours.

Been a bit slow lately

I've been out and about a number of times lately in search of new birds. I've even got a good list to go on and a number of spots were they can potentially be found. However, the birds seem to be evading me at the moment.

Today, I went for the third time to a spot that has had a fairly regular American Three-toed Woodpecker, but

Alaska Birding Adventures Continued...

I haven't exactly been racking up the numbers in my 2016 bird count. In fact, I am getting 1 or two new birds a week at best. Once spring hits and the migratory birds return it will be crazy but for now, it's slow going.

Since I posted last I have been all over the place. I went up Campbell Airstrip Drive as it transitions to Basher Road earlier this week in search of Ptarmigan and Snowy Owl which

Birding in the last frontier

I'm finding that posting once a week is a good pace for me, unless something major happens that I absolutely can't wait to post like some rare bird that I came across or the birth of the newest birder in my family (looking for mid March for that action). This past week was fairly active for me as far as photography is concerned, but I did not add any new birds to my list. I came across a couple of Hairy Woodpeckers and a Downy as well, at my usual lunch break stomping grounds. And I also saw my little Boreal Owl friend again too, which was very nice. Although, it was being harassed by quite a few Jay's and Magpie's.

Cold day in Eagle River

It's a cold, crisp, clear day here in Eagle River, AK. The branches of every tree are covered with a light layer of snow. It's a true winter wonderland, complete with Pine Grosbeaks, Redpolls, Chickadees and more. Being relatively new to birding, I am amazed at how many bird species remain in Alaska during the winter months. I have seen Robins, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Dark-eyed Junco, Common Goldeneye, Common Merganser and more. This has already started off being a great year of birding. As of yesterday, I have hit the

Boreal Owl

Today I took my usual lunch and made my way down to one of my favorite birding spots. It's been snowy the last few days so I wasn't expecting much activity besides the usual Chickadees. Upon arrival, I immediately heard a Steller's Jay making a loud ruckus along with some Magpie's. Thinking they were fighting amongst themselves, I went to investigate and see if I could get some good shots. The Steller's jay was in a large spruce tree located in a woodsy area in the middle

New Gear!

Well I finally went and did it. After 4 and a half months playing with my Canon SX50 HS, I have officially upgraded gear. A good friend of mine had purchased a Nikon D5100 a year or so ago, and it's been sitting collecting dust ever since. He's taken a couple photos with it but that was when he first go it. It's practically brand new. He made me a killer deal on

Black-capped Chickadee - 2016 bird of the year

Again, today's post is going to include events of the last week or so.

Last weekend saw a close of 2015, my first year of birding. I ended my year at 70 species, which I am proud of. I could probably have done more, but I think that I did well, all things considered. Some of the birds I recall excitedly seeing for the first (sometimes only) time, are: Yellow Warbler, Common Murre, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Snow Bunting, Pacific Wren, and my #70 a Northern Shrike. My bird of 2015 is probably the Yellow-rumped Warbler, I saw them everywhere.