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.



Over the weekend, I took my family down to Portage to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see the bears, Bison, Elk and other animals there. My son loved seeing all the wildlife and it was a great family time. I was looking at the Great Horned Owl enclosure that was right next to the Bald Eagle when I heard a songbird coming from nearby. I walked over to the Bald Eagle enclosure and heard it coming from there. I looked around, and sure enough, I saw a little Golden-crowned Sparrow foraging on the ground inside the cage. What a sweet find! I was excited. It was my favorite thing to see on our trip to AWCC.

Yesterday, while out looking for an American Three-toed Woodpecker I had been given a tip on. I did not see the woodpecker but I did see my first American Robin of the year. I'm not sure if it is a new arrival or if the wintering flock is spreading out but it is very nice to see them again. As I was just about to leave that area, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew into the top of a nearby spruce tree,d so I HAD to stick around a little longer and take some photos. It put on quite a display.

Today, a friend and I went to another spot in South Anchorage that has been a good spot during the summer. I thought it would be a good place to check for new arrivals. Sure enough it didn't take long to hear the unmistakable song of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet! I am glad to have them return and that was definitely a nice surprise. We also saw another Robin, two Hairy Woodpeckers, a Downy Woodpecker, a Black-billed Magpie, and Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees. It was a good day.

The days are getting longer and warmer up here in Alaska. It's a very fun time, with the new arrivals coming in daily.

That's a wrap for now, as always, keep your eyes (and ears) to the trees, and keep your binoculars handy! Happy birding.