2017 Winter Birding Report

Admittedly, I'm way behind on my regular blogging. I can't believe I haven't written anything since last year! In this post, I want to reflect a little on some of the highlights of 2016, and what I am looking forward to in 2017.

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Here in Alaska, the days have gotten much colder and the leaves on the trees have been replaced by lumps of snow and frost.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.