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