Alaska Hawk Watch 2009

[Co-opski]

Sunday April 17, 2009
I spent most of Saturday on the ski hill and woke up Sunday early to a cold wet rain. It was time for me to get out of the rainforest and head north to some sun. ~15hr 20min of daylight would make for some good birding, so I packed the rig and started heading north to meet with the Mat-Su Birders.

The first bird on the trip was a Bald Eagle it was sitting in a snag at the mouth of Glacier Creek and Tunagain Arm. The eulachon are starting to run, not only are the eagles after them but the belugas are back in the arm.

I stopped by Potters Marsh and Rabbit Creek on my way through Anchorage. The Mew Gulls have been back for only 5 days boldly protecting the sites that they will eventually build their nests on.

Matanuska River on the Glenn Hwy

 

[Ursidae69]

Nice photos. That Peterson guide on hawks is the one I carry too. :costumed-smiley-007

 

[Co-opski]

Chugach Mountians

Matanuska Glacier

I made it into the taiga at Tahneta Pass.

Mile post 118.9 of the Glenn had a take over of birders. People from all over the state came out for this event; Fairbanks, Homer, Seward, Anchorage, the valley, Talkeetna, Kenai, and some folks from Colorado.
The hawks, falcons, eagles, owls and tundra swans were taking this pass on there migration north and in the two days of observations they counted 283 hawks.

Here is the website if any Expo birders want to plan birding trips.

http://www.matsubirders.org/html/hawkwatch.html

I'll be at the Homer Shore Bird Fest May 6-10 for my next adventure.

 

[Co-opski]

Nice photos. That Peterson guide on hawks is the one I carry too. :costumed-smiley-007

I like how they have many of the different color morphs pictured in the Petersons. It was fun sitting back and listening to the Pros discuss color variations on swainson's hawks, and northern harriers.

 

[haven]

Thanks for your contribution. Annual hawk watches, sea watches and bird counts add much to our understanding of the avian world, and of the health of the natural world we all depend on. Besides, it can be great fun!

One downside to hawk watch participation: You learn exactly how much your vision has deteriorated. A well-trained 20 year old can identify birds at distances where I can only offer conjectures.

Chip Haven

 

[globey]

sweet pics

 

[Richie]

Just beautiful. It's my dream to go to Alaska. Can't wait to make it there.