We are a day past Solstice and at this latitude the sun will rise this morning at 8:39 a.m. and will set at 3:21 p.m. for a total of 6 hours, 42 minutes and 1 second of sun above the horizon. That is a gain of 5 seconds of daylight since the Solstice yesterday and it won't be long before we are gaining nearly five minutes of daylight a day. At its highest today the sun will be 9.6 degrees above the horizon. We are rocketing towards longer days and looking forward to spring migration. But for now we will have to deal with short days and long nights and be satisfied with the hardy winter residents that make their home in coastal southeast Alaska.
Jump past the gold filigree hummingbird nest and come with Mrs. RealAlaskan and me as we take a Solstice bird walk from our home on a hill overlooking downtown to Sitka National Historical Park, locally known as Totem Park, on the waterfront.
Before we get started, take a look at this bird's eye view of Sitka and you can see that Sikta occupies a narrow stretch of land between the sea and the mountains. Sitka has been home to the Tlingit people for thousands of years and after the Battle of Sitka, which took place in what is now Totem Park in 1804, was occupied by the Russians until the United States took possession of Russian territory in 1867 at Sitka.
While it may be surrounded by rugged terrain and, often times, tempestuous ocean, this area provides habitat for numerous, and diverse species of resident birds; as well as a stopping off point for migrants making their way north or south.
Photo by Dave Dapcevich
Back on the ground, I am looking out our dining room window at the sunrise in the south-southeast. It is about 9 a.m. and the sun is finally peeking out from behind the mountains that form the spine of Baranof Island. The weather has been a little crazy with rain, snow, sun and wind....all in the same day but that isn't unusual around these parts. As I told our daughter when she was a wee little lass, "Its a blustery day in the hundred acre wood".
I think that is enough getting oriented, lets go see what birds we can find today....
As we walk down the street from our house we pass a hawthorn tree in our neighbor's yard. When Bohemian waxwings pass through the area, which they seem only to do in the late fall and winter, they particularly like the berries that they find on these trees.
First stop is the small boat harbor and the neighboring salmon hatchery. There is often a belted kingfisher hanging out and today is no exception. These guys are particularly skittish and this one gave me several shots before it flew off to another perch.
The sidewalk follows the shoreline and turns into a meandering boardwalk that affords a good view of the water where harlequin ducks, common goldeneye and common mergansers are often seen....
The path makes its way through huckleberry and salmonberry thickets along the water's edge. This can be a good place to spot golden crowned kinglets and occasionally we are treated to pine grosbeaks, which are are casual visitors in winter.
We now arrive at Totem Park, which is Alaska oldest National Park.
The park is bounded by the sea to the south and east and a river on the north side. With it's towering Sitka spruce and hemlock forest birding can be challenging but the open edges provide good views of many birds. Regardless of the birding this is a pleasant walk and one that we do several times a week. The totem poles found along the trail are wonderful works of art and poles are still being carved and erected; this is not a dead art form.
This pole was carved by Nathan Jackson, one of the more well known traditional carvers on the northwest Pacific coast.
Local carver, Tommy Joseph is experimenting with new forms and motifs in his work as he brings new ideas to traditional Northwest Coast form line and ovoid design. I encourage you to click the link to Tommy's webpage and check out his incredible work. Be sure to come back though, we'll wait for you.
Raven sits atop this simple memorial pole. Raven and Eagle are the Tlingit moieties, with Eagle sometimes referred to as Eagle/Wolf, depending on where the clan is from, and they figure prominently in their art forms.
Chestnut backed chickadees are common species in the forested area and occasionally one sees a brown creeper, but you have to look closely as they are well camouflaged.
The edges of the timber open up to deciduous thickets and today treats us to some woodpeckers. Usually you hear them tapping away in the deep woods but this little cutie was working the alder for bugs and was quickly chased off by a hairy woodpecker. I guess it let the downy do all the work before swooping in for a meal.
Varied thrushes are year round residents and never cease to delight the eye.
Around the next bend is the Indian River estuary. The forest meets the river meets the ocean. Lots of bird action happens at this intersection of habitat. Great blue herons, Canada geese, Eagle, dippers, common mergansers, mallards, Raven, and my favorite winter residents, trumpeter swans. All in a one hundred yard stretch with towering forest on either side!
Blue heron
Canada geese
Eagle
American dipper fluffed up and warm
Punk merganser
Multiple mallards
Raven
Family of trumpeter swans
Well, it is almost three o'clock and the sun is nearing the horizon in the south-southwest. That about does it for this second shortest day of the year. Thanks for joining us on our Solstice walk in the park, it is time to head home and have some hot chocolate.