Category Archives: Year 9

The Shifting Sands of Time Birding at Anchor Point

I had a great time birding at Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula near Homer yesterday morning. This is the first of two posts about my experience, including one of my two lifers, but first some background. In conversations with locals from the Kachemak Bay Birders I learned that if I wanted to see birds, I needed to hike …. a four mile round trip trek to the mouth of the Anchor River. Apparently just a few years ago the trek would only have been a three mile walk, but the river’s mouth is a moving target as new sand and silt coming down from the mountains shifts the outflow location. There are kelp beds near the river’s mouth that are nourished by both the ocean and river currents.  The birds understand this fact. The ocean shoreline was essentially bird free till I reached the mouth of the river, then I was in bird heaven. The walk itself was not an easy one due to soft sands for walking and a huge head wind on my return.

When I started my hike in addition to the beautiful view of a mountainous volcano across the ocean strait (see below), I was dumbfounded to find large boats being launched and taken out of the water through the ocean surf. A boat’s captain had to wait well offshore, and then had one good chance to put his boat on the trailer or risk extreme damage to the vessel. (watch the video … link for email subscribers)

The Volcano view and some stills of the “landing process”. Heavy duty lift required!

Ah yes … this is a birding blog. Here is my Pacific Golden Plover. This amazing little bird which stood out amongst all the other shore birds due to its golden plumage, is a about to migrate down to the South Pacific!

In closing … one pic of a Greater Yellowlegs which are now also starting to pass through the Duluth area on their southern migration.

Part two of Anchor Point birding coming soon. Here is my actual walk via Strava. According to Strava I was walking for 1 hour and 45 minutes, but motionless of 45 minutes (watching birds).

Meeting the Locals and a few Puffin!

The rains are coming down, and thus I am taking the time to blog. The forecast says by this afternoon I should have sun once more. I’m thinking a return trip to the Eveline Alpine Meadows may be in order (Purple Power Passion). Tomorrow morning I am set up to take a birding hike along the beach at Anchor Point with local folks from the Kachemak Bay Birders organization.

As always when you visit an area it is important to get to know the locals. Thus, during my 2+ hour walkabout in Seldovia while on a mid day break from my wildlife boat tour out of Homer, I had a great conversation with this individual.

As mentioned I took a day long boat tour via Rainbow Tours out of Homer. Including the 2+ hour stop at Seldovia we took in Gull Island with all its puffins and Common Mure, saw lots of humpback whales including some that breached (impressive jumps), and an amazing number of sea otters (many with pups). The boat is docked here in Seldovia. It was low tide, which meant an 18 foot drop from high tide. Thus, the boat was way down there ….

I found trying to photograph humpback whales from a moving, rocking platform (i.e. our boat) was nigh to impossible. Thus I just watched and enjoyed the spectacle. I did manage to take a few images. Enjoy.

Proving I saw Puffins (often quite close up)

One of many Sea Lions

Common Mure (2nd pic is their rookery of Gull Island)

Gull Island (smaller island in foreground)

Bald Eagles are quite common!

Seldovia Walk About (my Strava data) … the Russian influence was obvious in terms of older homes and churches.

The Power of Purple Passion!

Not feeling on top of the world? The answer might be to travel near the top of the world, in this case the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska and take a hike through Alpine meadows amoungst the fireweed. You will need to visit during August when the changeover from Summer to Winter is a now a possibility. Near the “end of the road” past Homer, Alaska you will find the Eveline State Recreation Area. I have hiked many trails over my 66 years of living, and the Meadow Trail at Eveline is one of the prettiest, most gorgeous walks I have ever taken walked in my lifetime. Here was my view …

Better yet, when my trail descended into some spruce tree groves I found a family of Spruce Grouse!

And a selfie taken with my phone proving I was present!