Hoonah, SE Alaska: Sunday, 7-23-17

Cloudy, Light winds, 54 degrees ("Heavenly!")

Sunrise:  4:32am    Sunset:  9:37pm

Greater Yellowlegs

Huge Mushroom (18" across)

Red-Naped Sapsucker

Immature Bald Eagle

Her two cubs from last year (now in their 2nd summer)

Mama and her two cubs

They ascended the bank and started across the bridge on which we staying so she did an about face and crossed the road and went into the woods with her cubs.

Wilson's Snipes 

Duh!

Whitefish Point, Seney NWR, MI: 5-14-17

 Ruffed Grouse, the most widely distributed game bird in North America

Immature Golden Eagle

Common Raven harassing the eagle

 Lots of birds migrating through!

Hermit Thrush

Male American Goldfinch, the state bird of Washington

Sandhill Crane

This is MY Spot!

Canada Geese: Trip to & from the Great Lakes, 4-6/17

At least 11 subspecies of Canada Goose have been recognized, although only a couple are distinctive.  In general, the geese get smaller as you move northward, and darker as you go westward.  Actually, the four smallest forms are now considered a different species: the Cackling Goose.

Some migratory populations of the Canada Goose are not going as far south in the winter as they used to.  This northward range shift has been attributed to changes in farm practices that make waste grain more available in fall and winter, as well as changes in hunting pressure as well as changes in weather patterns.

Strange swimmer 

We watched this goose swim like this for about 15 minutes covering over 100 yards.  It didn't seem to be looking for food and didn't seem "afraid" of anything.  It finally started swimming "normally" and eventually flew off.  Strange behavior to us that we'd never seen before.