Potpourri

 

Male Northern Cardinal

Non-native, exotic Brown Anole

Great Blue Heron "shaking its bootie"

Male Prothonotary Warbler

Canada Goose

Plunge-diving Brown Pelicans

 

The head always ends up facing directly 180 degrees opposite from the direction it was facing when it entered the water.

Palm Warblers in our yard

 

Black-billed Magpies: Anchorage, AK

• Historical records of the American West indicate that Black-billed Magpies have been associates of people for a long time. Magpies frequently followed hunting parties of Plains Indians and fed on leftovers from bison kills. On their expedition, Lewis and Clark reported magpies boldly entering their tents to steal food.

Range Map

Near Merlin Blvd in Anchorage, AK

 

Spring and American Robins

 

Anchorage International Airport

 

Downy Woodpeckers in our oaks

Male Downy Woodpecker

Note the red patch of feathers on the back of the head

Downy Woodpeckers are small versions of the classic woodpecker body plan. They have a straight, chisel-like bill, blocky head, wide shoulders, and straight-backed posture as they lean away from tree limbs and onto their tail feathers. The bill tends to look smaller for the bird’s size than in other woodpeckers.

The smallest and most widespread North American woodpecker

Females do not have the red patch on the back of the head