For the first time since arriving in Alaska the weather took an unexpected turn and we actually experienced a nearly full day of sun. At sunrise there was not a cloud to be seen anywhere though, once the sun began to heat things up, fog began to form around the glaciers, snowpacks, lakes, and rivers. The Seward Highway passes by a section of Kenai Lake about 20 miles north of town and in this image we are looking west along the east-west arm of the lake.

< I began the day early with a ride out to the northeastern shore of Resurrection Bay to see what, if any, birds I could find. I arrived at just about sunrise but had to wait a little while for the sun to actually shine some light on the scene after having forgotten that the mountains along the coast would be casting a shadow for some time. While waiting I was watching several Harlequin Ducks feeding near the shore and did manage to get close enough for a few good frames (though fording a stream emptying into the bay wearing tennis shoes wasn't in the original plan).

The tide was low and dead (spawned out) salmon were lying all along the beach and gulls were, naturally, everywhere (along with the occasional Bald Eagle, too). Glaucous-winged Gulls are the most common in the area; this one pausing from its feast to let another flying by that this fish was already claimed. Mew Gulls common, too, and seemed to be out in the water feeding. In Tuesday's rain I saw some Marbled Murrelets out in the water as well as what I believe was a Pigeon Guillemot - if the weather holds (unlikely looking at the radar west of here) I plan to try and shoot some of them this afternoon.

Of the four species I shot down on the beach, three were new for me with this Wandering Tattler being the fourth - I am holding back on the third since I decided to use it for this week's quiz to be posted tomorrow. Unfamiliarity with Western birds through me for a loop with this one at first and I thought it was a Spotted Sandpiper because of the near constant tail-bobbing. But I also knew that it was a little big and the plumage wasn't quite right so had to do a little research to get it right.

Today brings a trip to visit a portion of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge with the hopes of finding some more new stuff - provided the weather cooperates at least a little.