Monthly Archives: May 2009

Surfbirds in Prince William Sound

If you are a bird, the condition of your feathers means everything. And so the process of preening is a continual one. It is also at this stage that a bird can ingest oil and other contaminants that may adhere to their feathers in polluted waters. This Surfbird (Aphriza virgata), was one of thousands along…

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Kayak Island

In the late 1700′s, the first recorded European to set foot on Alaska was George Steller, a naturalist on the Russian expedition led by Vitus Bering. Steller landed on a rugged prominence called Kayak Island, a 23 mile island directly exposed to the violent waters of the Gulf of Alaska. A great book on details…

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Shorebird migration on the Copper River Delta

The Copper River Delta in eastern Prince William Sound, serves as an important refueling stop for the shorebirds that migrate along the western coast of the US. Hundreds of thousands of birds congregate here in early May and spend a few days on average feeding on the rich inter tidal shores before journeying on to…

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