Birdsong and a New Domain Name

Spring in Alaska may take its time arriving, but when it’s here, how glorious it is! The anticipation builds for months, sometimes, and we endure late-winter snowfalls and teasing warm days, and finally the green bursts forth. I can’t say we’re fully there, but pale-green leaves are beginning to break out of buds all around me! And tonight we saw what I would consider the first “April shower” (that didn’t contain any sleet or snow). The thirsty grass has been trying so hard to explode into green, and I think this rain might push it over the edge.

Here’s a picture from two springs ago, which is NOT at all what this spring has been like! I think this is the winter that Anchorage will break the record for the least snowfall.

The days have been warm enough lately for me to bring my computer outside and work in the sunshine. The song that greets my ears is a melody I’m sure I could never match! The bird that intrigues me the most lately is the varied thrush. They’re hard to spot, but their song is impossible to miss! It sounds like a whistle being blown at intervals and at different tones. You can read about and hear them here (scroll down the page to find the sound clips on the right side).

Alaska is full of seasonal delights. The other day my husband and I were throwing a Frisbee in the yard as a quick break, and we stopped when we heard a strange yet somehow familiar sound. We finally spotted two pairs of birds flying high in the sky, headed west from the mountains. Then my husband remembered what the sound was; they were sandhill cranes! This is the time of year they migrate here, and many eyes watch eagerly for them. We lived near an estuary on the Anchorage coastline last spring, and we got to watch these birds during mating season. You can hear their unique call at this site.

Here are a couple photos I took a while back of a red crossbill. These birds are gorgeous! Their songs are so cheerful, as well, and they bring bright beauty to white winter landscapes.

Important Update!

Before I end this post, I want to let you know that I’ll be changing the name of my blog soon (May 2015). I’ve already reserved a new domain name, www.AKmaryanne.com, so bookmark it now if you want! If you’ve subscribed to my posts, the change won't affect you and the email notifications will still take you to the right place. So sign up if you haven't, and you won't miss any of my posts. I’m redirecting the old URL to the new URL, so you should be able to access my site through either one. I’ll explain the reason for the name/domain change in the next post, but I wanted to let my readers in on the news!

What is your favorite bird in springtime?