Observaciones de abiabi

1-13-2022 Peltigera collina @ LSA. We had a hard freeze in November then several hits of freezing rain & another hard freeze so there is some frost damage to more exposed parts of the thallus. Note the dark apothecia on the right side of specimen - in the more protected area. Collected some Bryo float which had some of the lichen with it and was able to see the underside of the Lichen. See obs dated 1-14-22 for underside of lichen showing rhizine(s) and nearly colorless and shallow veins which were super hard to get fotos of in the field.

5-4-21 Siliqua patula - Pacific Razor Clam @ Summer Bay Beach Dune. We don't see many of these large shells (5-7") any more due to an increase in the Sea Otter population. This clam is one of their favored foods. Back in the 1980's we used to harvest these razor clams here on exceptionally low tides when the wind was blowing off shore back. Now there are fewer clams, more otters and the PCP levels are too high to safely eat them (the clams that is).

8-30-21 Athyrium filix-femina @ UGTH Saddle North Cirque on East side of Mound. Sori are getting ready to pop. Others of this species facing West are more yellow. The Fern Rivers are starting to show up on the hillsides. It's been fairly warm for Late August - in the 52-70F range. Dry for most of the summer. Early fall rain at night is helping to wash the Siberian wildfire smoke out of the air but it's still uncharacteristically overcast here - for this time of year.

7-1-21 Particularly irate Ground Squirrel which kept shrilling, barking & whistling @ Strawberry Hill near the eagle nest on the cliff. There were a LOT of eagles all over the nearby hillside so it was on constant high alert.

These Ground Squirrels were introduced to Unalaska in the late 1800 - early 1900's. Intention was to provide food for Foxes during a Fox Fur craze. Research papers indicate that their DNA is that of Nushagak Arctic Ground Squirrels.

However, the foxes cannot possibly keep up to the growing population of these little monsters which have now colonized the entire island and the Eagles basically ignore them.

"Cute" but very destructive to habitat.

7-1-21 While taking fotos of a particularly irate Ground Squirrel on DEW duty at the burrow, this Bald Eagle flew right behind me. I could hear it coming > the birds sound like a landing Jet when they are in high speed flight or dive mode.

Thinking I might get whacked on the head I spun around, started to duck and as I lifted the camera up to protect my face, I got this foto.

As you can see, the bird was not aiming at me but rather, on another eagle some distance away. Its Red salmon season so perhaps it saw food on the wing... adult Eagles frequently steal food from immature eagles during amazing aerial battles over fish etc.

6-27-21 one of 4 Cyps growing in this spot. These are the first I've found so far this spring/summer. It's been cool and very wet. Hopefully that will prevent the introduced Ground Squirrels from eating so many of these orchid flowers this year.

6-7-21 One of two juvenile Bald Eagles @ Summer Bay Lake Bridge. I've tagged this one as 'Juv #2' > note the darker, larger eye patch that extends from behind the eyes to the ear area than the eye patch of 'Juv #1).

6-7-21 Two juvenile Bald Eagles were sitting on the downstream railing of SB Bridge looking for Red Salmon. This one (Juv #1) flew off so I wasn't able to get more fotos of its eyes.

I've been taking fotos of Bald Eagle Eyes & coloration for years now in an effort determine more closely the 'age' of a juvenile. Bald Eagle fledgling eyes are deep chestnut brown & lighten to pale yellow at maturity (4-5 years).

It's easy to tell a fledgling from an adult but years 2 & 3 are almost impossible. The year before maturity many Bald Eagles have a bar of dark feathers across the eye area.

Juvenile #2 (see images 5822 & 5824) has similarly colored eyes this one, but has a darker feather 'eye patch' which extends to about the ear area.

6-27-21 Red-throated Loon @ Summer Bay Lake. Bird was initially about 500 feet out in the lake when I first saw it & when I stopped to get a foto it rapidly swam my way.

It stayed very close to the edge of the lake swimming back and forth, lunging and doing shallow dives, picking at it's feathers, algae on the rocks, grasses etc. I got the distinct impression that it was trying to draw attention it's way. I got some video of it behaving this way while making low calls and sounds.

At another point it hauled out onto the rocks on the lakeside and sat there for quite a while.

Interestingly enough... this adult Red-throated Loon arrived at Summer Bay Lake at about the same time as a juvenile Loon initially ID'd by some local birders as an Arctic Loon (and it may be just that but I don't really know enough about how to ID a juvenile loon, so I revised my obs of that one ID to Genus level).

Red-throated Loons breed on the Alaska Peninsula. Sightings here are considered rare.

6-22-21 Haven't seen this white flowered G. erianthum plant in a while. Some years it flowers and some years, not. Maybe all the rain and overcast this spring has triggered something so that it has produced so many flowers this year.