Potter Marsh Happenings

This evening, a friend and I went to Potter Marsh (just south of Anchorage) to check out the fauna and sites around there.  It's not migration time, so I wasn't expecting to see a lot, but we did see several different things to photograph along the way. We worked our visit in between some showers, so it was a very pleasant evening!

Here are some of the animals we saw along the way...

A swallow nest with babies in it. We saw the mom (or maybe dad, but the lighter face makes me think it's a female) fly in there, so we waited very patiently for her to come back out. I knew she would quickly fly away, but this is the best I could get.  The Potter Marsh Host told us that this year it's violet-green swallows nesting in there, which is pretty unusual.  Usually it's the tree swallows that nest in there. Fun to have seen them! Apparently photographers have been spending hours there waiting to see them. :)

I wanted a bird to come out of this bird house, but they didn't work with me. 

 Kittiwakes!

The next 4 photos are a bird called "Lesser Yellowlegs". 

See the bird? Look in the upper left area. I like the "more than what it first appears" aspect of this photo, and the neat reflection of the mountain in the water.

 I know they're not everyone's favorite bird, but Canadian Geese goslings are still pretty cute. 

Goslings are especially cute when they cuddle up with mom (or dad)!

 We saw two different muskrats... they were both pretty busy!

Not to mention a vole... he was just over the side of the boardwalk.  I don't really get the purpose of their little tail, but what do I know? I'm no biologist.

There were also some beautiful flowers around there... these irises were especially pretty.

'Til next time...