Potter's Marsh

We walked down to Ship's Creek in Anchorage to check out the Salmon Derby that was taking place.  This gull posed nicely on one of the little bridges.

Bonaparte's Gull

We visited Potter's Marsh, just south of Anchorage, where I was hoping to see some good birds.   The Georges just went along for the ride.  The boardwalk was full of tourists, it was midday, and the marsh near the boardwalk was quiet.  However, at a turn off viewing lot about 3/4 of the way down the highway running alongside the marsh, we found three different sets of fledgling gulls and one baby tern.  The parking lot seemed to be in popular use as a nesting site.  I wonder if all the people stopping there offer some kind of protection?  It seemed odd to have so many nests so close to people when there was so much open area available to them.

Potter's Marsh

(Created when the railroad was built connecting Anchorage and Seward

 and later saved from being filled in by letter-writing elementary school students.)

Tree Swallow

Herring Gull with juveniles

Keeping watch

Arctic Tern (life bird)
also keeping watch

baby Arctic Tern

Here's another view, which shows more of the tiny webbed feet.

Alder's Flycatcher (life bird)