Did you know…
Alaska has more than 90 million acres of wetland habitat for use by breeding waterfowl. That's an area roughly equal in size to Montana, our 4th largest state. Conservation of Alaska's migratory waterfowl requires coordination and partnership of many organizations in many jurisdictions.

Source: US Fish & Wildlife Service - Alaska

Date 4/03/08

Anchorage Temperature
Low 33°F, High 42°F

Daylight 13 hrs 37 mins

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Life in Alaska

Bird watchers gather during the first week of May for the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival in Cordova and the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer. Ketchikan holds an annual Rufous Hummingbird festival.

At left, an Arctic Tern in flight. Terns guard their nests fiercely and will dive at and attack anyone who wanders too close. In fact, Leanne got a peck on the head while taking this picture!

One far corner of Wasilla Lake never freezes over, even in deepest winter. I've heard two explanations for the ice free area: a natural hot spring feeds the lake, or a current from Lake Lucille keeps the ice at bay. Whatever the reason, each fall a couple hundred of the lake's Mallard Ducks seem confused by the ice-free water and refuse to fly south. My boyfriend Gary and I watch them in the cold water on the short winter days. I wonder if they realize they made a bad decision to weather it out? In spring, they seem so excited to see more and more of the lake thaw and spring begin to unfold.
-- Cheryl

Need a good laugh? Get your Shut the Duck Up t-shirt and magnetic notepad here. The notepad has a nice strong magnet so it sticks tight to your fridge. 100% organic cotton makes the t-shirt extra-soft.

From the spring nesting season through the long daylight hours of summer and into the golden days of autumn, the Potter Marsh area just south of Anchorage is a birder's paradise. Arctic Terns, gulls, Canadian Geese and other waterfowl nest among the reeds in the spring. Trumpeter and Tundra Swans stop there to feed on aquatic plants before their long journey south in the fall. The accessibility of wildlife viewing in the Anchorage area is just one of the unique advantages of visiting Alaska in any season.