Monday, July 6, 2009

Unofficial state bird of Alaska

Yesterday was a stunning day with warm temperatures and practically no wind. Unfortunately, that’s when all the mosquitoes decided to hatch out. Swarms of mosquitoes engulfed us as we attempted to nest search and band shorebirds. Here’s a short clip I took showing the hordes of them surrounding us as we banded an American Golden-Plover.



It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago there were practically no mosquitoes. Who wants to come and visit!?! As bad as it looks, the majority of them weren't biting.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No, Thank you! We have our share of the mosquitoes.

Anonymous said...

Rick looks miserable. They were never that bad for me. Tell everyone I say hey. Hope you are enjoying it out there.

David

Dave said...

So, have you purchased any stock in DEET?
I guess we better stop complaining about the little tiny ones at Magee Marsh!

Amy said...

OMG I will never complain about mosquitoes again. Unreal!

Unknown said...

Hey Ethan! I've come across two birds not on your list (although I haven't seen all the birds on your list) brewer's blackbird (hunting camps)and Townsend's solitare (in town). Birding, Gary Friedrichsen

Deanna Campbell said...

Yikes! I'm now very thankful for the constant wind that blew while I was up there...
Happy Swatting, Deanna