Sitka, Alaska
Today was a multi-thematic adventure in the town of Sitka on the east coast of Baranof Island. This city of nine thousand people was a Tlingit settlement before it became the capital of Russian Alaska, which in turn became a US territory in 1867. All three cultures are alive and well as we discovered on our guided tour of some of the local historical, environmental and cultural highlights. We began with a visit to Saint Michael’s Cathedral, the architectural centerpiece of the city, which was framed by mountains sporting a fresh layer of snow. The original building burned down in 1966 and it has since been rebuilt. The original Russian orthodox icons and other ornate and beautiful religious articles, however, were saved by the townspeople and are available for viewing within the church. From there we proceeded to the Raptor Center where injured birds of prey receive TLC, and if possible, are reintroduced into the wild. We had the chance to see a magnificent bald eagle up close as part of our exclusive tour. We then made the short trip to the National Historic Park. This park contains wonderful examples of native art, including numerous totem poles, set amid lush forests transected by trails and the Indian River. A real treat was the chance to observe native artisans practicing their crafts—carving and weaving—on the grounds of the park.
While most guests spent their morning touring the town as described above, others chose to go birding. They were fortunate enough to see a northern pintail, a greater white-fronted goose, chestnut-backed chickadees and numerous other species. In the afternoon, many of us returned to town to help support the economy and did some unintentional birding, as well, as there were eagles, ravens and crows in abundance. Crows and raven are both large, all black, intelligent members of the corvidae family, but they are quite different from each other in many ways. As naturalist Gretchen Pederson explained last evening and can be seen in this photo, ravens are larger, have a heavier, thicker bill, a “Roman nose” sort of profile in comparison with the more distinct forehead of the crow, as well as a ruff of feathers around their neck that may or may not be visible. Ravens, the largest of the songbirds or passerines, are capable of a wide range of vocalizations, perhaps as many as 80 different sounds. It is quite an experience to walk along and hear what sounds like knocking, chortling or gulping, and realize that it is actually a raven!
Tonight, we leave Sitka behind us, and we will not visit another town until we disembark in Juneau. Into the wild . . .
Today was a multi-thematic adventure in the town of Sitka on the east coast of Baranof Island. This city of nine thousand people was a Tlingit settlement before it became the capital of Russian Alaska, which in turn became a US territory in 1867. All three cultures are alive and well as we discovered on our guided tour of some of the local historical, environmental and cultural highlights. We began with a visit to Saint Michael’s Cathedral, the architectural centerpiece of the city, which was framed by mountains sporting a fresh layer of snow. The original building burned down in 1966 and it has since been rebuilt. The original Russian orthodox icons and other ornate and beautiful religious articles, however, were saved by the townspeople and are available for viewing within the church. From there we proceeded to the Raptor Center where injured birds of prey receive TLC, and if possible, are reintroduced into the wild. We had the chance to see a magnificent bald eagle up close as part of our exclusive tour. We then made the short trip to the National Historic Park. This park contains wonderful examples of native art, including numerous totem poles, set amid lush forests transected by trails and the Indian River. A real treat was the chance to observe native artisans practicing their crafts—carving and weaving—on the grounds of the park.
While most guests spent their morning touring the town as described above, others chose to go birding. They were fortunate enough to see a northern pintail, a greater white-fronted goose, chestnut-backed chickadees and numerous other species. In the afternoon, many of us returned to town to help support the economy and did some unintentional birding, as well, as there were eagles, ravens and crows in abundance. Crows and raven are both large, all black, intelligent members of the corvidae family, but they are quite different from each other in many ways. As naturalist Gretchen Pederson explained last evening and can be seen in this photo, ravens are larger, have a heavier, thicker bill, a “Roman nose” sort of profile in comparison with the more distinct forehead of the crow, as well as a ruff of feathers around their neck that may or may not be visible. Ravens, the largest of the songbirds or passerines, are capable of a wide range of vocalizations, perhaps as many as 80 different sounds. It is quite an experience to walk along and hear what sounds like knocking, chortling or gulping, and realize that it is actually a raven!
Tonight, we leave Sitka behind us, and we will not visit another town until we disembark in Juneau. Into the wild . . .
