Friday, October 16, 2009

Potter's Marsh

This is Potter's Marsh - it's located on the south end of Anchorage and is a bird refuge. There is a boardwalk extended out into the marsh that allows one to get a closer look at all sorts of wildlife including birds, muskrats, moose, salmon and other little marshy critters.

This is where some of the rich people live. I don't live up there.

This is a Sandhill Crane - I watched him for awhile and took a couple pics.
(who knows if this is for sure a Sandhill Crane? Kris - you ate a crane once....is this what it looked like before it went in the stewpot?)

These are some of the professional photographers who made me and my little digital camera look silly. They are all focused on that Crane. It was funny to listen to their cameras go click, click, click, click as the bird moved (click, click, click, click)......lifted one leg (click, click, click, click).......ducked his head (click, click, click, click)........stretched a wing (click, click, click, click, click)......walked down the log and hopped in the water (click, click, click, click, click you could tell this was VERY exciting because the cameras kept clicking).
I found I was watching the photographers more than the bird!
I saw an Eagle too. That's not rare at all, but still they are pretty birds.

7 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I have been to Potters Marsh a few times. I love walking out the boardwalk. I have never seen such a crowd on the boardwalk though. I believe that is a Great Blue Heron in your photo. A Sandhill Crane has a red forehead and stands taller.

Aunt Krissy said...

I was going to say, the crane I ate had a red top and looked biiger, longer legs. Tastey too.

tainterturtles said...

A Blue Heron has a distinct S-shaped neck, your bird does not. So I believe it isn't a Blue Heron, but a immature Sandhill Crane, that's why you don't see the red head and black beak.

Did you hear the bird call? They have several calls...the bird call we hear around here is like a weird high pitch gurgling.

Potter's Marsh sounds like a nice place to visit. We have marshy areas like that near the Mississippi River where we can see Pelicans, Herons, Swans, Cranes, Eagles and lots of ducks!

Kellie said...

Potters Marsh was always a place we stopped when traveling down south. I really liked being able to get out and walk the boardwalks checking out the wildlife.

PAK ART said...

At first I thought it was a Great Blue Heron too and they do migrate through AK, but the neck just didn't seem right. I know this one is missing the red but an immature Crane doesn't have the red forehead. The legs are too short for either I think. I'm not a birder though so I don't know. I'll have to edit post and change it to Heron.

Margaret Ann said...

A beautiful place...we came upon a marsh in Canada one time at Pelee Point...Beautiful boardwalks and viewing stations...We went in late March and were the only ones there...simply spectacular! Great photos Patty!

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

I'd love to have one of those cameras!!! Wonder how much they weigh?!!! That would be awesome to have a marsh like that...