Dear Readers,

It’s been a busy weekend here. We had the annual Chistochina Fun Days on Saturday and Sunday, which includes dog races (lots of kids participating), and snowshoe race, and various raffle items. It was a lot of fun – I’ll be writing about it in the upcoming week, so stay tuned!

Elsewhere in Alaska saw the Jr. Iditarod as well as the Fur Rondy World Championship Sled Dog, part of the states Fur Rondy winter festival. This year the Rondy organizers started a new tradition – the running of the reindeer. By all reports it was a smashing success. I was only sorry I couldn’t be in three places at once over the weekend!

With spring approaching, my thoughts turn to birds. Though it will be some time yet before the first migrants arrive, I enjoy the company of several winter resident species who visit my feeders daily. One of these is the black-capped chickadee. Read more about this phenomenal bird and it’s adaptations for surviving in the cold in my latest article:

The Black-capped Chickadee in Alaska
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art28487.asp

If you’re a bird watcher and have any stories to share about black-capped chickadees or other winter visitors, please visit the forum thread I’ve started on black-capped chickadees at:

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=433

Please visit alaska.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Alaska. Feedback and comments are welcome!

Kimi Ross, Alaska Editor
http://alaska.bellaonline.com

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