One of my favorite things in Alaska is how dense a forest of Spruce trees can be. So densely packed it can be with trees of all growth stages that, peering into a tract of one, your view is stopped just a few feet from the forest edge.

It feels dark and full of mystery in there.

There are pockets of dense spruce forests within the city of Anchorage. Walking through one this year looking for bird species in a recent burn area was both frightening and exhilarating! Hummocks of soft grasses and young willow shrubs dotted a very wet habitat.

We did find several species of birds, notably a family of Merlins that showed off their new voices and flight skills. And a moose passed by, almost unnoticed.

Watercolor on Hand Book Journal watercolor paper 8x8”