Birdwatchers gear up for springtime in Alaska

Bears aren't the only mammals that emerge in Alaska's springtime, as bird watchers from around the world gear up for some annual birding festivals that are worth the wait.

The Stikine River Delta in Alaska's Inside Passage is a major stop on the Pacific Flyway for over 14,000 snow geese, over 10,000 sandhill cranes and more than 2,000 eagles, the largest springtime concentration of eagles in North America.

The community of Wrangell celebrates the return of these feathery attractions with the annual Stikine River Shorebird Festival to be held April 28 through May 1.

Wildlife and birding expeditions on the Stikine River anchor the four-day event that began more than a decade ago as the community's Garnet Festival.

For more information, visit: stikinebirding.org

In Prince William Sound, the tidal flats of the Copper River Delta near Cordova shimmer with the activity of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds each May. Visitors can view the birds and participate in workshops and community events during the 2011 Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival, May 5-8, 2011.

The Cordova Chamber will have updated information in the coming months at: cordovachamber.com