NOME, ALASKA: FINAL DAYS
Council Road and the Safety Sound treated us to many wonderful sightings this day. Large snowflakes and a dark sky were foreboding but still we found a Red-Knot amidst the flurry at Nome River Bridge. We picked our way carefully along Cape Nome and the Safety Sound Lagoon.
We passed right over a female eider at the cape but a second look gave diagnostic field marks of a female King Eider. Black-Legged Kittiwakes and Common Murre entertained us on the Oceanside while Peregrine Falcon grabbed our attention on the bluffs behind us. Along the sound we found another Slaty-Backed Gull, our first Common Goldeneye of the trip, a sea-going beaver and our long sought after Artic Loon.
Proceeding to the Spruce patch at Council we added Blackpoll Warbler, Bohemian Waxwings, Myrtle warbler and a lovely, close-up, first of trip Pine Grosbeak.
An after dinner foray to the Nome River Bridge had an Artic Warbler bug-catching at our feet!
My Last full day in Nome was spent on the Teller Road where, although the birding was slow and despite a flat tire I had a wonderful, happy day with my great Oklahoma guests. All of my familiar friends were there: Rough Legged Hawk on her nest, the common redpoll nest with still unhatched eggs, Northern Shrike and the whole cast of avian characters that have been my life for the last three weeks. Now it is home to my beautiful family.
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