NOME, ALASKA DAYS 9 AND 10

Nome, Alaska Days 9, 10

I dropped off my first group of guests and spent the day doing laundry, cleaning up, working on the computer and getting some rest. The following morning I picked up my second group. We picked our way along the coast checking out every Alaskan species and watching for vagrants.

At the Safety Sound Bridge we found a 2nd year and a full adult Slaty-Backed Gull. The Willow Ptarmigan we encountered are quickly changing into their summer plumage – the females are completely camouflaged and the males white body is becoming flecked with more and more reddish brown. An intermediate morph Parasitic Jaeger was the first dark bodies Jaeger I’ve seen since my arrival.

After dinner we went back out to the Nome River Bridge and hiked the shore toward the river mouth where we were treated to great looks at a lone breeding plumaged Red-Knot and a Sabine’s Gull among the many other peeps and gulls.

Back to Kougarok tomorrow for a third look at Bristle-Thighed Curlews.