Saturday, May 31, 2008
NOME, ALASKA DAY 7
NOME, ALASKA May 31, 2008
Up at 4 am to chase Bristle-Thighed Curlews…again!
The weather was nice, the warmest day so far, perhaps as high as 50 with a light cloud cover. We stopped to glass a couple of Golden Eagles nests (one head barely showing) then proceeded to look for Bluethroat and ended up finding it at the same place that Tim and I had it 4 days ago. What looked like an eagle atop a distant hill turned out in the scope to be a medium dark Gyr Falcon, so my guests were delighted to get a great two-in one!
Further along the road we picked up more Rock Ptarmigan and about 5 cow and one bull Moose. Rusty Blackbird was seen again at the same pond where we also got brief looks at a Brown Bear as he ran from the van. At least 4 more Bluethroats were seen doing their beautiful ‘falling leaf’ display, most near The Cottonwoods at Pilgrim River Bridge. All of the other expected species like Fox Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, both Redpolls, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Northern Waterthrushes, Willow Ptarmigan and Long-Tailed Jaegers were present in abundance.
The hike to the Curlews was aided by two other birders who had arrived before us and shared great 10 minute views of the bird at about 100 feet! A number of very pale Short-Eared Owls and light morph Rough Legged Hawks kept the day interesting and a small family of Musk Ox and about 10 Snowshoe Hares rounded out our mammal list.
Back to the Teller Road tomorrow…still need White Wagtail!
Up at 4 am to chase Bristle-Thighed Curlews…again!
The weather was nice, the warmest day so far, perhaps as high as 50 with a light cloud cover. We stopped to glass a couple of Golden Eagles nests (one head barely showing) then proceeded to look for Bluethroat and ended up finding it at the same place that Tim and I had it 4 days ago. What looked like an eagle atop a distant hill turned out in the scope to be a medium dark Gyr Falcon, so my guests were delighted to get a great two-in one!
Further along the road we picked up more Rock Ptarmigan and about 5 cow and one bull Moose. Rusty Blackbird was seen again at the same pond where we also got brief looks at a Brown Bear as he ran from the van. At least 4 more Bluethroats were seen doing their beautiful ‘falling leaf’ display, most near The Cottonwoods at Pilgrim River Bridge. All of the other expected species like Fox Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, both Redpolls, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Northern Waterthrushes, Willow Ptarmigan and Long-Tailed Jaegers were present in abundance.
The hike to the Curlews was aided by two other birders who had arrived before us and shared great 10 minute views of the bird at about 100 feet! A number of very pale Short-Eared Owls and light morph Rough Legged Hawks kept the day interesting and a small family of Musk Ox and about 10 Snowshoe Hares rounded out our mammal list.
Back to the Teller Road tomorrow…still need White Wagtail!
Friday, May 30, 2008
NOME, ALASKA DAY 6
NOME, ALASKA May 31
We retraced our steps to the Safety Sound this morning and found a pair (adult and immature?) Peregrine Falcons at Cape Nome. Much time was spent searching for Aleutian Tern (Elusive-tern) at the Safety Sound Bridge but instead one of my guests yelled ‘black-headed gull’ and once in the scope I ID’d it as Sabine’s Gull by the yellow tip to it’s black bill – beautiful bird!
The weather was gorgeous – not a cloud in the sky and in the 40’s. Headed towards Council but found the road blocked by snow at mile 50. Flying Golden Eagle and Rough-Legged hawk, wading Wandering Tattler and all three pluvialis plovers were a delight for all of of us.
Tomorrow it’s back to Kougarok road to (hopefully) show off Bristle-Thighed Curlew.
We retraced our steps to the Safety Sound this morning and found a pair (adult and immature?) Peregrine Falcons at Cape Nome. Much time was spent searching for Aleutian Tern (Elusive-tern) at the Safety Sound Bridge but instead one of my guests yelled ‘black-headed gull’ and once in the scope I ID’d it as Sabine’s Gull by the yellow tip to it’s black bill – beautiful bird!
The weather was gorgeous – not a cloud in the sky and in the 40’s. Headed towards Council but found the road blocked by snow at mile 50. Flying Golden Eagle and Rough-Legged hawk, wading Wandering Tattler and all three pluvialis plovers were a delight for all of of us.
Tomorrow it’s back to Kougarok road to (hopefully) show off Bristle-Thighed Curlew.
NOME, ALASKA DAY 5
Nome, Alaska May 29
Tim’s last morning with me was extended by a canceled flight that allowed us to bird for a couple of hours at the Nome River Bridge where we added Long-Billed Dowitcher to our trip list.
The first four of my six guests arrived at 1:30 and we were able to have a relaxing ocean-front lunch at the Polar Café. A brief trip south of town provided a number of them with their first Long-Tailed Jaegers, Artic Terns and Red-Throated Loons. We picked our remaining participants up at 4:30 from their Gambell flight and proceeded towards Safety Lagoon. On my third stop of the day at Nome River Bridge I located for the group what was arguable the best bird of the last 5 days – LESSER SAND PLOVER. This particular individual had all of the beautiful markings of the species but in subdued tones, suggesting either a bird just coming into breeding plumage or a lone female. I spotted this little gem on a mud flat about 75 yards upstream of the far bridge approach and as soon as everyone got their bins on it she flew past us and landed 100 yards downstream where we were able to watch her for about 15 minutes, albeit pretty heavily backlit so photos weren’t as good as hoped for.
Invigorated by out find we proceeded toward Safety Sound. Along the way finding Willow Ptarmigan and Black Scoter at Cape Nome. Around the first ponds about a mile past the cape one of the guests found a SECOND Lesser Sand Plover, this one a bright male, so everyone was well pleased. Proceeding to the Safety Sound Bridge we were able to connect with Parasitic Jaeger, a low elevation Northern Wheatear, Common Eiders, Pacific Loons, Ruddy Turnstone and of course the ubiquitous Lapland Longspurs, Glaucous and Mew Gulls, Semi-Palmated Sandpipers and Brants among others.
Due to the lateness of their arrivals we did not get back to Nome for Dinner until after 10 pm so dinner at Milano’s was quick but happy.
Tim’s last morning with me was extended by a canceled flight that allowed us to bird for a couple of hours at the Nome River Bridge where we added Long-Billed Dowitcher to our trip list.
The first four of my six guests arrived at 1:30 and we were able to have a relaxing ocean-front lunch at the Polar Café. A brief trip south of town provided a number of them with their first Long-Tailed Jaegers, Artic Terns and Red-Throated Loons. We picked our remaining participants up at 4:30 from their Gambell flight and proceeded towards Safety Lagoon. On my third stop of the day at Nome River Bridge I located for the group what was arguable the best bird of the last 5 days – LESSER SAND PLOVER. This particular individual had all of the beautiful markings of the species but in subdued tones, suggesting either a bird just coming into breeding plumage or a lone female. I spotted this little gem on a mud flat about 75 yards upstream of the far bridge approach and as soon as everyone got their bins on it she flew past us and landed 100 yards downstream where we were able to watch her for about 15 minutes, albeit pretty heavily backlit so photos weren’t as good as hoped for.
Invigorated by out find we proceeded toward Safety Sound. Along the way finding Willow Ptarmigan and Black Scoter at Cape Nome. Around the first ponds about a mile past the cape one of the guests found a SECOND Lesser Sand Plover, this one a bright male, so everyone was well pleased. Proceeding to the Safety Sound Bridge we were able to connect with Parasitic Jaeger, a low elevation Northern Wheatear, Common Eiders, Pacific Loons, Ruddy Turnstone and of course the ubiquitous Lapland Longspurs, Glaucous and Mew Gulls, Semi-Palmated Sandpipers and Brants among others.
Due to the lateness of their arrivals we did not get back to Nome for Dinner until after 10 pm so dinner at Milano’s was quick but happy.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
NOME, ALASKA DAY 4
Nome, Alaska Day 4 (May 28)
The Kougarok Road is the last to open after winter and no one could tell us if we could get all the way to mile 72…the starting point for the hike to see the much sought after Bristle-Thighed Curlew. Tim tried to talk me out of it with stories of Brown Bear attacks but when I asked a Nome policeman if I could borrow a gun for the day he just laughed so what could I do?...a lifer is well worth risking bear attack right?
Of course it was all just a mind game that Tim was playing to try to keep me from getting one up on him. There were no bears and the vegetation was only a foot tall so you could have seen one coming from miles away. The good news is that although this quest is said to sometimes require a 5-6 hour hike I found them on the ridge after a half hour walk, snapped some pix and was back to the car within 1 hour! Because they look so much like Whimbrels, learning the “chew-itta, chew-itta” call is a great tool for telling one from the other, as is the buffy (I’d call it almost yellow) tail of BRTCUR.
Some other highlights of this very scenic and desolate (one other car in 9 hours) road that follows the Nome River were: Northern Waterthrush – calling assertively at the Grand Central Bridge and the Pilgrim River, Varied Thrush, Orange-Crowned and Wilson’s Warblers above Salmon lake. Peregrine Falcon, nesting on a shear cliff face. Bluethroat – displaying it’s amazing colors passionately, Merlin and a pair of Rusty Blackbirds at mile 67. Scanning the many cliffs along the road we were able to pick out two eagles nests (miles 17 and 27) with sitting adults as well as two flying Goldens for a total of four.
The Kougarok Road is the last to open after winter and no one could tell us if we could get all the way to mile 72…the starting point for the hike to see the much sought after Bristle-Thighed Curlew. Tim tried to talk me out of it with stories of Brown Bear attacks but when I asked a Nome policeman if I could borrow a gun for the day he just laughed so what could I do?...a lifer is well worth risking bear attack right?
Of course it was all just a mind game that Tim was playing to try to keep me from getting one up on him. There were no bears and the vegetation was only a foot tall so you could have seen one coming from miles away. The good news is that although this quest is said to sometimes require a 5-6 hour hike I found them on the ridge after a half hour walk, snapped some pix and was back to the car within 1 hour! Because they look so much like Whimbrels, learning the “chew-itta, chew-itta” call is a great tool for telling one from the other, as is the buffy (I’d call it almost yellow) tail of BRTCUR.
Some other highlights of this very scenic and desolate (one other car in 9 hours) road that follows the Nome River were: Northern Waterthrush – calling assertively at the Grand Central Bridge and the Pilgrim River, Varied Thrush, Orange-Crowned and Wilson’s Warblers above Salmon lake. Peregrine Falcon, nesting on a shear cliff face. Bluethroat – displaying it’s amazing colors passionately, Merlin and a pair of Rusty Blackbirds at mile 67. Scanning the many cliffs along the road we were able to pick out two eagles nests (miles 17 and 27) with sitting adults as well as two flying Goldens for a total of four.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
NOME, ALASKA DAY 3
Nome, Alaska Day 3 (May 27)
Despite waking up to 2 inches of new snow at sea-level, the locals assured us that the Teller Road was doable all the way to the small fishing village for which the road is named. On the edge of town we spent 20 minutes breaking down a shore-bird only to conclude that it was one already well known to us: Pectoral Sandpiper (it looks different in the snow!). We were soon thrilling to small flocks of Snow Buntings skittering away from the road. Near Washington Creek we had 20 foot perched views of a bird we were later told shouldn’t have been here: American Kestrel!
By far our most productive stop for the day was the Sinuk River Bridge. Cliff Swallows greeted us as we scoped a pair of bright Bar-Tailed Godwits on a gravel bar. While watching a Yellow Wagtail we had great looks at the hard-to-find Pacific Golden Plover. On our return we had another locally rare bird – a pair of Red Knots…here only during migration.
We traveled over high passes completely white with snow, but still found Horned Lark, lots of Willow Ptarmigan and comedic Rock Ptarmigan challenging our Ford Escape! At Bluestone Creek a shrike perched in the willows, which out of habit I called Loggerhead but Tim correctly called it as Northern.
The spit at the native village of Teller held Pigeon Guillemot and Pelagic Cormorant. Our ride back was quicker but we added Short-Eared owl to our trip list. Bed felt good at midnight, even though the sky was as light as 7 pm!
Despite waking up to 2 inches of new snow at sea-level, the locals assured us that the Teller Road was doable all the way to the small fishing village for which the road is named. On the edge of town we spent 20 minutes breaking down a shore-bird only to conclude that it was one already well known to us: Pectoral Sandpiper (it looks different in the snow!). We were soon thrilling to small flocks of Snow Buntings skittering away from the road. Near Washington Creek we had 20 foot perched views of a bird we were later told shouldn’t have been here: American Kestrel!
By far our most productive stop for the day was the Sinuk River Bridge. Cliff Swallows greeted us as we scoped a pair of bright Bar-Tailed Godwits on a gravel bar. While watching a Yellow Wagtail we had great looks at the hard-to-find Pacific Golden Plover. On our return we had another locally rare bird – a pair of Red Knots…here only during migration.
We traveled over high passes completely white with snow, but still found Horned Lark, lots of Willow Ptarmigan and comedic Rock Ptarmigan challenging our Ford Escape! At Bluestone Creek a shrike perched in the willows, which out of habit I called Loggerhead but Tim correctly called it as Northern.
The spit at the native village of Teller held Pigeon Guillemot and Pelagic Cormorant. Our ride back was quicker but we added Short-Eared owl to our trip list. Bed felt good at midnight, even though the sky was as light as 7 pm!
NOME, ALASKA DAY 2
Nome, Alaska Day 2 (May 26)
Is it a surprise that it’s snowing IN ALASKA? Well it is! But Tim and I hit the road (Teller Road) early and began picking up great birds amidst the blowing flakes: Green-Winged Teal and American Tree Sparrow and then…MUSK-OX? Yes…a big furry brown form ran into the willows ahead of us – Tim called it a grizzly but I thought I had seen horns…it shook the willows where it passed then finally emerged as a grizzled old Musk Ox Bull.
Back to birding we found some old friends like: Golden-Crowned Sparrow, White-Crowned Sparrow and Semi-Palmated Plover as well as some new ones like: YellowWagtail and the striking American Golden Plover. The snow got the better of us though and we turned around after 15 miles of the 75 mile road.
Not to be stopped we headed back to the lower elevation Council Road where we spent the previous afternoon. Along Safety Lagoon we added Black Turnstone and Lesser Scaup. Exploring farther out than on our previous trip we followed the Solomon River into the foothills and mountains where we came upon many Northern Wheatears and Wandering Tattlers along the cobbled shores. Say’s phoebe, rare for Nome made an appearance as did a boldly patterned Rough-Legged Hawk.
On the way back to town we were able to pick out a Slaty-Back Gull among the hundreds of Glaucous Gulls and Glaucous-Winged Gulls at the Safety Sound Bridge. A Whimbrel strolled along the roadside on the outskirts of Nome.
Is it a surprise that it’s snowing IN ALASKA? Well it is! But Tim and I hit the road (Teller Road) early and began picking up great birds amidst the blowing flakes: Green-Winged Teal and American Tree Sparrow and then…MUSK-OX? Yes…a big furry brown form ran into the willows ahead of us – Tim called it a grizzly but I thought I had seen horns…it shook the willows where it passed then finally emerged as a grizzled old Musk Ox Bull.
Back to birding we found some old friends like: Golden-Crowned Sparrow, White-Crowned Sparrow and Semi-Palmated Plover as well as some new ones like: YellowWagtail and the striking American Golden Plover. The snow got the better of us though and we turned around after 15 miles of the 75 mile road.
Not to be stopped we headed back to the lower elevation Council Road where we spent the previous afternoon. Along Safety Lagoon we added Black Turnstone and Lesser Scaup. Exploring farther out than on our previous trip we followed the Solomon River into the foothills and mountains where we came upon many Northern Wheatears and Wandering Tattlers along the cobbled shores. Say’s phoebe, rare for Nome made an appearance as did a boldly patterned Rough-Legged Hawk.
On the way back to town we were able to pick out a Slaty-Back Gull among the hundreds of Glaucous Gulls and Glaucous-Winged Gulls at the Safety Sound Bridge. A Whimbrel strolled along the roadside on the outskirts of Nome.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
NOME, ALASKA DAY 2
Nome, Alaska: Day 2
Well, actually, Anchorage day 2 and Nome day 1….our 6:00 am flight to Nome was cancelled so we made arrangements for the 11 am flight then birded the mouth of Fish Creek about 10 minutes from the airport, the highlight being a red fox stealing away a duckling (or some other small downy snack). With the tide in Cook Inlet way out the birds were all a quarter mile away and the Godwits we saw at that distance were not counted as the Hudsonians that were supposed to be there.
We arrived at Nome at 1:30 pm, our adrenalin flowing with the possibility of some great birds and we were not disappointed. A brief stop at the visitor center gave us an opportunity to scan the Bering Sea between the large clumps of migrating ice and immediately we spotted five inky BLACK SCOTERS. Before we could turn around to enter the center a small flock of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES flew over and two elongated silhouettes turned out to be graceful RED-THROATED LOONS.
We stopped at Subway to grab sandwiches for the road then started south along the coastal road towards the village of Council. A kiting LONG-TAILED JAEGER (the first of fifteen) caused us to slam on the brakes (and dump our sandwiches on the floor!). Frosty white flitterings next to the road were a pair of HOARY REDPOLLS playing tag. Other ocean-front birds included: GLAUCOUS and MEW GULLS (hundreds), ARTIC TERN (dozens), GREATER SCAUP, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and COMMON RAVEN.
The Nome River Bridge was thrilling with immediate close looks at a male/female pair of LONG-TAILED DUCKS, nesting WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and the first of scores of breeding plumaged LAPLAND LONGSPURS. No matter how many of these striking ‘buntings’ appeared we never tired of gazing at them! Also here were NORTHERN PINTAILS and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.
Rocky Cape Nome held a couple of small groups of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS. South of this promontory the ocean turned to ice and all of the open water was on the opposite side of the road in the expansive Safety Sound. This bird rich estuary gave us many looks at: BRANT, NORTHERN SHOVELR, MALLARD, DUNLIN, SANDHILL CRANES, PACIFIC LOON and TUNDRA SWAN. Some of our target birds here were found including WILLOW PTARMIGAN, COMMON EIDERS, ALEUTIAN TERN, PARASITIC JAEGER and BAR-TAILED GODWIT.
Thanks to the long near-arctic days we birded until 10, had a quick, light meal and hit the sack by midnight!
Tomorrow: Teller Road
Well, actually, Anchorage day 2 and Nome day 1….our 6:00 am flight to Nome was cancelled so we made arrangements for the 11 am flight then birded the mouth of Fish Creek about 10 minutes from the airport, the highlight being a red fox stealing away a duckling (or some other small downy snack). With the tide in Cook Inlet way out the birds were all a quarter mile away and the Godwits we saw at that distance were not counted as the Hudsonians that were supposed to be there.
We arrived at Nome at 1:30 pm, our adrenalin flowing with the possibility of some great birds and we were not disappointed. A brief stop at the visitor center gave us an opportunity to scan the Bering Sea between the large clumps of migrating ice and immediately we spotted five inky BLACK SCOTERS. Before we could turn around to enter the center a small flock of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES flew over and two elongated silhouettes turned out to be graceful RED-THROATED LOONS.
We stopped at Subway to grab sandwiches for the road then started south along the coastal road towards the village of Council. A kiting LONG-TAILED JAEGER (the first of fifteen) caused us to slam on the brakes (and dump our sandwiches on the floor!). Frosty white flitterings next to the road were a pair of HOARY REDPOLLS playing tag. Other ocean-front birds included: GLAUCOUS and MEW GULLS (hundreds), ARTIC TERN (dozens), GREATER SCAUP, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and COMMON RAVEN.
The Nome River Bridge was thrilling with immediate close looks at a male/female pair of LONG-TAILED DUCKS, nesting WESTERN SANDPIPERS, and the first of scores of breeding plumaged LAPLAND LONGSPURS. No matter how many of these striking ‘buntings’ appeared we never tired of gazing at them! Also here were NORTHERN PINTAILS and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.
Rocky Cape Nome held a couple of small groups of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS. South of this promontory the ocean turned to ice and all of the open water was on the opposite side of the road in the expansive Safety Sound. This bird rich estuary gave us many looks at: BRANT, NORTHERN SHOVELR, MALLARD, DUNLIN, SANDHILL CRANES, PACIFIC LOON and TUNDRA SWAN. Some of our target birds here were found including WILLOW PTARMIGAN, COMMON EIDERS, ALEUTIAN TERN, PARASITIC JAEGER and BAR-TAILED GODWIT.
Thanks to the long near-arctic days we birded until 10, had a quick, light meal and hit the sack by midnight!
Tomorrow: Teller Road
Sunday, May 25, 2008
NOME TRIP DAY 1
Off to Alaska...FINALLY! I got in to Anchorage and met up with Tim Ruckle. We got a few hours of birding in before my evening meeting with Forrest Davis of High Lonesome BirdTours.
It was a drizzly gray afternoon but we still had lots of warblers at Kincaid Park: Orange-Crowned, Wilson's and Yellow-Rumped, as well as Downy Woodpecker, Swainsonson's and Gray-Cheeked Thrush. Finished the session at Westchester Lagoon where there were dozens of Mew Gulls, a pair of Cackling Geese and app. 30 Red-Necked Grebes displaying all kinds of courtship behavior. Looked briefly for Hudsonian Godwit but the tide was out and all we could see were distant Godwit views without a positive species ID.
Tomorrow: Nome!
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