A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour ALASKA: …€¦ · A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour...

Tropical Birding Trip Report ALASKA Birding Tour June 2015

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A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour

ALASKA: Birding the Top of America 12th – 26th June 2015

Tour Leader: Cameron Cox

The odd, and incomparable, Steller’s Eider; one of four eider species seen

NB. All of the photos of species seen on the tour were taken by Cameron Cox, (The species in the photos are highlighted in RED).

INTRODUCTION The 49th state is sandwiched between eastern Russia and Canada and though it is technically on the same continent as the contiguous United States it often feels a world apart. If you have never visited Alaska I will make my best effort to give you a description. Likely though, you would view any such description as over-the-top hyperbole when in fact even my best attempt to capture the Alaska experience in words would fall well



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short of reality. It is the definition of a bucket list location, a place you must experience for yourself, a place that makes your life richer, a place you will always remember.

Though the birdlife is far less diverse than most locations in the tropics, virtually every bird you see is spectacular or restricted to far northern climes and all are displaying, vocalizing and looking their absolute best for the beginning of the arctic breeding season. Birds you may think you know well like Pacific Loon are seen in a whole new light when they are yelping and yodeling right in front of you in their full breeding regalia. Phalaropes, typically seen as drab gray shapes skittering out over the water on a pelagic, become richly colored little gnomes fiercely guarding their chosen breeding pond or puddle. Alaskan specialties like Spectacled Eider and Red-faced Cormorants are sure to make your eyes pop. If you want a face-to-face

encounter with a Tufted Puffin a trip to Alaska’s St Paul Island will deliver that and more. Then there are the “normal sights”, jaegers patrolling the tundra, Boreal Chickadees scolding from clumps of spruce, Pectoral Sandpipers hooting and fighting like tiny owls with serious rage issues. It all becomes overwhelming after a while.

Alaska is more than just the birds though; the scenery is some of the best in the world and changes dramatically as you travel through this vast state. Snow-capped peak after snow-capped peak, calm bays, vast stretches of frozen sea-ice covered in seals, and towering sheer cliffs absolutely crawling with breeding seabirds are all regular sights on this tour. Adding to these scenes is the barking of Arctic Foxes, the majesty of hulking Brown Bears, the sensation when a Humpback Whale breaks the surface next to your boat and takes a great whooshing breath that as it inhales simultaneously seems to snatch your breath away. It is hard to believe it can be as advertised but there is no need for you to believe, just come and experience Alaska for yourself!

Our trip is specifically designed to take you to some of the most exciting, unique, and bird-rich locations in Alaska



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and exciting, unique, and bird-rich is exact how I would describe the 2015 tour. Some of our most exciting moments were the seven Emperor Geese mixed into a flock Brant, a stunning rufous male Ruff that was dancing on the tundra outside Barrow, and a Gyrfalcon engaging in an epic aerial dogfight with a Golden Eagle and a Rough-legged Hawk. We had fantastic encounters with all four of the world’s eider species and twenty-six species of waterfowl overall as well as twenty-five species of shorebirds. We experienced perfect weather, cooperative birds, fantastic mammals, and excellent Alaskan seafood. In all, it was a phenomenal taste of the 49th state.

The death of a lemming at the beak of a Long-tailed Jaeger.

June 13th

On the first morning of the tour we caught an early flight from Anchorage to Nome, arriving in Nome eager to begin experiencing Alaskan birdlife. After settling in to our hotel we began doing just that. There were lots of gulls feeding along the shore, mostly Black-legged Kittiwakes, Mew Gulls, and Glaucous Gulls but there was also a Vega Gull, a Siberian relative of Herring Gull, in the mix as well. At the Nome River mouth multiple individuals of all three jaegers, Parasitic, Pomarine, and Long-tailed, were making life difficult for a gathering of gulls. Jaegers are always fun to watch and seeing all three at close quarters flashing after gulls was an absolute delight.

Past the river mouth, we happened across a flock of 60+ Long-tailed Jaegers feeding on the side of a hillside in the short tundra. Farther down the road we found a pair of Eastern Yellow Wagtails and got our first good views of Hoary Redpolls. Farther along an enormous flock of kittiwakes and Common Murres fed on a school of small fish. Reaching Safety Sound, we were fortunate to find a pair of Arctic Loons close to shore.



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We watched this pair of the rarest of North American loons for a while until they took off and flew over our heads out onto the ocean. We were lucky to find them so quickly, the area around Nome is the most reliable place to find them in North America, but even here they are scarce and range widely. Farther south, Safety Sound was littered with Tundra Swans. A flock of these beautiful birds flew directly over us, their wild, whistling calls filling the air.

As we turned back towards town we watched as a hovering Long-tailed Jaeger dropped straight down then popped back into sight carrying the limp form of a Brown Lemming. The jaeger carried the lemming carcass a short ways and began into it. We were able to sneak quite close while the jaeger was busy with its prey and got a front row seats to the disembowelment of a lemming. Excellent, now who wants Italian food! Coming back into town we were treated to good views of a Red Fox slinking across the tundra near the road.

Male Willow Ptarmigan are a common sight on the roads near Nome

June 14th

On our second morning in Nome we ventured out onto the Teller Road. Almost immediately we encountered a very handsome male Willow Ptarmigan. We admired its mixture of rusty brown and white plumage and gorgeous red comb above the eye. It posed for a few photos and then we went our separate ways. We then concentrated on some of the more common warblers and sparrows and in short order had seen Yellow Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, and Wilson’s Warbler as well as Savannah Sparrow, Red Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and had fantastic views of a gorgeous Golden-crowned Sparrow. We continued as the road crossed a pretty little stream called the Penny River where we enjoyed a Wandering Tattler poking along the riverbank and bobbing its tail like an oversized Spotted Sandpiper. We continued on toward Teller, but as the road climbed up into the hills fog began to set it. We



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reached 33 Mile Ridge and the ridge top was completely socked in. I wandered around searching for a Rock Ptarmigan and a ghostly pale shape shot by as I played the call but disappeared in the fog not to reappear. Farther on a more cooperative Rock Ptarmigan stayed in place long enough for me to bring the group in to see it. It sat placidly atop a pile of rocks as we watched it in the scope and took some photos.

Farther down the down the Teller Road we encounter our first American Golden-Plover, an absolute stunner with its black underparts and gold flecked back. We were not done with Pluvialas plovers though, as we next found a female Black-bellied Plover and several Pacific Golden-Plovers, even more striking than their American cousins. This completed a full morning and we headed back to Nome for lunch and a short rest. Afterwards we headed back south toward Safety Sound in the afternoon. Near the Nome River Mouth we found two Slaty-backed Gulls, an adult and a 2nd cycle bird, this Asian species is always a good find. A large flock of dark birds was flying just out over the water, a flock of Brant. We watched the as the Brant flew closer when suddenly I noticed several other geese in the flock with white heads stained with a rusty wash. Emperor Geese! I yelled and jumped out of the car and took a few photos as the flock passed. The photos showed seven Emperor Geese, a very unexpected but welcome surprise!

The excitement over, we next turned our attention to a Northern Shrike that was scanning for prey from a power line. Driving down the road a very fresh bit of scat caught my attention. It looked like bear scat but it was a bit on the small side. I began looking up on the slope above the road and soon spotted the prior owner of the scat, a yearly Grizzly Bear humping along the ridge top. We watched it from the car since the vegetation near the road was too thick for us to see where mom Grizzly was lurking. As we watched the small bear was joined by a sibling, but mom remained incognito.



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Safety Sound held plenty of Common Eiders, Pacific Loons, hoards of Northern Pintails, and Tundra Swans. A King Eider flying by was the first of the trip and a pair of Canada Geese was notable since this area usually only has Cackling Geese.

A poor documentation shot of our flock of Emperor Geese. Can you find all 7?

Young Grizzly Bear surveys its domain.

June 15th

To this point, our journeys on the Council Road had not taken us past Safety Sound, so we started out early on our third morning in Nome with the intention of reaching the end of the road. Most of the same waterbirds we had seen in Safety Sound the evening before were present again this morning, but after several prior quick glimpses of Aleutian Terns, we finally got good views in the scope of this attractive western Alaskan specialty. Beyond Safety Sound we stopped for a stakeout Gyrfalcon nest. The adults were not present but there was a nest full of baby falcons still lacking feathers. We watched for the parents to return for a while but they did not



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appear. While we waited I spotted a Say’s Phoebe across a gulch, a scarce bird in the area at the very northernmost extent of its range. We decided to check on the Gyr on the way back. A short ways down the road we spotted another iconic raptor, a Golden Eagle, soaring over a towering mountain ridge. It came in and landed on a spire overlooking the valley where we stood. We were able to watch it in the scope, still high above us, but impressive nonetheless.

We entered the mountains where vast expanses of tiny pink flowers dominated the ridgetops. A herd of Muskox allowed us to approach closely and take some good photos…

Muskox are a common sight around Nome

We continued out to the end of the road where we could see the isolated little town of Council, accessible only by driving through a formidable river with a high clearance vehicle. We didn’t have a strong reason to go to Council and the numerous mosquitoes made a strong case for us to leave so we headed back towards Nome and to the coast where the bug situation was much less obnoxious. Back in the mountains we stopped to view a beautiful valley surrounded by snowy peaks when we were distracted by a particularly accommodating male Snow Bunting. We watched the bunting hopping around for a few minutes and then as we loaded back into the car the Snow Bunting suddenly did its song flight and spiraled down so close to us that it nearly brushed the car on its descent! It was an exhilarating encounter with a common but beautiful bird. Backtracking farther we stopped again at the Gyrfalcon nest and the female was already there tearing up prey for her young! As she began to run short of whatever it was she had caught the male came streaking in and dropped another



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prey item off and streaked back off into the ether while the female continued to dole out the bounty. While we were watching the show an Arctic Warbler popped up in a bush right in front of us and began to sing. We had heard them already but this was our first sighting and it added a nice bonus to our incredible Gyrfalcon experience. A flock of Common Mergansers flew past us at eye-level as we reentered Safety Sound, our first of the trip. Back in Nome we encountered a Pacific Golden-Plover near the road that gave us our best view yet of this striking species.

June 16th

On our final full day in Nome we headed out the Kogarok Road early. We heard lots of the typical songbirds in the thickets along the road including a number of Arctic Warblers. We did not however hear what we were looking for, the distinctive song of the Bluethroat. We spent several hours look for Bluethroats before finally hearing one, but it fell silent before we could locate it. Our highlight during this period was a female moose with twin calves that eventually came quite close to us as they browsed a willow thicket near the road. We resolved to go after the Bluethroat again the next morning before our flight and headed back towards Nome. We stopped at another Gyrfalcon nest on the way back, this one far up a cliff high above the road. We waited for a while with no sign of an adult until we got back in the car and started to pull away then an adult was spotted

flying in behind us through the rearview mirror. We hopped back out and watched the male feed the young for several minutes and then fly to nearby perch where we took long scope views. Then it took off and circled right above us for a few minutes until it took off at high speed, racing towards a point farther down the ridgeline. Looking in that direction I spotted two raptors locked in combat, a Rough-legged Hawk energetically trying to drive away Golden Eagle that had wandered into airspace that the Rough-legged considered its own. The Gyrfalcon also apparently felt it had a claim on this airspace as well because it

threw itself into the fray with gusto! The two smaller birds ganged up on the eagle and it soon turned tail. The falcon then continued the dispute with the Rough-legged Hawk who seemed to feel that it had as much right to be there as the Gyr but ultimately lacked the maneuverability to make its claim stick. The Gyrfalcon emerged as the proud victor! This dramatic exchange was one of the major highlights of the trip. This memorable experience behind us, we headed to lunch on a high with the feeling that between raptors playing tag and the moose that we had had a pretty excellent morning.

In the late afternoon we were back at it, this time traveling the Teller Road out to 33 Mile Ridge. On the ridgetop we found much more pleasant conditions than on our last visit and ventured way out onto the unique



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mix of rocks, lichen, and stunted grasses that cover the ridgetop. This is the habitat that Red Knots find appealing and after some searching we finally found one of these beautiful shorebirds and even heard its eerie breeding song.

We also got great looks at an American Pipit as it strutted through the rocks. In an even rockier area of the ridgetop we located our other target bird for this location, a breeding plumage Rock Sandpiper.

We enjoyed great views of the Rock Sandpiper and a particularly cooperative American Golden-Plover that was nearby.

We left the 33 Mile Ridge and continued down the Teller Road. It was a pleasant evening for a drive and the midnight sun shone brightly but though we checked several spots for White Wagtail we did not add any new species that evening.

While they look flashy on an open beach, in their breeding habitat Red Knots are perfectly camouflaged.



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This strutting Rock Sandpiper was determined to look his best.

June 17th

We were up extra early on this day because we wanted to track down a Bluethroat before catching our flight back to Anchorage. We tried to head directly to where we had heard the Bluethroat the day before but were soon sidetracked. First by a young male moose with short fuzzy antlers galloping down the road in front of us, then by a large porcupine also right in the road in front of us. After these nice mammal sightings we were able to continue out to where we had heard the Bluethroat the day before. Upon arrival we immediately heard a Bluethroat singing like crazy but far off the road. We headed down an incline towards the sound and soon noticed it doing song-flights in the distance. We got closer and tried to call it in. It responded by immediately flying right over us but did not land until it was far away again. With some persistence we eventually got views in the scope of this lovely songbird that can be found nowhere else in North America. Goal accomplished we headed back towards Nome with only a little time before we had to gather for our flight.

We headed up Anvil Mountain just outside of Nome. Here we watched an entire herd of Muskox including several large males. Atop the mountain the view was incredible, all of Nome, the coastline, and much of the Bering Sea stretched out in front of us. The view improved a bit when a Rough-legged Hawk flew right overhead. At the last possible moment our last target bird appeared. A male Northern Wheatear popped up in front of us and gave great views. We had glimpsed them half-a-dozen times in the past few days but this wasn’t a glimpse, it was a perfect experience with a striking species. After this final triumph we headed back to



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town, grabbed our belongings and headed to the airport. Back in Anchorage by the late afternoon we took the evening off.

A walking fortress of spines, this Porcupine was unconcerned about our presences

June 18th

This day was a bit of a reprieve from traveling but not a reprieve from birding. We hit a number of locations near Anchorage. We started at Hilltop Park, a favorite among Anchorage joggers and dog-walkers, but also a great place to encounter some of the common local songbirds. We soon had seen Alder Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Golden-crowned Kinglet. In another part of the park we enjoyed long scope views of a Swainson’s Thrush as it sang its beautiful song over and over. Nearby we also found a flock of Black-capped Chickadees that included several Boreal Chickadees. Next we headed over to the botanical gardens which was fairly birdless though we did have both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers and listened to the soulful whistling song of Varied Thrush. Next we headed over to an old Anchorage standby birding location, Potter’s Marsh. At Potter’s we had our first Violet-green Swallows and Lesser Yellowlegs. Arctic Terns flew about all over the place foraging to feed their downy young that hid in tussocks of marsh grass. Young Mew Gulls were a little bolder, striped brown, black and gray and loudly begging for food. Loud as they were their parents were louder, screaming and diving at any perceived threat.

We had lunch in a pleasant café then headed back out, but were sidetracked when we encountered a stunning dark-morph Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk along the road. After this pleasant encounter we birded another famous Anchorage birding location, Westchester Lagoon. Here we spent time watching exquisite Red-necked



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Grebes and Long-billed Dowitchers while a few Bonaparte’s Gulls flew over the lagoon. For our final stop of the day we headed up into the mountains above the city where the views were excellent but the birding was slow. We did locate a vocal Hermit Thrush that put on a great show. Soon though it was time to return to our hotel and prep for our flight the next morning.

Potter’s Marsh is a great place to view ducks like the striking pair of Northern Shoveler.

June 19th

We were excited to get up to Barrow to experience birding above the Arctic Circle but our route to Barrow was a bit unusual. Instead of only stopping briefly in Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse to let people off and then continuing on to Barrow immediately, we had a three and a half hour layover. Having never more than just landed at the Deadhorse Airport I was curious to see the area and it turned out to be a very interesting experience. We immediately grabbed lunch at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel, a basic establishment that primarily hosts oil field workers. After lunch we wandered around the town and out onto the tundra south of town near Lake Colleen, a large lake that was still mostly frozen. Other than Snow Buntings singing loudly from rooftops the birdlife in the settlement of Deadhorse was unimpressive. Once we got out near Lake Colleen however we began to see birds, large numbers of Greater White-fronted Geese and smaller numbers of Cackling Geese stuck their heads up from the tundra grasses to eye us as we walked by. Their gazes were only matched in their suspicion



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by those of the numerous oil workers who were constantly driving by eyeing the weird people with binoculars with confusion and wariness. Once we got a little distance from town Semipalmated Sandpipers were everywhere doing their funny helicopter display flights. Red-necked Phalaropes and Pectoral Sandpipers were the only other shorebirds in evidence, a significant difference from the tundra around Barrow where there is always a fair selection of different shorebirds in view at all times. Back at Lake Colleen, a Long-tailed Jaeger streaked across the sky and took on a Parasitic Jaeger that had wandered into his airspace with several exciting seconds of aerial combat before the Parasitic Jaeger realized its mistake and took off. The biggest surprise came a few minutes later when I heard an unfamiliar goose call and turned to see an odd looking goose flying by, a hybrid Greater White-fronted X Cackling Goose. We headed back into town getting good looks at a few Long-tailed Duck and our first eider, a female King as we walked back to the airport. We caught our flight to Barrow having got an interesting first taste of the North Slope in Deadhorse.

While Deadhorse is essentially just an oil outpost, Barrow is a native community that has been populated for centuries. The name in the native language means, “Place where we hunt Snowy Owls”! We had plans to track down a few Snowy Owls ourselves so we ventured out to explore as soon as we could stow our gear and get our rental car. Hundreds of Bearded and Harbor Seals were visible hauled out on the pack ice just offshore just across from our hotel. We headed out onto Cakeeater Road and immediately found a pair of King Eiders. Male King Eiders are one of the most spectacular critters on the planet and while quite common they stay so far north even in the winter that very few birders see full adult males. We thoroughly enjoyed our first views of this Arctic monarch, but I had spotted another eider a short ways down the road so off we went. In moments we were looking at one of Barrow’s most wanted, the spectacular Spectacled Eider. Six adult males in flock together made for quite a goggle-eyed spectacle! They were goggled-eyed because they were Spectacled Eiders and we were goggled-eyed because we were looking at six male Spectacled Eiders!



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Greater White-fronted X Cackling Goose hybrid. Quite a surprise on our Deadhorse layover

Already we were having an excellent time in Barrow, but not ten minutes later we were looking at a complete eider sweep for the trip when we found a pair of Steller’s Eiders right next to the road. Steller’s Eider is a weird little eider but beautiful nonetheless and another Barrow specialty. We had excellent luck with Steller’s Eiders this year, seeing numerous individuals everyday. A bit farther down the road we were enjoying scope views of a pair of gorgeous Red Phalaropes and a few more Steller’s Eiders when, as I panned the scope, my eye fell on a quivering ball of rusty red feathers standing on a hummock amid tundra grasses. I knew what it was immediately, a breeding male Ruff in full display, a sight I had been longing to see for years! I basically fell backwards yelling, “Look in the scope, look in the scope” and promptly beginning a happy dance. My spontaneous display of joy confirmed two things to my group, 1. That we were seeing something really special and 2. That I have absolutely no future in dance. We watched the Ruff continue to display and walk around out on the tundra. It was too far out for anything but the most basic documentation type photo. Shortly after leaving the Ruff though we ran into the Tropical Birding photo group that Iain and Keith were leading. We took them back to the location where the Ruff had been and though it was not present at that moment. Later though they relocated it and Keith got a fantastic photo as it flew past him. Our group continued out Cakeeater road enjoying the late evening sunlight and seeing more shorebirds, jaegers, and waterfowl, but after a long travel day w June 20th

Our first evening on the Arctic tundra had been so successful that we had few pressing targets still in front of us. This allowed us to just enjoy the area more completely than when the focus is on tracking down specific birds. We still had one other main target though, the white owl. We did see our first Snowy Owl that afternoon, a beautiful male perched regally on a distant pole. We enjoyed close views of a very confiding Baird’s



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Sandpiper. We also saw a number of striking full breeding Long-billed Dowitchers. The Dunlin that breed on the North Slope are of a different subspecies than those found around Nome, these are birds that fly to Japan for the winter. The evening brought spectacular light and we went as far north up the point as we could drive. Here hundreds of female Red Phalaropes had gathered in a shallow pool making a striking sight. A Gyrfalcon made a pass at the phalaropes creating a swirling mass of red panic!

e eventually threw in the towel.

Nearby our first Sabine’s Gull flew past showing off the striking wing pattern. Finally a mixed flock of Snow Geese and Canada Geese flew over town as we returned, a reminder that here in the Arctic the breeding season is short and failed breeders quickly leave the area.

RUFF!!!! Just a stunning bird and nice job by Keith Barnes to get out on the tundra and get this shot.

June 21st On our third day in Barrow, we began by watching several beautiful Sabine’s Gulls feeding at the mouth of a small creek; these striking Arctic gulls are always a joy to see. Nearby several beautiful Red-necked Phalaropes strutted their stuff.

Later, we found a Trumpeter Swan in a small group of Tundra Swans, an extremely rare bird for the North Slope. In the same location we found a Lesser Yellowlegs, an overshoot migrant like the Trumpeter Swan but not nearly as rare. The sighting of the day came in the evening though. We were driving along when we spotted a Peregrine Falcon up ahead. The bird cruised off but quickly settled in the road ahead of us and



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proceeded to take a dust bath and pick up bits of gravel in its bill. It was interrupted when a car flying down the dirt road disturbed it, but it soon returned as we inched forward and watched as this Peregrine continued to roll about in the middle of the road. It was interesting to watch but not a particularly good look for one of the princes of the air! We ended the day as all days should end in Barrow, watching several pairs of both Spectacled and Steller’s Eiders floating placidly on tundra ponds.

Which is more stunning this Red-necked or Red Phalarope? Both are exceptional and common in both Barrow and Nome

June 22nd

Our next day in Barrow turned into our incredible views day. We had seen just about all our targets well but on this day we kept getting really exceptional views of some of Barrows most coveted avian inhabitants. We started the morning by visiting the local museum learning about the customs of the whale hunting Inupiaq tribes.

Once we got out of town we almost immediately found a Snowy Owl close to the road. After some stalking we were able to get our best looks yet at this majestic Arctic predator.

Shortly after our owl experience we located three male Spectacled Eiders using a series of small ponds. We carefully maneuvered our vehicle until we were close and could get the scope out for stunning views of a stunning bird! Finally, we were close enough to see Spectacled Eider’s oddest trait, their brilliant blue eyes.



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The green pattern on the head is like a helmet of dense felt that actually stands out from the rest of the head. All in all just an incredible bird. They flew past us to another of the small ponds where we took a last long look before moving on. Later in the day we found a pair of King Eiders that allowed close approach and phenomenal views in the scope where we could clearly see the gaudy pastel colors on the face and distinctive black sails on the back.

This Snowy Owl is not impressed with my sneaking ability.

The look on its face says, “I saw you when you woke up this morning” June 23rd

Our final morning in Barrow we only had time for a brief jaunt after checking our bags in for our morning flight. However, the highlight of the day came while we were eating breakfast. Looking out the window several loons flew by, all Yellow-billed Loons! We had seen Yellow-billed Loons several times but always brief looks at birds flying away. The first few were still fairly far away but more came and the fifth bird was so close that its ivory-colored bill could clearly be seen. Excellent! We drove out towards Point Barrow for our final few minutes in Barrow and had another Yellow-billed Loon fly past us. We watched it curve away from the shore and land out in the Arctic Ocean. Our scopes were already packed but there was a kindly group of Swedish birders already scoping the bird that let us take a quick glimpse in their scope before we sped back to the airport. We departed the Arctic paradise of Barrow a little sadly but with great memories. We had a layover in Fairbanks where a collection of museum skins in the main hall of the airport gave us a much better look at Yellow-billed Loon, though far less mobile than the live versions we had seen in Barrow a few hours earlier. We returned to Anchorage in the evening and took the rest of the day off.



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The beauty of a breeding plumage female Red Phalarope is something that must be seen to be believed



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June 24th

Our plan on the second to last day of the tour was to make the drive from Anchorage to Seward slowly stopping a number of times along the way. We headed south and made our first stop at Beluga Point along Turnagain Arm. Careful scanning of the slopes of the Chugach Mountains that rose up steeply right along the road and soon spotted several groups of Dall’s Sheep high above us. These groups included the largest ram I’ve even seen with a full curl of horns and several tiny pure white babies only recently born shadowing their mothers. Here we also put the scope on a singing Townsend Solitaire and our first Fox Sparrow of the “Sooty” subspecies group, very different from the birds of “Red” subspecies group we had seen in Nome. We made a stop at a likely looking creek in Chugach State Park for American Dipper. Here we watched Violet-green Swallows wheel overhead and Dark-eyed Juncos hopping along the sidewalks. We made several stops along the creek without finding a dipper. I approached another overlook when a clump of trees just off the trail gave a low, menacing growl. I felt that hand-to-hand combat with either an unseen skulking bear or angry dryad fell outside my duties as bird guide so we quickly retreated to the car and continued on our way! We next made a sightseeing stop at Portage Lake. Here we could see three different glaciers from one location. It was striking though and a little alarming that all three glaciers ended well short of Portage Lake, their former termination point. Still there were a few chunks of bluish glacial ice floating in the lake. We also had a couple of flocks White-winged Crossbills fly over high enough though that they were little more than dark shapes giving dry twittering calls.

Our next stop was a stretch of spruce forest near Tern Lake. Here we had fantastic views of a Boreal Chickadee, significantly better than our looks in Anchorage. Here also the haunting song of Varied Thrushes echoed through the air. Down the road a baby Varied Thrush, still with bits of down clinging to it, stood along



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the road and let us get a good look. A little farther on a stunning male Varied Thrush gathered food for a baby, perhaps the one we had just seen. Much drabber than the Varied Thrush but even more exciting, an American Dipper was nesting under a bridge over a small creek. We watched it bobbing along the creek surrounded by rushing water. Along the shores of Tern Lake we got a good look at breeding plumage Common Loons and watched Arctic Terns flying by very close right along the shore. We continued on to Seward and after checking in to our hotel and taking a short rest we headed out to a nearby yard with a number of bird feeders. Initially the feeders were pretty deserted but soon we were treated to point-blanks looks at Rufous Hummingbird, both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and dozens of Pine Siskins. Most exciting of all were 6-7 Pine Grosbeaks. We enjoyed great looks at the grosbeaks including a couple of bright pink males and then did some exploring in the surrounding neighborhood. Our highlight was a beautiful male Townsend’s Warbler, but it did not stay around to be admired. It made a brief appearance then disappeared and could not be coaxed back. The time had come for a long anticipated salmon feast so we headed back to town to partake in some perfectly cooked Red Salmon!

After dinner we ventured back out locating a few Harlequin Ducks in the harbor, another pair of Pine Grosbeaks eating grit off the road, a small group of Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and ended the day with fantastic views of a Lincoln’s Sparrow.

Male Pine Grosbeaks are a gorgeous shade of pink



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Black-legged Kittiwakes are messy housekeepers

June 25th

We were up early because we had a boat to catch. Soon we were out cruising the Kenai Fjord in a large nature viewing boat. We had been incredibly lucky with weather this entire trip but today it was spitting rain and there were some concerns the weather might get worst potentially cutting our boat trip short. However the expected high winds never materialized and the rain was rarely more than a light drizzle, though it still managed to be annoying. Soon after leaving the harbor we began to see Common Murre’s, Pigeon Guillemots, and Marbled Murrelets. Soon a few groups of Rhinoceros Auklets added to our alcid total and our first few Horned Puffins were seen. This had been a particularly good year for shearwaters in this area but I was still surprised when a Short-tailed Shearwater popped up in front of us and gave great views. Later in the day we would see a fair number of Sooty Shearwaters, but this dainty Short-tailed was the most cooperative shearwater of the trip. Soon afterwards we had our first marine mammal encounter when a small pod of Dall’s Porpoises began interacting with our boat, bow riding and general frolicking right in front of us. These small, sharply patterned porpoises are exceptionally fast, not only keeping up with our boat with ease, but shooting back and forth in front of us, seeming to mock our unwieldy size with their speed and agility. Next we tracked down a Humpback Whale. Like our boat it lacked the speed and agility of the Dall’s Porpoises we had just seen, but it made it up and more with sheer charisma and presence! The whale was busy feeding and paid very little attention to us, but would surface near the boat so its blows were clearly audible. At a nearby cormorant roost we picked up three species of cormorants, Double-crested, Pelagic, and a single Red-faced,



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a Bering Sea specialty. A group of yawning Steller’s Sea-Lions and a mother and calf Humpbacked Whale added to our mammal total. We headed into a smaller side fjord that terminated in a large glacier. Here we enjoyed views of the stunning wall of ice and watched a small amount of calving, several large chunks of blue glacial ice falling into the water, but the birders mainly scanned for Kittlitz’s Murrelet. This relative of the much more common Marbled Murrelet is tied to the milky, glacial water in this part of Alaska. I finally spotted a pair of Kittlitz’s Murrelets but the rain had increased and everyone else was taking shelter inside at the time. From here we visited several seabird colonies, seeing entire cliffs filled with nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes.

Finally as we entered the harbor in the midst of a huge feeding frenzy of gulls I spotted a California Gull, quite a rarity in the area. We gathered our things, loaded the car and headed back to Anchorage. On the drive back we once again enjoyed the beautiful scenery and took in the “Ghost Forests” left by the Great Alaskan Earthquake in 1964 but saw few birds aside from a few Trumpeter Swans along the road. We got back to the now familiar Coast Hotel in Anchorage in the evening ending our trip.

Our little sojourn through some of the birdiest places in the 49th state had been a resounding success. The combination of varied and stunning scenery, sought after specialty birds like Spectacled Eider, Yellow-billed Loon, Gyrfalcon, and Bluethroat, more familiar species like Pacific Loon, Lapland Longspur, and Red Phalarope in spectacular plumages that we rarely encounter them in in the Lower 48, along with great food, a few shaggy Musk Ox and a few whales make this a trip that is difficult to beat!

Tummies make very serviceable tables, ask any Sea Otter.



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Other tour photos…

King Eiders rule

Pomarine Jaegars are common on the tundra of Barrow



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Baby Varied Thrush rocking a punk hair cut

BIRD LIST

DUCKS, GEESE, AND WATERFOWL: ANATIDAE Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Emperor Goose Chen canagica Snow Goose Chen caerulescens Brant Branta bernicla Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii Canada Goose Branta canadensis Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus Gadwall Anas strepera American Wigeon Anas americana Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Northern Pintail Anas acuta Green-winged Teal Anas crecca Greater Scaup Aythya marila Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Steller's Eider Polysticta stelleri Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri King Eider Somateria spectabilis Common Eider Somateria mollissima Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis



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Bufflehead Bucephala albeola Common Merganser Mergus merganser Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator PHEASANTS AND GROUSE: PHASIANIDAE Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta LOONS: GAVIIDAE Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica Common Loon Gavia immer Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii GREBES: PODICIPEDIDAE Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena SHEARWATERS: PROCELLARIIDAE Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris CORMORANTS AND SHAGS: PHALACROCORACIDAE Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus Red-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax urile Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus HAWKS, EAGLES, AND KITES: ACCIPITRIDAE Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's) Buteo jamaicensis harlani Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus CRANES: GRUIDAE Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis Oystercatchers: Haematopodidae Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani PLOVERS AND LAPWINGS: CHARADRIIDAE Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus SANDPIPERS AND ALLIES: SCOLOPACIDAE Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius Wandering Tattler Tringa incana Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Red Knot Calidris canutus Ruff Calidris pugnax Dunlin Calidris alpina



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Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius JAEGERS AND SKUAS: STERCORARIIDAE Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus ALCIDS: ALCIDAE Common Murre Uria aalge Pigeon Guillemot Cepphus columba Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus Kittlitz's Murrelet Brachyramphus brevirostris Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata Tufted Puffin Fratercula cirrhata GULLS, TERNS, AND SKIMMERS: LARIDAE Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Sabine's Gull Xema sabini Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia Mew Gull Larus canus California Gull Larus californicus Herring Gull Larus argentatus Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleuticus Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea PIGEONS AND DOVES: COLUMBIDAE Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) Columba livia OWLS: STRIGIDAE Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus HUMMINGBIRDS: TROCHILIDAE Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus WOODPECKERS: PICIDAE Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus



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FALCONS AND CARACARAS: FALCONIDAE Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus TYRANT FLYCATCHERS: TYRANNIDAE Alder Flycatcher Empidonax alnorum Say's Phoebe Sayornis saya SHRIKES: LANIIDAE Northern Shrike Lanius excubitor CROWS, JAYS, AND MAGPIES: CORVIDAE Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri Black-billed Magpie Pica hudsonia Northwestern Crow Corvus caurinus Common Raven Corvus corax LARKS: ALAUDIDAE Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris SWALLOWS: HIRUNDINIDAE Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor Violet-green Swallow Tachycineta thalassina Bank Swallow Riparia riparia Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota CHICKADEES: PARIDAE Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens Boreal Chickadee Poecile hudsonicus NUTHATCHES: SITTIDAE Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis CREEPERS: CERTHIIDAE Brown Creeper Certhia americana WRENS: TROGLODYTIDAE Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus DIPPERS: CINCLIDAE American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus KINGLETS: REGULIDAE Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula OLD WORLD WARBLERS: PHYLLOSCOPIDAE Arctic Warbler



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BLUETHROATS AND WHEATEARS: MUSCICAPIDAE Bluethroat Luscinia svecica Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe THRUSHES AND ALLIES: TURDIDAE Townsend's Solitaire Myadestes townsendi Gray-cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus American Robin Turdus migratorius Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius STARLINGS: STURNIDAE European Starling Sturnus vulgaris WAGAILS AND PIPITS: MOTACILLIDAE Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis American Pipit Anthus rubescens LONGSPURS: CALCARIIDAE Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis NEW WORLD WARBLERS: PARULIDAE Northern Waterthrush Parkesia noveboracensis Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata Yellow Warbler Setophaga petechia Blackpoll Warbler Setophaga striata Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) Setophaga coronata coronata Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi Wilson's Warbler Cardellina pusilla BUNTINGS AND NEW WORLD SPARROWS: EMBERIZIDAE American Tree Sparrow Spizelloides arborea Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Golden-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia atricapilla Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis Lincoln's Sparrow Melospiza lincolnii BLACKBIRDS AND ALLIES: ICTERIDAE Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus SISKINS, CROSSBILLS, AND ALLIES: FRINGILLIDAE Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera Common Redpoll Acanthis flammea Hoary Redpoll Acanthis hornemanni Pine Siskin Spinus pinus

A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour ALASKA: …€¦ · A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour...

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Transcript of A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour ALASKA: …€¦ · A Tropical Birding SET DEPARTURE tour...