ANCHORAGE: Monday and Tuesday, May 21st & 22nd, 2018
Having signed up for the High Lonesome BirdTour to the Pribilof Islands last fall, I decided to check in with quiet easy-going birder, Lois Lorenz, to see if she was as adventurous as I suspected. Yes!! Since Lois had never been to Alaska, we agreed to go early to see what we could find in the Anchorage area. To that end, we followed up on a guide suggestion from Forrest Davis (High Lonesome) and arranged to meet Lynn Barber for that purpose.
For those of you who may have never heard of Lynn, she did a Texas Big Year in 2005 garnering a total of 522 species.Then, a friend gave her the book about “The Big Year” and a seed was planted. In 2008, she did an ABA Big Year, surpassing her expected number to end up with 723 species which gave her the title of First Woman to break the 700 mark. [Eight years later, In 2016, photographer Laura Keene broke Lynn’s record with a count of 816 species.]
Birding with Lynn [5/21&22/2018] was like birding with any one of you who are knowledgeable and know where the birds are located. She knew where to take us to see a BOREAL CHICKADEE [Campbell Tract of the Chugach Mountains] and took us to a special location at Lake Hood that Lois and I had already birded on our own. A RED-THROATED LOON seems to have chosen a certain canal area on the Lake the past couple years and, sure enough, it had arrived.
The RED-THROATED LOON was not a lifer but it was so tame that I was able to stand on a pier and photograph it from above.
Lake Hood & Spenard Lake were connected and very close to the airport. From the Puffin Inn or from the tour hotel of Coast International, the Lake was within easy walking distance.
View of Lake Hood from different positions as we birded around it:
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| Note airplanes around Lake Hood. Water runway was close to Anchorage Airport; some took off right from lake. |
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The BARROW'S GOLDENEYE were distant but diagnostic photos are posted below:
A particular joy of birding so far north was observing breeding behavior. In the evening when Lois I returned to Lake Hood, the RED-NECKED GREBEs were trying to assemble a floating nest.
Two PACIFIC LOON were on Lake Hood both days giving me a fair chance to get a reasonable (instead of very distant) photo.
Passerines were more active in the evening.
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| Very WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Gambel's) |
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| BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE |
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| Lynn Barber (left) & Lois Lorenz (right) |
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| BALD EAGLE |
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| MEW GULL |
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| ARCTIC TERN nesting |
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| RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (female above; male was deeper into reeds sitting on the nest) |
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| TRUMPETER SWANs |
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| TREE SWALLOW |
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| RED-NECKED PHALAROPEs copulating (male came out from nest when female swam over that way) |
Also at Potter Marsh, was a cow Moose in the distance:
From there, as I recall, we drove to Girdwood where we were able to see the pure strain (as opposed to the interbreeds in Washington State) of NORTHWESTERN CROW.
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| It was raining; I stayed in the car as this NORTHWESTERN CROW came closer and closer |
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| OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
Lots of BLACK-BILLED MAGPIEs kept us company.
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| BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES (two above photos) |
Then, there was another Moose.
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| Arctic Ground Squirrel |
A HERMIT THRUSH and GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW were the only two birds that cooperated for photos, so I'm posting the one most rare to us.
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| GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW; Arctic Valley Road, Anchorage |
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PRIBILOF ISLANDS: MAY 23-26, 2018
St. Paul is the largest of four volcanic islands in the Bering Sea and provides the best (yet simple) visitor condtions.
Distance from Anchorage is 750 miles.
Distance from west coast of Alaska is 300 miles.
Distance from Siberia is 500 miles northwest.
St. Paul lies low in the Bering Sea. Average upland areas where we birded were less than 150 feet in elevation. It is a remote and beautifully rugged island.
We birded the accessible portion of the island where the brown heaps of weather-worn lava reminded me of Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park, but were neither that high nor that red. (Elevation of Papago itself is 1100’)
St. Paul Island is measured at 40 square miles total; its longest road is 14 miles.
Population of St. Paul is just under 500, mostly Aleut communities.
There is one store, one post office, one school, and one Russsian Orthodox Church.
Ground cover consisted of tussocks of grass, dried celery plants (others in that family) from last season, small blooming areas of tiny white flowers as well as larger circles of lupine rising from the ground with brilliant blue color. It appears that flowers will cover the landscape shortly.
Ground was relatively flat with fresh water ponds filling the scrapes and holes in the earth. These ponds and lakes with adjacent marshes proved to attract some very nice birds for us.
Basalt sea cliffs, of course, were filled with the alcids and other sea birds I wanted to see for the first time.
This High Lonesome BirdTour was guided by David Kreuper. Local guides accompanying us were: Claudia Cavazos, Sullivan (Sulli) Gibson and Philip (Phil) Chaon. 3 guides + 13 birders from around the USA, and we were set to go from the moment PenAir dropped us off at the airport.
When our plane arrived, an ABA group of birders was waiting to board to continue their trip on up to Nome and Gambel. (Stephan Lorenz, who had guided the TX trip I took the end of April was assigned to help lead this ABA tour; not mine as promoted.)
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| Me - on sea cliff |
From the short airport lobby, we were ushered right around the corner to the desk where we picked up our room key. Our rooms were in the airport building in a long hallway of rooms like any motel. This piece of paper was taped to the entrance door to let us know we were entering the:
Rooms were small, clean and efficiently covered our needs. I had my own room with two single beds - one for clothes; one for sleeping. We had been told to wear everything we would need on St. John since Pen Air ("When Air" to some locals) didn't always get baggage delivered. Shared bathrooms were at my end of the hallway. The only WiFi hotspot available to us on the island was at the far end of the hallway, but I usually just crashed when we returned from our long birding days.Typically, we birded 4 hours after breakfast; 4 hours after lunch; 4 hours after dinner, with an hour for each meal = 15-hour days. Our meals were provided at the Trident fish factory cafeteria at a time separate from the workers.
No gorgeous Arizona sunsets; I was asleep if the sun ever did get around to setting. And, a marine layer hung over us each day but sometimes we could see to the horizon below it. Temperatures probably ranged from 30s to high 40s. I wore enough layers that I was never cold. From exertion I was wet from inside out at some locations!
No gorgeous Arizona sunsets; I was asleep if the sun ever did get around to setting. And, a marine layer hung over us each day but sometimes we could see to the horizon below it. Temperatures probably ranged from 30s to high 40s. I wore enough layers that I was never cold. From exertion I was wet from inside out at some locations!
Wednesday, 5/23/18 (Happy Birthday to Ethan, my grandson)
Immediately after checking into our rooms, we got into the two vans and began birding!!
First stop (4:15 p.m.) was at Weather Bureau Lake to see if the rare COMMON POCHARD was still hanging out there. Ummmm. Yes. I spotted it easily -- looking like a Redhead/Canvasback out in the distance. Photos are documentary.
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| Distant COMMON POCHARD - note slope from forehead to end of bill |
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| COMMON POCHARD - right-most duck above center foreground |
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| COMMON POCHARD |
After getting acquainted with ROCK SANDPIPERs (prevalent sandpiper on the island),
we moved on to Reef Point in search of a Brambling that we hoped was still present. We fanned out to cover the tussock-covered ground so the rarity couldn't hide from us. I really wanted the Brambling! Around me I heard LAPLAND LONGSPURs; saw lots of PRIBILOF GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH and ROCK SANDPIPERs.
The rarity was a no show, so Phil hiked up higher into the rocky area.
Down closer to the sea, Claudia spotted a curlew on top of the rocky shoreline wall. Since I was close to her when she called it, I was able to catch some photos before the big cameras arrived and scared the bird that needed to be relocated. Kristine lives in Alaska and had immediately identified it as a BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW that, as it turned out, was the proper ID, not the hoped-for Far-Eastern Curlew some of the group were wishing for. (We all know that feeling!) The BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW was one of 16 Life Birds I would see on the island.
Meanwhile, Phil had found and photographed a Brambling so we all gave chase to the higher rockier elevation.
Again, we swept for the Brambling that eluded us so I returned to the pond at the bottom of the hill (sea level) to take pics of the birds there.
What do I mean by "tussocks"? It's just a clump of grass with its own root structure. But its a spongy surface and we don't step on the top of the clump but get our feet between root structures. My sorrel boots were perfect to protect me from the wet, but I wasn't accustomed to walking with wider rubber soles than my hiking shoes. Slowly I navigated through this kind of terrain but my hips and low back spoke up afterwards.
ROCK SANDPIPERS were also present.
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| Arctic Fox on sea wall of rocks as I walked with others to scare up the Brambling |
The rarity was a no show, so Phil hiked up higher into the rocky area.
Down closer to the sea, Claudia spotted a curlew on top of the rocky shoreline wall. Since I was close to her when she called it, I was able to catch some photos before the big cameras arrived and scared the bird that needed to be relocated. Kristine lives in Alaska and had immediately identified it as a BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW that, as it turned out, was the proper ID, not the hoped-for Far-Eastern Curlew some of the group were wishing for. (We all know that feeling!) The BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW was one of 16 Life Birds I would see on the island.
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| BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW at edge of Bering Sea [Reef Point] |
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| This terrain was easier for me to walk than the tall tussocks |
What do I mean by "tussocks"? It's just a clump of grass with its own root structure. But its a spongy surface and we don't step on the top of the clump but get our feet between root structures. My sorrel boots were perfect to protect me from the wet, but I wasn't accustomed to walking with wider rubber soles than my hiking shoes. Slowly I navigated through this kind of terrain but my hips and low back spoke up afterwards.
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| Birds can navigate the tussocks easier than me! |
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| WANDERING TATTLER (had seen this bird in Oregon one summer) |
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| With black on the high belly and de-curved bill, this might be mistaken for a Dunlin, but this is the ROCK SANDPIPER |
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| ROCK SANDPIPER photo bombing my pic of the Tattler. |
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| SNOW BUNTINGs were frequent but not numerous (to my eye). Note the black on its back. |
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| RED PHALAROPE - had to wait for it to wake up. Such a gorgeous bird! |
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| Fur Seals are the main attraction to the Pribilof Islands |
Next stop: Salt Lagoon
Birds were far out in the distance here but good scope views of a Drake King Eider and both Kittiwakes (BLACK-LEGGED and RED-LEGGED) was exciting. Our guides had the right idea, though. Let's walk closer.
Birds were far out in the distance here but good scope views of a Drake King Eider and both Kittiwakes (BLACK-LEGGED and RED-LEGGED) was exciting. Our guides had the right idea, though. Let's walk closer.
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| Sulli leading us closer to the rare birds |
The KING EIDER was definitely on my target list for this trip. Wow!
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| Drake KING EIDER (still distant after walking out but close enough) |
Among the GREEN-WINGED TEAL swimming in these waters and walking around was at least this one intergrade:
A SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, a rarity passing through, got our guides all excited.
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| Intergrade GREEN-WINGED TEAL with very contrasting head pattern |
This DUNLIN, below, provided good contrast with the markings of ROCK SANDPIPER.
Arctic Fox were seen just about every day.
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| ARCTIC FOX (above & below) |
After wrapping up here, it was over to the Trident cafeteria for dinner - with fish always on the menu. Great food every meal! And, a good night's sleep in a new bed.
Thursday, 5/24/18
Today was to be our first full day of birding here. We started at the sea cliffs that were crawling with sea birds and took hundreds of pictures in mostly poor light.
So let me digress because many of the photos I post for this date were actually taken on Friday, 5/25/18 when we were supposed to be flying back to Anchorage.
What? Yes. We were packed and ready to go on Friday, 5/25, but PenAir couldn't fly. Communications on the island are slim to none and the airport is the first, and maybe only, place the information reaches. We had been told it would be an early flight instead of an afternoon flight (bummer as it knocked out birding in the a.m.) so we waited for the plane to arrive. No one seemed to know if it was in the air bringing the next group of VENT tour birders into St. Paul. Eventually, word dribbled in. No. The FAA won't allow it to fly because one of the radar units on St. Paul needed to be adjusted. (Wind out in the sea can play havoc with things like that.) Being Memorial Day Weekend, the locals couldn't fix it until Tuesday of the following week.
Crunch time for the Tour Owners/Operators. Long story short, our group and the VENT group switched rooms where we were stuck (they took our Coast International rooms for Friday night and we took their Hotel Eider rooms). Beyond that, looking at cascading problems for additional tours, the owners managed to get a waiver from the FAA to "rescue" us from St. Paul as they carried the incoming birders to the island on Saturday, the 26th.
From this interesting turn of events, we were able to bird most of the day on Friday (having only waited for a non-existing flight). On that day, our group returned to Reef Point to search for the Brambling yet again and any other good birds that may have landed there. I had promised my lower back I wouldn't go through the tussocks again so three of us (one had knee problems from there) and Kristine (Alaska) chose to be dropped off at the sea cliffs at Reef Point prior to the lower sea-level searching area.
Not only did I have even closer views of sea birds at this location, the light was right! On our visit to the Ridge Wall on Thursday the birds had been in shadow and although I got really good close ups of all the alcids, they appeared "foggy". Now, I have better photos to post.
So, we continue now with Thursday, 5/24/18.
On our way to Ridge Wall, Dave (High Lonesome guide) spotted a SHORT-EARED OWL perched out in a field.So let me digress because many of the photos I post for this date were actually taken on Friday, 5/25/18 when we were supposed to be flying back to Anchorage.
What? Yes. We were packed and ready to go on Friday, 5/25, but PenAir couldn't fly. Communications on the island are slim to none and the airport is the first, and maybe only, place the information reaches. We had been told it would be an early flight instead of an afternoon flight (bummer as it knocked out birding in the a.m.) so we waited for the plane to arrive. No one seemed to know if it was in the air bringing the next group of VENT tour birders into St. Paul. Eventually, word dribbled in. No. The FAA won't allow it to fly because one of the radar units on St. Paul needed to be adjusted. (Wind out in the sea can play havoc with things like that.) Being Memorial Day Weekend, the locals couldn't fix it until Tuesday of the following week.
Crunch time for the Tour Owners/Operators. Long story short, our group and the VENT group switched rooms where we were stuck (they took our Coast International rooms for Friday night and we took their Hotel Eider rooms). Beyond that, looking at cascading problems for additional tours, the owners managed to get a waiver from the FAA to "rescue" us from St. Paul as they carried the incoming birders to the island on Saturday, the 26th.
From this interesting turn of events, we were able to bird most of the day on Friday (having only waited for a non-existing flight). On that day, our group returned to Reef Point to search for the Brambling yet again and any other good birds that may have landed there. I had promised my lower back I wouldn't go through the tussocks again so three of us (one had knee problems from there) and Kristine (Alaska) chose to be dropped off at the sea cliffs at Reef Point prior to the lower sea-level searching area.
Not only did I have even closer views of sea birds at this location, the light was right! On our visit to the Ridge Wall on Thursday the birds had been in shadow and although I got really good close ups of all the alcids, they appeared "foggy". Now, I have better photos to post.
So, we continue now with Thursday, 5/24/18.
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| Through van window that could not be opened |
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| HORNED PUFFIN (above & below) with clown markings on its face (Ridge Wall) |
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| TUFTED PUFFIN (Reef Point Sea Wall) above & below |
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| TUFTED PUFFIN about to go into the water (above & below) |
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| RED-FACED CORMORANT (above & below) Ridge Wall Red feathers cross from one side of face to the other, giving it a red face |
Although I saw my first NORTHERN FULMAR yesterday (to reach my 700th Life Bird), it wasn't until today that I was able to photograph it.
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| NORTHERN FULMAR - a rather boxy-looking gull |
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| 700th Life Bird (ABA) |
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| NORTHERN FULMAR
Most numerous of the auklets was the PARAKEET AUKLET. Note how they hang onto almost vertical rocks with their nails.
  
LEAST AUKLET was the hardest to find and photograph (for me). It's the smallest alcid; tiny and compact with small bill. Speckled with white throat in breeding plumage, shown below:
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CRESTED AUKLET was almost as difficult to find. Only slightly larger than the LEAST AUKLET, its defining feature, in addition to two white facial plumes, is its crest that resembles the topknot of our Gambel's Quail. Look closely at the two in the sea below.
Before leaving home, I wondered how difficult if would be in the field to distinguish a THICK-BILLED MURRE from a COMMON MURRE. Good luck; the THICK-BILLED was most numerous and I ignored the COMMON MURRE (seen often off the western USA coast).
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| THICK-BILLED MURRE above and below |
Additional sightings included:
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| LONG-TAILED DUCK |
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| RED PHALAROPE |
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| HARLEQUIN DUCKs (pair) |
The GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH we saw with great frequency was the PRIBILOF subspecies of the bird; see below:
On the drive to our final birding spot of the day, a birder in the car caught sight of a very nifty bird on the ground. In the past, I had seen the LONG-TAILED JAEGER only in flight.
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| LONG-TAILED JAEGER |
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| You will know who you are. I'm the shortest in front row, second from left. |
Immediately after breakfast, we were told our flight would leave in the morning. So, we tossed in the few things not yet zipped up and walked to the waiting area for our plane. As explained earlier (hindsight), the plane never arrived so we went out birding to a few spots not yet visited.
Lacking trees for passerines, the guides had discovered the king crab pots served that purpose - even if most of the birds hidden in them were PRIBILOF'S GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH.
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| "Forest" of King Crab Pots where song birds could nest or find shelter |
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| Claudia, local guide, walking up and down the rows banging the crab pots making birds fly out . |
Photo of Lois and me from yesterday's quarry area visit.
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| Babs (Left); Lois (Right) |
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| Old Town, including the Russian Orthodox Church |
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| Lupine on its way |
With Sixteen (16) Life Birds and mega memories of our birding experiences at St. Paul, I'm thrilled that we went on this trip. Lois' final Life Bird (she had 30+) was an EYE-BROWED THRUSH. Mine was a McKAY'S BUNTING.
My eBird lists for the Pribilofs can be found at:
St. Paul Island (Pribilof Islands-Bering Sea), Aleutians West, Alaska, US
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