Arrival…

Our flights to Anchorage were uneventful. Birding in Anchorage on Thursday morning was also relatively uneventful. Best birds were a Dipper (a bird we don’t always get), a couple of Gray Jays, and a Belted Kingfisher. The kingfisher was a new Alaska bird for us!

The flight to Adak was delayed an hour because of a crew change, so we didn’t get there until near 6 pm. That gave us only a couple of hours before dark, so we headed up to Clam Lagoon, but the tide was so high, there were no mudflats.

The best bird of our quick run around the lagoon was a Peregrine Falcon, especially since we didn’t see any this past May.

Peregrine Falcon, Clam Lagoon Seawall, Sept 11, 2014.

Peregrine Falcon, Clam Lagoon Seawall, Sept 11, 2014.

However, the most intriguing note of the day was the comment from the local police chief that there were “several small hawks hanging around.” Back in June, John Pushock’s group found several Common Cuckoos in town. They look like accipiters when they fly. Could that be what is still here?

We will be looking tomorrow.