Good to be back.

My flights were uneventful.

Nothing new in Anchorage, but I was finally able to get a photo of a Violet-green Swallow on Arctic Valley Road.

For umpteen years, Barb and I would drive up to Arctic Valley in hopes of finding a Willow Ptarmigan — our nemesis chicken! Last year, with the help of Dave Sonneborn, I finally saw one up at the Glen Alps area.

So, of course, when I got up to the Arctic Valley ski area this morning, what did I see? A Willow Ptarmigan! It flew before I could get a photo.

How many of us have experienced this? You search for years for a particular species, but once you finally see one, you start tripping over them…

Arrived on Adak at 2 PM and was met by Sam Brayshaw at the airport with the latest sighting info.

There are at least three siskins and 7 Bramblings, and the White Wagtail was seen again.

None of these are lifers, but nice birds anyway.

After some quick unpacking and organizing, I headed out to check the usual spots.

I saw two of the Pine Siskins at the Naval Admin Building.

I took another photo of one there, but it looked odd to me. I’m having my Adak Bird ID team working on it. Probably just another Pine…

I went up to Clam Lagoon and the seawall, finding the usual suspects.

On the way back, I stopped at the Seal Drive Feeder to look for the Bramblings.

NOTE: Someone put seed out at the nearby fallen spruce tree, which is about forty yards away from the Seal Drive feeder, hence splitting the flock! I always warn birders not to do that, but someone didn’t get the message. So now you have to figure out which feeder to stake out. Of course, if you choose Seal Drive, the birds will be at the fallen tree and vice versa!

Anyway, in spite of that, I saw two of the Bramblings

A nice start to the trip.

My body is still on Pennsylvania time, so off to bed!