Temps in the 50s, mostly cloudy, Wind WNW 5-15 mph
![](http://www.franklinhaas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Weather_09252023.jpg)
Aaron, the Adak Magician, pulls another duck out of his hat!
I had checked Sweeper Channel early and had a dozen teal and a few wigeon. I checked through them thoroughly (they weren’t very far up the channel) and they all flew off when I drove up the dike. I left there and headed up towards the Marsh.
Just as I was arriving there, I got a call from Aaron that he had a Baikal teal at Sweeper Channel!!!
I raced back and discovered about two dozen teal, several Mallards and more wigeon — and a Baikal Teal! This was obviously a different flock than I had earlier.
In any case, another Adak bird for me. Here is a poor, but identifiable photo. Notice the white spot just behind the bill.
![](http://www.franklinhaas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BaikalTeal_09252023.jpg)
It was pretty far up the channel, so after everyone got satisfactory views, several of us walked up the dike in hopes of closer photos. I got the above photo about halfway up and then everything flew. I did not get a flight photo, but Aaron did, showing the distinctive upper wing pattern
This was a Lifer for me that did not increase my life list.
Back in 2010, we had scheduled a trip to southeast Arizona. A Baikal Teal had been found in Phoenix, so we made a side trip up there to see it. Although we questioned its provenance, the state records committee accepted it, so we put it on our list. I was never really comfortable with that, so I am now dropping that sighting from my list and replacing it with this one.
Other than that bird, I had another Laysan Albatross and a few Short-tailed Shearwaters off the Seawall.
And 9 Black Scoters of Navfac Beach.
![](http://www.franklinhaas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/BlackScoter_09252023.jpg)
While walking back from taking the above photo, I noticed that the Seaside Ragworts were in seed.
![](http://www.franklinhaas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/SeasideRagwort_09252023.jpg)
The seed head is very similar to a Dandelion’s.
My trip list is 59 and the annual list is 84.
You can see today’s eBird list at https://ebird.org/checklist/S150779532