Temp in the 40s, mostly cloudy, occasional light drizzle, Wind NW 10-20 mph

Although I added five birds to my trip list today, none of them were speaking Russian — or Chinese or Lao or any other Asian language — unfortunately.

But it was an interesting day.

I did my standard Sweeper Cove and Channel check in the morning and was pleased to count 13 phalaropes in Phalarope Cove — a new high.

Here is a nice shot of one not in the water.

I went by the Kuluk Drive feeder and saw one of the Hawfinches.

I decided to spend some time at Andrew Lake watching the seed I threw out yesterday in hopes the Brambling/bunting flock would find it.

No luck on that score, but as I traversed the road along the lake, a flock of four geese plopped down right in front of me (You’ll hear more about plopping-down birds later).

They were three Cackling Geese and one Greater White-fronted Goose. The White-fronted was only my 4th sighting out here, so that was a good bird.

The Cacklings were also interesting as two of them had the traditional white neck band while the other one appeared slightly smaller and had no neck band. Two Aleutians and one non?

I mentioned the Caribou tracks yesterday. Well apparently one of them did not get past a hunter’s bullet. I found a fresh gut pile there.

I also took a splendid photo of a Lapland Longspur — another abundant species on the island that I tend to overlook.

On my first foray up to Clam Lagoon, I saw this nice pair of Marbled Murrelets. They are all paired up at this time.

I also thought this guy looked cute.

I went back to town for a pit stop and lunch and then went back up to Clam Lagoon.

Up til now, the visibility off the Seawall has been terrible. So there was no use trying a seawatch. But today was different. So I set myself up looking seaward, focused my scope just short of the horizon, and with 5 seconds had a Laysan Albatross and a Short-tailed Shearwater! I only spent about 20 minutes there, but ended up with 15 albatross, 1 shearwater, and a Gyrfalcon (hunting the bay).

Not bad…

Sam caught up to me just as I was finishing. I continued down the east shore of the lagoon to Candlestick Bridge. Sam arrived a few minutes later.

Sam and Steve walked down to the beach as I turned around to return around the lagoon.

Halfway up the flats, I spotted to shorebirds that had not been there when either I or Sam drove by a few minutes earlier. They were Bar-tailed Godwits. Two males. The one that had been seen this past week was a female.

As I was sitting there, a rain squall blew in. I waited it out and was rewarded with two Pacific Golden-Plovers. I have had other days like this where birds com down to the flats during rain squalls.

It was getting late (for me), so I decided I would go back to town, shower, have dinner and then come back up to see what other birds had fallen out of the sky!

I radioed Sam about the birds and left.

I ran into Rick’s crew on the way back and gave them the info.

On my way back up to the Lagoon, I stopped at the Airport Creek Bridge (I ALWAYS stop there!) and found my first Ruddy Turnstone for the trip.

I ran into Rick’s group again as they were leaving the lagoon. They said the godwits and plovers flew off shortly after the arrived to see them

I continued on anyway.

I finally arrived once again at the east shore flats.

No shorebirds.

But, once again, a rain squall cam through, and in the middle of it I saw to shorebirds plop down. They were the godwits! Then a few minutes later, three golden-plovers plopped down!

So I upped my Pacific Golden-Plover total for the day by one.

Unfortunately, no more strays showed up.

Obviously, birds are on the move. More coming tomorrow…

My Trip List is 66 (one shy of my May average)

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S139387980

Temp in the 40s, overcast, light drizzle much of the day, Wind SW 10-20 mph

Whoops! I forgot to take the weather photo this morning.

Well, the Russians haven’t made it here yet. Maybe tomorrow…

Low tide was not going to be until 4:30 this afternoon and the high tide was extra high because of the southerly winds pushing it into Clam Lagoon, so I decided to concentrate on the southern half of our birding area until this afternoon.

I ran into Rick’s group and gave them a brief tour of the Airport Ponds and Contractors Marsh. I led them to a spot in the marsh where snipe have been readily heard and seen and, as we got out of the vehicles, the Wood Sandpiper flushed from nearby. I let them chase it down and I went on my way. They got great looks after I left.

I went over to Lake Andrew and threw some seed on the ground near where the Bramblings and bunting have been hanging out. Hopefully, that will lure the Rustic Bunting into view.

While there, I spotted some Caribou hoofprints.

As mentoined a few days ago, seeing Caribou in the north half of the island in other than winter is highly unusual.

After lunch, I started towards Clam Lagoon. I stopped on Bayshore Highway to check the kelp bed off shore and spotted a loon. It was a Yellow-billed. I can’t tell you on how many trips other birders spotted Yellow-bills, but we didn’t. So it was nice to see one myself. You can barely pick out the yellow bill in this very distant photo (easily seen in the scope, however).

On the way up to Lake Ronnie, I took this photo of a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers. They are so abundant out here, you forget to notice how colorful they are.

At Lake Ronnie, I finally ran into the Lesser Scaup that had been reported last week.

When I was out with Steve Carroll the other morning, he pointed out a local island called Battleship Rock. I didn’t know that before.

When I originally had driven the Seawall and gone past Lake Shirley, there were no birds of note. But on the return trip, the ducks had returned to Lake Shirley and brought a Tufted Duck with them!

Then, at the Seawall, I found one Arctic and four Pacific loons and a Steller’s Sea Lion!

The thrush has not been seen in two days.

The Trip List is 61 (May average is 67)

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S139262875

Temp in the 40s, overcast, rain, Wind SW 10-20 mph

It looks like the heaviest rain passed south of us, but it was still raining lightly all day. The wind has picked up and is coming from the Southwest, which is ideal for Asian strays. The winds are forecast to be SW to NW to SW for most of this following week, so things are looking promising.

I only picked up one species today — Emperor Goose — out on Goose Rocks!

It was a lifer for Steve and some of the new birders that arrived today.

I had another Brambling at the High School Spruces. They’re everywhere!

This morning, I joined Ivan as we searched for the Rustic Bunting he found yesterday. In the constant rain and wind, it was no fun — and no success. Ivan also had a Least Sandpiper near there. We did not relocate that either.

Maybe tomorrow, between rain showers, conditions will be better for finding the bunting.

The ponds adjacent to Lake Andrew are great places for Red-necked Phalaropes.

After that, I did my usual rounds and got to the airport just after two to bid farewell to Ivan and welcome the new batch of birders.

The house they are staying in is very near to where the Hawfinches are coming to a feeder. As we drove up to their place, we passed the Hawfinch feeder and they saw several flying around!

They were most interested in the Rustic Bunting, so I took them up there and we searched in vain. We did see a flock of six Brambling, but no bunting.

Some of them also needed the Emperor Goose, so I took them up there and, luckily, it was still there.

I then took them back to town and showed them where the Eye-browed Thrush had been hanging out and I then abandoned them to their own devices and quit for the day.

My Trip List is 59.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S139162332 Not a very long list today. Conditions were terrible.

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

Well at least their birds…

Temp in the 40s, overcast, showers starting late afternoon, wind SW 5 mph, increasing as the day went on.

There is a strong storm system coming from Russia that is starting to hit us tonight. It should bring some interesting birds…

If you read last night’s blog, I listed a Common(?) Gull. We have now changed it to Short-billed and I have updated yesterday’s blog and eBird list.

The gull was still present earlier today, but I did not see it when I went back up to Clam Lagoon this evening.

The other good news is that the Eye-browed Thrush appears to be settling in. There is a junk pile in town that it is favoring and it was seen there several times today. And I finally got a good photo.

Here is the mandatory annual eagle closeup. An eagle overlooking the palisades…

I went up to North Lake and while I didn’t see any birds, I did get a panoramic view of Clam Lagoon.

At Clam Lagoon, the Bar-tailed Godwit and Short-billed Gull were still present.

Both yesterday and today, there were Red-necked Phalaropes in Phalarope Cove (in Sweeper Cove). I had named this cove as such because of this very behavior — gathering in this spot. However, the last few years, I had not seen any phalaropes in the cove! It is nice they are gathering there again. Here is one from near Lake Shirley today.

Most of the Sea Otters have pups right now.

Sam and Steve had a flock of 8 Bramblings at Andrew Lake this afternoon (and a possible thrush)!

On a very different note, Sam and Steve found the skull of a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel out near Candlestick Bridge. We assume it was left there by a jaeger.

The Trip List is 58 (67 is average for my May trips)

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S139047092

Temp in the 40s, overcast, Wind NNE light

I took Steve Carroll (my landlord on Adak) out birding this morning to give him a taste of what we birders do all day up here.

We didn’t see anything rare, but he got nice looks at a lot of common birds (a number of which he hadn’t known about). He thoroughly enjoyed it and I enjoyed his glee at seeing the birds up close and personal.

After that, I went on my usual foray.

At the Kuluk Drive feeder, I finally saw more than one Hawfinch. Three flew in, but immediately left. So no pics.

On the Seawall, I had both Arctic and Pacific loons together again. But this time they stayed for a photos.

Shortly after seeing these loons, Ivan called and said he had 5 Pacific Golden-Plovers and a Short-billed Gull on the east side flats.

I got down there in a minute and eventually found them.

The gull was out on the flats, so I ambled down and walked out to get flight photos (essential for separation of the various Common/Short-billed Gull species and subspecies).

After viewing the photos I took, we all thought it was a Common Gull (the Eurasian version of the North American Short-billed Gull — once all lumped under Mew Gull). However, there are other birders more skilled in gull identification than we are. So I sent the photos and asked their opinions.

After review by Isaac, Aaron, and David, we have agreed it is a Short-billed.

Here are two of the plovers.

And their tracks…

On the way back to town, I stopped at the Marsh and had two more Pacific Golden-Plovers. They were at the usual spot on Redshank Drive.

I then went up to two little wet areas just on the south side of the “White Building.” This has been a favorite spot of mine over the years, in that I can drive right up to it and scan it without leaving the car (using the car as a blind). I have had Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, snipe, Ruff, plovers, etc. here. This is where Sam had the Wood Sandpiper yesterday.

Well… Today the Wood was back!

At Sweeper Channel, one of the more colorful versions of Rock sandpiper was present.

I then got another call from Ivan saying he had relocated the Eye-browed Thrush! I raced over there, to no avail. The bird was being as skittish as ever. Ivan got a distant, so-so photo, but better than mine. We could not find the bird again.

The Trip List is 56.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138931465

Temp in the 40s, mostly cloudy, a few light showers in the afternoon, Wind light NE

I start every day by checking the Seal Drive feeder and then the Sandy Cove Bluffs Rock feeder.

At Seal Drive this morning, I had a Hawfinch.

At the Rock, I had a Brambling.

At Sweeper Cove, I got this photo of one of several Ancient Murrelets.

Also, at Sweeper Cove, I added Thick-billed Murre to the trip list.

As I was checking the cove, Sam called to check in. I met him at the Naval Admin Building, where they were putting out seed.

As we were standing there chatting, Sam spotted a bird fly by and said he thought it might be a thrush!

We hurried around the building and saw a bird sitting on a utility pole about a hundred yards away. I quickly snapped a few photos. then the bird flew off.

We couldn’t tell on the camera’s screen if the bird was a thrush or just something common here. So I hurried back to the house, downloaded the pics, and confirmed that it was a thrush — probably Eye-browed, although it was difficult to tell from my photos.

I radioed Sam and Steve and they continued searching. I arrived back there a few minutes later and Sam and Steve relocated the bird shortly thereafter. They confirmed it to be an Eye-browed Thrush, but failed to get quality photos (although they did get blurry, but identifiable pics).

As I approached them, the bird flew again, and this game of cat-and-mouse kept up for the better part of an hour until we finally lost it in town. The only photos that I got were the originals.

This was a lifer for Sam!

After that excitement, I did my usual rounds. On Bayshore Highway, I found a Common Loon out by the kelp beds.

The Pacific Golden-Plovers were back at their favorite spot along Redshank Drive.

I headed up towards Clam Lagoon, but got a call from Sam that they had the Wood Sandpiper in view. So I turned around and headed back, only to find it had flown back over into the marsh where it had been seen previously. I find the marsh to treacherous to walk these days, so I only hike into there for a lifer. I still have ten days for me to see it.

At clam Lagoon, I got a better photo of the American Wigeon.

And on the drive from Shotgun Lake to Lake Andrew, I got a nice pic of a Bufflehead at Hidden Lake.

At the northern end of Clam Lagoon, a number of murrelets were all paired up. Most of them were marbled, but I found at least one pair of Kittlitz’s.

Along the Seawall, I found three loons together — two Pacific and one Arctic. (one with a flank patch, two without). Unfortunately, they were feeding too actively to get a photo of them. They dove and came up farther north, dove again, repeat… eventually disappearing. It was a nice comparison while it lasted.

Then I found another Pacific farther down the Sewall and two more at Candlestick Bridge.

In between, I saw what I believe to be a Minke Whale off the Seawall. It only surfaced twice, but it looked like what I could find online.

When I got back to the Palisades Overlook, the Pacific Loon flock that I had seen yesterday was there again. There were only five in the flock (diving and feeding tightly together!!) and two more a hundred yards or so away — all in breeding plumage. A short distance from the flock was another loon in winter plumage, which turned out to be an Arctic.

So a nice day for loons.

The trip list is 54.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138793976

Temps in the 40s, overcast, Wind variable 0-5 mph.

Amanda is leaving on this afternoon’s flight, so we decided to go up to the Loran Station first thing and then spend the rest of the day closer to town.

We first checked the feeders and found nothing new.

We stopped at the Palisades Overlook and found a flock(!) of 6 Pacific Loons. I have seen 2 or 3 Pacific Loons loosely together (within spittin’ distance), but these birds were right next to each other. Four of them were sleeping and the two others were preening. The sleepers raised their heads occasionally, so we could confirm their ID. Interesting…

On the drive out to the Loran Station we came across a Short-eared Owl (our second of the trip).

The road out to the Loran Station is in its worse shape ever! The road had been in great shape the past couple of years because the UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) team had been maintaining it because they were working out in that area. It appears that they are finished out there (or at least taking a pause) and the road has deterioted rapidly.

I’m afraid if it doesn’t get some maintenance in the next year, it will become impassable.

We worked our way out there (carefully) and stopped frequently for Amanda to take in (and photograph) the scenery.

No sooner had we gotten to the Loran Station and I put up my binos to scan the sea, that I saw a pod of Orcas! Anybody who has followed this blog over the years know how unlucky we had been on seeing these magnificent beasts. The only one we ever saw was off the Seawall and stayed submerged except for its dorsal fin (of which I got a wonderful? photo).

So seeing an actual pod of Orcas swimming at the surface was exciting to say the least.

I started screaming “ORCAS, ORCAS!!!

We both grabbed our cameras and started clicking.

What a wonderful experience!

If I don’t get any new birds this trip, it will still be worth it just for the Orca experience alone.

And this was Amanda’s best sighting of Orcas as well!

We did not see any pelagic birds out there, but I added both puffins to the trip list.

We headed back towards town and as we drove down the hill just above the Navfac creek, I stopped and scanned the beach and found a Bar-tailed Godwit (a trip bird).

We went back to the house for Amanda to finish packing, then took the cars down to get gas.

On the way back from the gas station, I stopped at the Sweeper Creek Estuary and was working on my eBird list, when Amanda pulled up, looked at the streamside and spotted a Brambling! I’m beginning to think she is a Brambling-whisperer!

No sooner had I got on it than she saw a second one! A male and a female.

We then went our separate ways, as she stayed close to town for the plane to arrive.

I decided to eat lunch while watching the Seal Drive feeder. I didn’t see any new birds there, but there was a tailless rosy-finch.

The plane arrived and Amanda (and the High Lonesome tour group) left.

Sam, Steve, and Ivan arrived, so I won’t be alone birding on the island.

I headed up to Clam Lagoon and found some eagles having a meeting.

There was a Northern Shoveler at Lake Shirley. Nothing else much to report.

The trip list is at 49.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138615769

Temp in the 40s, mostly cloudy, wind N 5 mph

We decided to go down to Finger Bay/Creek this morning.

There were a lot more birds in Sweeper Cove this morning and, as we drove up the south side of the cove, we spotted a couple flocks of ducks which Amanda scoped.

She quickly picked out two Tufted Ducks with a flock of Greater Scaup.

We had been looking for these guys for three days. The flock apparently moves around a lot. They had been seen at the Airport Ponds, Lake Andrew, Contractors Marsh, etc.

At the North Quarry, we got a pair of Pacific Wrens.

Up at the South Quarry, we got a pair of Snow Buntings.

We didn’t see anything new down at the Finger Bay area.

We then headed up to Contractors Marsh, where we had several Common and Wilson’s snipe calling and flying.

As we turned to leave, a Short-eared Owl flew by. It headed over towards the Thrush Feeder and caught something nearby. It then landed in the field across from the feeder and devoured it.

Later on, I went over to the spot where it was eating it, but found no fur or feathers. As we watched it eating, it appeared to be eating it piece-by-piece, rather than swallowing it whole like owls usually do. So I was surprised not to find any evidence of the prey (the location was easy to find, as it was on a little tussock which stood out from the surrounding vegetation).

Amanda was scheduled to go out on the Whiskered Auklet boat trip later in the afternoon, so I took her back to the house where she got in her own car and was going to bird around town until the boat was ready to go.

I went over to the Kuluk Drive feeder to try for the Hawfinch and was rewarded as soon as I stopped.

I then headed back up to the Marsh and did the above-mentioned owl-prey search.

I drove north and had just stopped at the Palisades Overlook, when I got a radio call from Amanda saying she had a Brambling at the Rock Feeder.

So I raced back to town and, after a 35-minute wait, saw the Brambling.

Then it was back north.

At Clam Lagoon, I added Common Goldeye and 2 Parasitic Jaegers to the trip list. And at the Seawall, there was a flock of 85 White-winged Scoters. Unfortunately, they were too far out to determine if any were Stejneger’s.

Also, at the Seawall, I had two Pacific Loons.

There were a couple more Common Goldeneye at Lake Shirley.

As I came back around the lagoon and stopped at the West Lookout, I looked up to see 3 Caribou running across the lagoon!

The Caribou out here stay away from the north end of the island except in winter, so it was totally unexpected. My landlord, Steve, didn’t believe me until I showed him the pics.

They ran across the lagoon (heading west), crossed the road and burst up the hillside and disappeared.

This was only the second time I had seen Caribou in all of our trips out here.

I topped off the day’s list with 5 Aleutian Cackling Geese which flew over as I was standing in the driveway telling Steve about the Caribou!

The trip list is 45.

Amanda and the High Lonesome BIrd Tour group leave tomorrow and a few new birders will be arriving.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138458704

Temp in the 40s, mostly cloudy, intermittent showers, Wind NNW 5-10 mph

We did not find any earth-shattering birds today.

2 American Wigeon (uncommon, but regular out here) and 5 Northern Shovelers highlighted the waterfowl list.

We added Pacific Golden-Plover to the shorebird list.

The birds have found all of the new feeders, except for the Thrush Feeder.

There were very few birds off the Seawall and no shorebirds on Clam Lagoon.

Waterfowl numbers seem good.

High Lonesome had a Wood Sandpiper and both snipe at the marsh today.

Last May, I posted a photo of a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch nest located in an old bunker.

Well, the steel shelving on which it was located finally collapsed, so they will have to find a new location.

34 species so far.

PS: Amanda got very good looks and photos of the Hawfinch yesterday.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138326356

Back to Adak!

My flights to Anchorage yesterday were on time and today’s flight also.

In Anchorage yesterday afternoon, I did a quick spin around Lake Hood.

As usual, the Red-throated Loon was in attendance.

The rest of the waterfowl were as expected, also.

This morning, I ran up to Arctic Valley, where a Hermit Thrush actually came out into the open…

At Ship Creek, I had a nice Hudsonian Godwit (only my second for my Alaska list).

Also, from Ship Creek, I saw a Whimbrel feeding off the Coastal Trail (too far for photos). When I drove around to the trail and walked a portion of it, I could not relocate it.

At the airport, I met Amanda Damin (who is spending the next four days with me) and the tour group from High Lonesome (led by Stephan Lorenz).

When we got to Adak, we found out that the Tundra Bean Goose had not been seen for two days, but there were a nice number of Hawfinches around and a Brambling or two.

After some quick unpacking, I drove Amanda up to one of the spots the Hawfinches were being seen. After about 15 minutes or so, one flew in but kept on going, circling the area and not landing.

Amanda decided she would stake it out while I went back to assemble the new feeders I had built and shipped out to Adak.

I had gotten tired of rats eating much (if not most) of the bird seed we scattered out each day. So I went to the drawing board and designed what I hope are rat-proof feeders!

As you can see, it didn’t take long for the birds to start using it.

I assembled and filled three feeders (at Seal Drive, the Thrush Feeder, and the National Forest). I will install the last one at the Blue Buildings up at Clam Lagoon tomorrow.

As I sit here typing this, a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch just flew into the feeder that I put up outside this house.

Northwest winds are predicted for the next few days. Southwest are preferable in May, but any wind with a western vector in it is good news.

At 9:30 PM, Amanda is still out birding (the sun doesn’t go down until 10:36 today)!

I will let you know what she found in tomorrow’s post.

Today’s eBird list can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S138206904