Sunday, September 25, 2022

Temp in the 40s, mostly sunny, almost calm at sunrise changing to SE 10-15 mph in the afternoon. Rain starting at 5:30 PM

Perfect weather for dickey-bird hunting!

So i spent the morning scouring every spruce tree and willow bush that I could find.

To no avail!

I visited the High School Spuices (Naumann’s Thrush site) three times today. Nada…

However, during my rounds, I found the Gyrfalcon again.

Gyrfalcon, Airport Escarpment, Sept 25, 2022
Gyrfalcon, Airport Escarpment, Sept 25, 2022

Later in the day, I saw the Peregrine. So it was a two-falcon day.

In the afternoon, I headed to Clam Lagoon and walked the Peninsula and Marsh Edge.

The Peninsula was birdless, but as I was walking from the Peninsula across the flats towards the south end of the Marsh Edge, three shorebirds flew in and landed nearby.

Two plovers and a dowitcher.

Long-billed Dowitcher, Clam Lagoon, Sept 25, 2022

The dowitcher was much more colorful than the three I saw in the 18th.

I believe this was a juvenile, while the others were winter adults.

The plovers were in different plumages. Here is the first one.

Pacific Golden-Plover, Clam Lagoon, Sept 25, 2022

The second one I am not sure of and have put out feelers to my band of experts. It might be an American Golden-Plover… or not.

Plover, Clam Lagoon, Sept 25, 2022

Along the Marsh Edge were the usual suspects, pectorals, sharp-tails, and dowitcher.

Over the last week, Aaron’s group had been seeing a Little Stint here as well. Examination of their photos show it to be a different one from the one we had on the 18th.

I did not see it today. Of course…

Pectoral Sandpiper, Clam Lagoon, Sept 25, 2022

Over at the Seawall, not too many birds were sitting on Cormorant Rocks!

Cormorant Rocks, Sept 25, 2022
Cormorant Rocks, Sept 25, 2022

I then revisited the feeders, spruces, and willows. Still nada…

I checked Lake Leone and all of the ducks were gone (tufted and scaup).

Up at the Hilltop Quarry, I finally got my Snow Buntings for the trip.

The salmon are nearing the end of their run on Finger Creek, but the gulls are still having a feast.

Glaucous-winged Gull, Finger Creek, Sept 25, 2022

And a Harlequin was in a hurry to get away from me as I drove along the creek.

Harlequin Duck, Finger Creek, Sept 25, 2022

Aaron’s group departed yesterday, so I am the lone birder on the island right now.

Birds that they saw that I did not include: Wood Sandpiper, Gray-tailed Tattler, Black Scoter, Red-throated Loon, Common Goldeneye, Barn Swallow (would have been an Adak bird for me), and Rough-legged Hawk.

The vagaries of birding. Being at the right place at the right time. For most of those birds, it was a one or two minute interval that made the difference between seeing and not seeing those birds.

My trip list is 52.

My eBird list is https://ebird.org/checklist/S119442450

PS: Steve (the owner of Adak Aleutians Experience, where I stay) just got Starlink! So now I have high-speed internet here!