Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Added a few trip birds today, but no lifers.

The number of godwits has increased to eight, which means some new birds arrived. As I was walking the Clam Lagoon marsh edge, a flock of seven godwits flew in and landed no more than thirty yards from me and proceeded to feed and get even closer as if I didn’t even exist. I was not hiding. There is no place to hide on a mud flat!

We refound the Snow and White-fronted geese and the loner White-fronted had joined them, so now it was two and two. As we were driving up towards Contractor’s Marsh, Barb heard a Common Greenshank. However, we never saw the bird. Later, on another approach to the marsh, we saw a flock of Aleutian Terns headed for the marsh with three shorebirds tagging along. Barb dropped me off so I could walk through the marsh to look for the shorebirds while she drove around the roads that criss-cross the marsh. Just as I got out of the car, a large flock of Aleutian Terns started flying overhead. Although lighting conditions were terrible, I did get a few decent photos.

Aleutian Tern, Contractor's Marsh, May 29, 2012

I walked back and forth through the marsh and as I approached the large pond at the western edge, three shorebirds plopped in right in front of me! Unfortunately, they were just Red-necked Phalaropes, instead of something new (or rare). Phalaropes are one of the few bird species in which the female is the more brightly plumaged and the male does most of the nesting duties. Here are a few photos.

Red-necked Phalarope (female), Contractor's Marsh, May 29, 2012

Red-necked Phalaropes (male - left), Contractor's Marsh, May 29, 2012

Red-necked Phalaropes, Contractor's Marsh, May 29, 2012

We continued up to Clam Lagoon, where the otters continue to delight.

Sea Otter with pup, Clam Lagoon, May 29, 2012

On the east side of the lagoon at the seawall, I was able to pick out a Laysan Albatross and Short-tailed Shearwater way out on the horizon. These were new for the trip, as was the aforementioned Greenshank.

On our way back up the east side of the lagoon, we spotted the geese and called Isaac, as he only got a fleeting look at them as the flew off the other day. I decided to walk the Clam Lagoon edge to look for hiding shorebirds. As I walked out onto the flats, a flock of Arctic Terns decided I was worth investigating and hovered overhead while screaming at me.

Arctic Tern, Clam Lagoon, May 29, 2012

The Brant was feeding on the flats, so I got some closer photos of it, standing and in flight.

Brant, Clam Lagoon, May 29, 2012

Brant, Clam Lagoon, May 29, 2012

No, I didn’t scare it off. It just flew 20 yards or so. I flushed a small shorebird from the edge of the marsh. It was a peep or a stint, but it circled up high and flew off to the south. Frustrating!

After dinner, I went down to the Hawfinch feeder to see if I could get a photo of both Hawfinches together. Earlier in the day, we saw both of them, but the one was chasing the other so much, I couldn’t get a photo. While waiting for the Hawfinches to show themselves, I got some neat photos of the Gray-crowned Rosy Finches (the “House Sparrow” of Adak).

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Naval Admin Bldg, May 29, 2012

Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, Naval Admin Bldg, May 29, 2012

Only one Hawfinch showed up while I was waiting, but posed nicely for me.

Hawfinch, Naval Admin Bldg, May 29, 2012

Hawfinch, Naval Admin Bldg, May 29, 2012

Hawfinch, Naval Admin Bldg, May 29, 2012

And, last but not least, this bird knows his place…

Hawfinch, Parking in the appropriate spot...

Our trip list is up to 60, about average for a spring trip. One-and-a-half days to go. Hoping for a late surprise.

 

 

12 thoughts on “Tuesday, May 29, 2012

  1. May I just say what a comfort to discover somebody who really understands what they are discussing on the net. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people need to check this out and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular because you definitely have the gift.

    https://cse.google.ne/url?sa=i&url=https://hottelecom.biz/id/

  2. Aviator Spribe казино
    Добро пожаловать в захватывающий мир авиаторов! Aviator – это увлекательная игра, которая позволит вам окунуться в атмосферу боевых действий на небе. Необычные графика и захватывающий сюжет сделают ваше путешествие по воздуху неповторимым.
    Aviator Spribe казино играть на гривны

  3. Hi there! This post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my good old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
    Reeds for Oboe and English Horn

  4. Thank you, I’ve just been looking for information about this topic for ages and yours is the greatest I have found out till now. However, what in regards to the conclusion? Are you positive in regards to the source?

    Gama casino

  5. Добрый день всем!
    Вы когда-нибудь писали диплом в сжатые сроки? Это очень ответственно и тяжело, но нужно не сдаваться и делать учебные процессы, чем Я и занимаюсь)
    Тем кто умеет разбираться и гуглить информацию, это действительно помогает по ходу согласований и написания диплома, не нужно тратить время на библиотеки или встречи с дипломным руководителем, вот здесь есть хорошие данные для заказа и написания дипломов и курсовых с гарантией и доставкой по России, можете посмотреть здесь , проверено!
    купить диплом о среднем образовании в москве
    купить диплом специалиста
    купить диплом цена
    купить диплом в Москве
    купить диплом магистра
    где купить диплом

    Желаю всем положительных оценок!

  6. Доброго всем дня!
    Приобретите диплом института или колледжа недорого с доставкой по РФ и гарантией качества без предварительной оплаты!
    http://saksx-attestats.ru/
    На нашем сайте вы можете заказать диплом ВУЗа недорого с возможностью оплаты после получения и круглосуточной поддержкой!
    Закажите диплом института или техникума по доступной цене с гарантированной доставкой в любой уголок России без предоплаты!

  7. Приветики!

    Было ли у вас опыт написания дипломной работы в крайне сжатые сроки? Это действительно требует огромной ответственности и трудоемкости, однако важно сохранять упорство и продолжать активно участвовать в учебном процессе, как я это делаю.
    Для тех, кто умеет эффективно искать и анализировать информацию в интернете, это действительно помогает в процессе согласования и написания дипломной работы. Больше не нужно тратить время на посещение библиотек или организацию встреч с научным руководителем. Здесь, на этом ресурсе, предоставлены надежные данные для заказа и написания дипломных и курсовых работ с гарантией качества и доставкой по всей России. Можете ознакомиться с предложениями по ссылке , это проверенный источник!
    http://paintball-keller-lev.de/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=100003
    купить диплом в Москве
    купить диплом ссср
    купить диплом техникума
    купить диплом специалиста
    купить диплом о высшем образовании

    Желаю любому прекрасных отметок!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *