Month: June 2022

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Sunday, May 29 to Wednesday, June 1

We got off to a late start on Sunday, and we had a big day ahead of us. Our route was Kougarok Road which follows the Nome river north and then veers northeast past Salmon Lake and north again to Coffee Dome Trail, home of the Bristle-thighed Curlew. We stopped at various points of interest along the way.

Our first stop was the Nome River bridge. Here we had the usual waterfowl in the river but up on the slope we had our lifer Willow Ptarmigan.

Wilson’s Snipe were everywhere but they were all hidden deep in the brown grass. We continued north on Kougarok Rd. to find the related Ptarmigan, the Rock Ptarmigan, a very similar bird. Another Alaska specialty is the Wandering Tattler, a shorebird that is barred gray overall. That is a bird we had already seen in Alaska on a previous trip but fun to see again.

There was a small campground on the barren shore of Salmon lake. The ladies in the group were all thrilled to find an outhouse! We also enjoyed the lifer Bluethroat. This Alaska specialty is the most colorful bird we saw on the trip. The glaring sun made it hard to capture the bright blue on the throat and breast of this small thrush. It has a beautiful red and black tail but that was also hard to see.

Finally we reached or furthest spot-Coffee Dome Trail. The spot was marked by a stake on the side of the road holding a selection of old hiking boots. The terrain was somewhat difficult. The ground was very wet even though it was the side of a hill. there were little hillocks of grass everywhere with only small spaces in between them. We hadn’t brought our giant rubber boots so I tried to walk on the hillocks. They were very unstable and just collapsed to one side under my weight. Even stepping on the saturated earth was difficult because it was so spongy. One of the other ladies kindly loaned me her walking stick which made the going much easier. The target here was the famous Bristle-thighed Curlew. We were warned that we might have to stand on this hillside hours before it appeared. We were lucky. After twenty minutes two called and flew over the crest of the hill. I didn’t manage to get a photo and was very disappointed. The guide said it probably would be a while before they appeared again and we were a long way (72 mi) from Nome.

It was 7:00 pm as we were approaching Nome. We made a short detour to the Mouth of the Nome River.

We drove out onto the sand to bring us closer to the mouth of the river. There were a lot of shorebirds, mostly Semipalmated Sandpipers and red-necked Phalaropes. But a larger shorebird was by itself in the shallow water. This was the Bar-tailed Godwit. This is a bird we never see at home. Another lifer!! I love shorebirds and wished we could stay there longer but we still had to eat. So we all piled back into the van. Once Rich put it in gear we realized we were stuck in the sand! We all got out and pushed and finally got going again.

After dinner we went out again and saw a bird perched in the distance on a rocky area. This was the same Gyrfalcon that we had seen earlier in the day. Oddly enough, this is a bird we had already seen-in Waukegan at the beach last January.

We made one more stop and finally called it quits. It was 11:00 pm and still very sunny.

Monday, May 30th

There was another Alaska specialty bird we hadn’t seen yet- the Northern Wheatear. In order to see this bird we had to travel north and west on Teller Highway. This is the road with the sinister warning sign as you leave Nome. So off we went.

Today we would get out on the tundra.

There were rocks and boulders scattered everywhere. We were looking for a gray black and white bird probably perched on one of them.

We searched for nesting shorebirds and also got a really close look at the tundra . It looks barren from a distance but up close it is covered with tiny, low growing plants and flowers. When you step on the soil your foot sinks in a little and water squeezes out. There are potholes here and there, presumably where chunks of ice had melted.

This was our furthest point west. On the way back we saw some other interesting wildlife.

Tuesday, May 31

We only had half day left to bird before flying out of Nome. After breakfast we headed east along the shoreline. I had been asking about the Arctic Loon and was assured by the guide that it was only seen very far north, in Barrow, and then it wasn’t easy. He went on describing the bird but I had already discounted the possibility. Suddenly another birder in the van pointed out a loon that fit the description that the guide haad just provided. We stopped, took a lot of photos and discussed the ID points that were visible. The guide assured us it was an Arctic Loon. We were all thrilled. With that, Dad and I had all the North American Loons on our life list. More on this later.

We saw more Musk Oxen, including some young ones.

We finished birding at about 10:15. We were already packed with everything in the van and Rich got us to the airport at 11:30 for a 12:25 flight to Anchorage. The airport was busy with people checking luggage. We had a suitcase. It seemed everyone else had big coolers, presumably packed with seafood or salmon.

Rich had entered all of the birds we saw into eBird and shared the lists with us. All we had to do was check them and remove any birds that he saw and we didn’t. He was pretty good on getting everybody on the bird. Our Flight from Anchorage left at 9:04 pm and arrived at O’Hare the next morning. It was six hours but with all the on board food, etc. I didn’t sleep at all.

There was one small issue when we got home. I got an email from an eBird reviewer in Alaska. My Arctic Loon was really the regular Red-throated Loon after all. Very disappointing! But I’m glad it was corrected. It took forever to go through my photos and I’m still not quit finished.

It’s time to plan our next trip!

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Our flight left O’Hare just after 4:00 pm. During the two hours at the airport I couldn’t help thinking about the birds we were going to miss in Lake County. We had one last look at Waukegan Beach from the air.

It was a nice flight. The flight attendant kept bringing us glasses of sparkling wine. We had a nice view at 9:07 CDT.

We spent the first night in a hotel near the airport. The target bird at this point were the American Three-toed Woodpecker and the Black-backed Woodpecker. They were seen at Hillside City Park, which I imagined to be a tot-lot style spot. I forgot that the city parks in Anchorage are more like Wisconsin State parks. It was beautiful and we had a lot of ground to cover. Anchorage residents were there in numbers, cycling, jogging, hiking and just taking the kids, or dogs, (I think owning a dog is a legal requirement to live in Alaska) for a walk. We did our best but only came up nine species, including a Canada Jay and a Fox Sparrow.

Finally, we headed south to our B & B in Girdwood. The drive was beautiful, following the Turnagain Arm from southern Anchorage to Girdwood, which is indicated on the map by the arrow.

We felt at home in the B & B mainly because we had stayed there last time we were in Alaska. Anchorage had a great grocery store so we stocked up on a few things and settled in. Around the B & B the birding was mostly by ear. The Orange-crowned Warbler sang incessantly.

Where to eat?? You might think salmon would be the go to menu item or even reindeer. But Cajun food?? In Alaska? Right here at the Double Musky Inn.

This was supper club to the max, crazy Mardi Gras stuff everywhere and a gigantic wine cellar. We ate there on the first night, ate the leftovers the second night and went back the third night. You’ll see the cookbook when you come to visit. I am practicing the Double Musky Pie.

We birded along the coast and into the mountains where trails permitted. There was still snow on the trails as we gained elevation so we could only go so far. We returned to Anchorage and finally did get the American Three-toed Woodpecker. It was such a brief view that we didn’t even get a photo. We saw some nice shorebirds, terns, gulls and waterfowl. We had 39 species in all for the Anchorage area, but only one lifer.

It was time to go to Nome. The plane was surprisingly big and full. I realized that there was really no other practical way to get to Nome. The trip was an hour and a half. The Nome airport was a bit like a bus station. When we got in to pick up our luggage, the small area was full of birders and bird guides. Ours was the guy in the yellow hat.

We piled into a passenger van and our guide, Rich, started the birding on the way from the airport to the hotel. We checked in to our hotel and after having dinner at a pizza place, we went out and birded some more. Finally we got to go to bed.

The Nome area does not have a lot of roads. Once you are out of town they are all gravel. At Teller Highway the first road sign is a warning. A more compelling warning was the sight of abandoned vehicles on the roadside at intervals along this highway. Apparently the vehicles had less value than the cost of towing and repair. At breakfast our guide talked to the tow truck driver to find out how far we could go on Teller Highway. We only needed to go 72 miles on that particular road (day 3).

On our first full day, May 28, we took the Council Highway, traveling east along the coast, then heading northeast toward Council. On the coastline we had good looks at waterfowl that are scarce and fleeting in Lake County. We saw Red-throated Loons, Long-tailed Ducks, Mergansers, Scoters, Phalaropes, many gulls, terns and other birds. A lot of waterfowl were distant but we were still able to identify most of them. This is where we realized that maybe the guide didn’t have his bird IDs 100%. We would have to be responsible for our own IDs. Photos are a BIG help.

Speaking of using photos for identification, I got a big surprise when I got home and started editing my photos. In a photo of a group of Long-tailed Ducks, I found a pair of Steller’s Eiders!! A lifer!

Along the road we saw a herd of Musk Ox. They were grazing with their young.

One of the species we looked forward to seeing was the Lapland Longspur. They migrate through Waukegan, at the beach and in farmers’ fields, but they are rarely seen in breeding plumage. It was a treat to see them here. Their hind toe actually has a long claw or “spur”.

After leaving the shore of the Bering Sea and driving inland we got one the the first Alaska specialties- the Eastern Yellow Wagtail. It was near a snow bank and the less exciting American Pipit was in the same vicinity. I kept finding the Pipit and not the Wagtail. But I did finally get a look at it although no photo. Dad got a photo.

We didn’t go into the village of Council. There is a river between the end of the highway and the village roads. The locals cross by boat when the river is high. They just drive through when the river is low and I imagine it is pretty well frozen for a good part of the year. We were heading back to Nome when Rich slammed on the brakes. There was a rocky area next to the highway and at just about eye level from the van was a nest . It was a Golden Eagle sitting on it’s nest!

We had an uneventful drive back to Nome for dinner and another short outing. We all went to bed exhausted.

More to follow.

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53 Days, 1 Wedding, 1 Garden, 175 birds and 8000 miles

Part 1

It’s so nice to look back at E and J’s wedding and remember the fun we had. We enjoyed spending some time getting to know Jesse and Wendy and Matthew. I’m so glad everyone could be there. We’re still waiting for a gift selection. I know you have both been busy seeking public offices. Congratulations to E!!

The day after the wedding Dad and I went chasing a rare bird at nearby Goose Pond FWA in Greene County. The bird was a Whooper Swan. We missed it by a few days. But we did get a Whooping Crane which is a good bird anywhere! After we got home the migrating birds started coming in fast and furious. We were covering Lake County exclusively when a rare bird alert came in for a Garganey in Lake Mills WI. A Garganey is a small duck that wanders in to North America from Europe or Asia. The day we tried to see it was pouring rain. We thought that by the time we drove up to Lake Mills area maybe the rain would diminish. It seemed to actually increase. While in the parking lot we met a guy who had been there very early in the morning and had seen the bird. He had wanted to get photos but the rain prevented that. He told us where it was seen, (the Zeloski Marsh is a big area) and gave us other information. We did some searching but finally decided to call it quits and try again the next day. That evening we looked up the birders who had reported it that morning. We found out that the guy we had been talking to was a published bird illustrator, having contributed to the National Geographic Birds of North America and The Peterson Warbler Guide. Wow!! The next day we took our paper copies of these guides with us when we returned to the marsh, just in case we were to encounter him again and we could have him sign our copies. That Friday was beautiful weather but the Garganey and the artist were both no shows. We met some of the regular Lake County birders there and we got some Wisconsin birds.

From April 23rd, pm to May 22nd we remained in Lake County. As it happened the rare birds came to us. During this time all of the lakefront area had been experiencing a massive hatching of midges. They were creating thick clouds everywhere you went near the beach. The swallows and flycatchers were going crazy! We had a nice visit from Colette and Roger during this time. They did a walk on the beach and were surrounded by midges.

On a Wednesday morning after breakfast I decided to go up to the North Unit of Illinois Beach State Park. Nothing new had been seen lately so I thought it would be a nice quiet place for a walk. There’s not a lot of beach there but the waves had eroded an area north of the weather station and created a new stretch of sandy beach. I watched the newly made beach from a distance and saw about 10 medium sized birds near the water. They weren’t foraging like shorebirds do and I realized that they were all flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds to be specific. But one was different. It was very pale and had a hint of salmon coloring to the flanks and underwing. I did my best to take a picture without approaching the birds so as not to disturb them.

After careful observation I was sure of the ID-a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher! This bird visits only occasionally from it’s usual range in southeast Texas. But it drew a lot of birders from Lake County and Cook County. Having a lot of good birders in one spot led to even more great sightings. One birder found a Blue Grosbeak in his photo of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Next a Swainson’s Hawk was seen. Then a Fork-tailed Flycatcher, even more rare than the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, was reported and also a King Rail. The Cook County birders were getting tired of having to drive up to Lake County continually.

The grassy areas all over the state parks had been very recently burned. The burned grass near the shrubs was of interest to the King Rail and he circled the shrubs hunting for insects. The blackened grass and stems made an interesting background for the reddish brown rail. I crouched down with my camera behind the restroom and he approached me as if I wasn’t there. Snap! I got the shot that would make it to the homepage of eBird!

Migration was in full force. The BirdCast website shows a radar image of birds migrating during the night. Millions of birds were heading our way.

And breeding season had begun. A Robin had built a nest at eye level right next to the parking area at the beach. There was a fair amount of traffic but she seemed to handle it OK.

The next three weeks we worked hard keeping up with warblers, shorebirds, and all the other birds that were arriving daily. By May 22 we were at about 244 year birds including Wisconsin and Indiana. My Lake County list was 239.

The Garden

Doug and Lisa visited for Mother’s Day. Lisa assured me that Doug would be happy to dig up some of the lawn in the back yard. I ordered flowers from a nursery that specializes in Illinois native plants. Unfortunately some of the delivery arrived while we were gone but now everything is planted. Some of the flowers were delivered as bare roots. I think these may have died from not being put in the ground right away. It doesn’t look like much now but I will continue to enlarge it. Thanks again Doug and Lisa for all the digging, for the information on native plants for shade, and the beautiful hanging plant.