Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Alaska Trip ~ May 29-30, 2007

After birding for more than 30 years, I finally got the chance to go to Alaska in 2007. I went along with four other Pennsylvania birders: Jason Horn, Devich Farbotnik, Dick Colyer, and Bob Scheibner. The plan was to spend about eight days on St. Lawrence Island and the last three in the areas around Nome in order to find the mainland breeders restricted to western Alaska. All things considered, everything went well, resulting in a very successful trip.


Tuesday and Wednesday, May 29th and 30th

Jason and I took off from Philadelphia Airport at around 5:30 in the late afternoon of May 29th, changed planes in Salt Lake City, Utah, and got into Anchorage, Alaska at around midnight. There, we met Dick Colyer and waited through the early morning hours for our 6:00 AM flight to Nome with a quick stopover in Kotzebue. We arrived at the Nome Airport at around 9:00 AM on the 30th.

Since we had several hours before our Hageland Airlines flight over to Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, we birded the area around the airport and the nearby town jetty. We were able to find Red-throated Loon, Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks, Black Scoter, Pacific Golden-Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Long-tailed Jaeger, Mew and Glaucous Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Common Murre, a distant, yet identifiable, 'life' Kittlitz's Murrelet, Orange-crowned Warbler, Fox, Savannah, and White-crowned Sparrows, Common Redpoll, and frustrating glimpses of Yellow Wagtails in flight.

Back at the airport, we boarded the twin-engine plane and took the 45-minute flight over to Gambell. Luckily, the fog moved out right before we got there or we wouldn't have been able to land. About 26 hours after leaving Philadelphia, we were finally on the island. Devich met us at the "airport", as did several four-wheeled ATV's with attached carts to carry our baggage, and led us to the house that we'd be staying at the first three nights until some rooms became available in "the lodge". It was a house with four bedrooms owned by an Eskimo named Wade. It was very nice inside and we had full use of it.

Since cell phones are useless on the island, family radios are the birders' only means of communication. The town has one main store and another smaller one that's open when the main one is closed. There are no restaurants or shops. Since the town is located on a bed of loose, rolling gravel, walking involves sinking in ball-bearing-like pebbles, shortening what would be a full stride down to half or three-quarters its length. Mostly because of this, ATV's are the main type of transportation. Here, they have a purposeful use instead of the 'recreational' (or "wreck-all-creation") use that we find around here. Cars and trucks are nonexistent.

After quickly settling in, we headed out to "The Point", or "The Seawatch" as it's also called. On the way there, we ran into a group of birders who were looking at a Red-throated Pipit. After getting great looks at it, we continued over to the seawatch. It was the end of May and there was still a fair amount of ice in the Bering Sea.
The mountains in Beringia National Park, Siberia, only 38 miles to the northwest, were easily visible on this clear day. The International Date Line runs between Gambell and the Russian mainland, so you're actually seeing 'tomorrow' when looking at them. Note the line of alcids in the middle of the photo.


The weather was cold by our Mid-Atlantic standards for late May and early June, roughly ranging between 30 and 45 degrees most of the time we were on the island. From here, I got good looks at my 'life' Crested Auklets and Horned Puffins.
Horned Puffin at "The Seawatch" northwest of town. Note the huge, two-toned puffin bill, the white face with the dark 'horn' extending up from the eye, and the white chest.


Other species observed here included Northern Fulmar, Pelagic Cormorant, Common Eider, Long-tailed and Harlequin Ducks, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, Glaucous and 'Vega' Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Common and Thick-billed Murres. The number of birds passing here has to be seen to be believed. It was not unusual to see 500 to 1000 birds a MINUTE passing by the point.

Later that evening, a call on the radio alerted us that a Gray-tailed Tattler had been found at the south end of Troutman Lake, so we hiked down there and found it fairly easily, which made the last half of the five-mile round trip seem a little shorter than it was.
Gray-tailed Tattler in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the lack of barring on the belly and undertail coverts, the less extensive barring elsewhere on the underparts, and the lighter gray overall color when compared with that of a Wandering Tattler.


Because most of us were 'burned out' by this time from very little sleep in over 30 hours, we decided to make something to eat and turn in for the short night. It was hard to stop birding since there was still plenty of daylight left. We were up near the Arctic Circle, so sunrise was about 5:30 AM and sunset was about 1:30 AM! It was weird to see the sun shining through the window after midnight.

Alaska Trip ~ May 31, 2007

First thing in the morning, we headed back out to the seawatch and I cashed in with two 'lifers'----a few breeding-plumaged Arctic Loons and 5 Steller's Eiders----four males and a female in a tight group. White-winged Scoters of the 'Asian' form were also noted in the event of a future split. Other new 'trip birds' seen from there included Yellow-billed Loon, Greater White-fronted Goose, 'Black' Brant, Northern Shoveler, Greater Scaup, King Eider, Common Merganser, Black and Pigeon Guillemots, and Tufted Puffin. Another long trip to the south end of the lake produced the same Gray-tailed Tattler along with breeding Red-necked Phalaropes and 'fly-over' Sandhill Cranes. Back at "The Point", Jason spotted a Black-headed Gull, a pretty unusual find at Gambell. A young Ivory Gull was also there.
Black-headed Gull at "The Seawatch" west of town. This photo was taken by Jason Horn. Note the dark underwings (especially the inner primaries), the dark-hooded head, and the dark red bill.


On the southwest edge of town, the "Near Boneyard" harbored a Red-necked Stint and a Swainson's Thrush among the numerous Dunlin, Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings.
The town of Gambell with the "Near Boneyard" in the foreground and the snowcapped seabird cliffs out beyond it.


Red-necked Stint in the "Near Boneyard" on the southwest edge of town.


Next, I made the long walk over to the seabird cliffs that were just east of town and got great looks at the tiny Least Auklets and the larger Parakeet Auklets.
Least Auklets at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the white chin, mottled breast, very dark red bill, and the white plume extending behind the eye. These auklets are tiny, even smaller than a Dovekie.


Parakeet Auklets at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the dark throat, white underparts, the orange-red bill, and the white plume extending behind the eye. This is the largest of the three auklets normally found at Gambell.


Crested Auklet at the seabird colony, just east of the town. Note the overall dark appearance, the bright orange bill, and the crest plumes extending up from the forehead, and the white plume extending behind the eye.

Alaska Trip ~ June 1, 2007

The first of June started out with the early-morning ritual of doing a seawatch at "The Point" where we added Red-breasted Merganser, a young Glaucous-winged Gull, and a Black-bellied Plover to the trip list. Nearby in "Old Town", the oldest section of town nearest the point, a few Pacific Golden-Plovers were feeding in the short grass.

Wade, the owner of the house we were staying in, offered to shuttle us down to the bottom end of the lake with his ATV. Little did we know that this offer would be a big break. Halfway down the "road along the mountain", we noticed a group of birders looking part way up the mountain and discovered that they had refound the Hawfinch that hadn't been seen for a few days. Thanks to the birders there, we all managed to get good looks at it through their scopes. Numerous pairs of Snow Buntings were evident along the base of the mountain.
A pair of Snow Buntings (the male on the left and the duller female on the right) just off the road between Troutman Lake and the mountain.


At the marsh just south of the lake, we refound the Gray-tailed Tattler, a few pairs of Red-necked Phalaropes, and a very cooperative Long-billed Dowitcher.
Red-necked Phalarope in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note this male's chestnut sides on the head and neck surrounding the white throat patch, the buffy stripes on the dark gray back, and the thin bill. Note that male phalaropes are duller than the females since they sit on the eggs and raise the young, a reversal compared to most birds.


Long-billed Dowitcher in the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the heavy barring on the flanks, the white spotting on the back, and the dark neck markings.


A Yellow Wagtail was claiming territory nearby, finally allowing me much nicer looks than I'd had before. Along the first pond beyond the marsh, I got excellent looks at my first Rock Sandpiper.
Rock Sandpiper at the first pond beyond the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. Note the black breast patch, the chestnut-colored crown and back, the thin, dark streaks on the flanks, and the pale head and unmarked white throat.


After taking a number of photos, we continued on down past the two ponds towards Ooynik Point, also known as "South Beach", which has a much different view than what is found at the one in Miami, Florida. Red-necked and Horned Grebes were present just offshore. On the return hike, Jason and Devich spotted one of the best birds of the trip, a Great Knot! It was a 'lifer' for all of us. Radio calls quickly went out to the other birders and within a half-hour all the birders on the island were assembled, looking at this Asian stray.
Great Knot at the first pond beyond the marsh at the south end of Troutman Lake. This fantastic photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the black mottling on the head, breast, and back, the band of rufous scapulars, and the black 'arrow' spots on the flanks.


Common Raven and Hermit Thrush were noted on the way back to town.

Alaska Trip ~ June 2, 2007

The morning's seawatch revealed a few Slaty-backed Gulls among the previously-seen cast of characters. Unfortunately, fog dealt us the biggest 'miss' of the trip on this day. A White-tailed Eagle was seen and photographed by a few birders at the south end of the lake. A little later, it was refound by a lucky group of birders who happened to catch a look at it as it appeared through an opening in the fog. Despite a lot of searching, it was never seen again after that. Later in the day after the fog burned off, a pair of Rough-legged Hawks was seen near the top of Sevuokuk Mountain, a Peregrine Falcon was seen cruising over the area, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush was found along the base of the mountain.
The rest of the day I observed the seabird colony on the cliffs east of town. I spent a good amount of time sitting in the rocks at the base of the cliffs watching and photographing the large numbers of alcids there. I was starting to get hungry and looked at my watch to see what time it was. No wonder I was hungry; it was 12:30 AM! I hiked back to the house, ate, and turned in at around 2 AM. And yes, it was still light outside.
This view from Gambell towards Siberia was taken at 1:00 AM(!) during my trek back from the alcid cliffs. Note that the sun is still well above the horizon, behind the top, dark gray layer of clouds.

Alaska Trip ~ June 3, 2007

After a rather uneventful seawatch (by Gambell's standards), we acted on a radio call and got to see a Common Ringed Plover that was found in "Old Town". Semipalmated Plovers were also in the vicinity, giving us a nice comparison between the two species.
Common Ringed Plover in "Old Town". This photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the white eyebrow, the black line meeting the bill at the gape, the lack of an obvious eye ring, and the extra wide breastband that all help distinguish it from Semipalmated Plover.


Devich and Jason standing next to the immense whale jawbones that are on the beach near "Old Town".


After getting many fleeting glimpses during the previous few days, I finally good great looks at one of the White Wagtails along the road by the "Far Boneyard". This 'gray-backed' form gave the impression of a huge Hooded Warbler as it would be seen on a black-and-white television. Yes, I remember black-and-white TV's, and no, it's not funny. The boneyard itself held an American Tree Sparrow.

Later, with Jason's help, I was able to get a look at four breeding-plumaged Dovekies standing on the rocks two-thirds of the way up the alcid cliffs. I was thrilled to be able to spend ample time watching this 'lifer' while standing on solid ground (those who know me know how much I enjoy rocking boats on pelagic trips).

During the day, one of the tour groups had left for the mainland, so we were able to get rooms in the 'annex' of the Sivuqaq Inn, the only lodge in town. The 'annex' was a meat locker trailer (complete with freezer door handles) that was converted into rooms with two single beds in each room and a built-on, shared bathroom----not exactly AAA-rated, but it was warm and dry.
The last several days of our stay in Gambell was spent at the Sivuqaq Inn, the only 'lodge' in town. We got to stay in the luxurious(?) 'annex', which is the small white building to the right of the main (blue) lodge. The entrance door is just to the right of the rusty tank. Note the two ATV's parked in front, the only mode of transportation around town through the loose, rolling gravel seen in the foreground.

Alaska Trip ~ June 4, 2007

This morning's seawatch produced some excitement. I noticed a small group of eiders heading our way that just didn't look right for Common Eiders and announced them to our group. The others got on them and hollered out "Spectacled Eiders!" as two males flew by close along the shoreline. Small numbers of Red Phalaropes were also seen along the shore.

Along the road east of the lake, we checked many of the Snow Buntings for a McKay's, but a McKay's X Snow Bunting hybrid was the closest that we could find.

Alaska Trip ~ June 5, 2007

More Steller's Eiders passed the seawatch this morning. A very cooperative immature Ivory Gull stood on an ice chunk along the shore while photographers snapped away.
Ivory Gull at "The Seawatch" northwest of town. Note the mostly-white plumage with black flecking on the wingtips, the black legs, and black around the base of the yellow-tipped bill.

Alaska Trip ~ June 6, 2007

Since another one of the tour groups was departing, we were able to rent our own ATV's for the last two days of our island stay. It was nice to be able to ride where we wanted to go instead of trudging at a slow pace through the rolling gravel. Along the way down to "South Beach", we saw Green-winged Teal on one of the ponds, 'fly-by' Sandhill Cranes, and got more photo opportunities for Rock Sandpiper. While at the beach, Jason pointed out two very close Emperor Goose that flew by, another 'life bird' for me.

Back outside of town, a Bank Swallow was found flying around over the "Near Boneyard". Also seen in the "Near Boneyard" were a female Bluethroat and a Red-throated Pipit. My two quick looks at the Bluethroat were only long enough to see the rufous in the tail and catch a glimpse of the necklace on the throat.

Alaska Trip ~ June 7, 2007

Early morning at the seawatch produced some 'photo ops', but nothing out of the ordinary. A ride south past the lake produced Common Ringed Plover. Another Gray-tailed Tattler was found in the grassy marsh at the northeast corner of the lake and a White Wagtail was spotted nearby. But, the hotspot of this day was the "Far Boneyard". After much searching, we were able to refind the Arctic Warbler that had been seen there earlier in the day. It was a good thing that we saw this one well because it was the only one we found on the trip.
Arctic Warbler in the "Far Boneyard". This photo, taken by Jason Horn, shows the white eyeline and the narrow white wingbar on the olive-colored upperparts.


Then, on the walk back out of the boneyard, Devich spotted a small sandpiper in a large puddle very close to where I was walking. I froze as both he and Jason yelled out "Temminck's Stint!" A radio call went out and, within several minutes, the rest of the birders were assembled, studying the bird and taking photos.
Temminck's Stint at the "Far Boneyard". Although this photo is a little blurry, it was the best one I had that shows this peep's yellow legs, the scaly-looking back, and the longish wings and tail, giving it an elongated appearance. It gave me the general impression of a miniature Baird's Sandpiper.


Later, Jason found a Lapland Longspur nest that we took some quick photos of before letting the female get back to her eggs.
Lapland Longspur in the grassy marsh at the northeast corner of Troutman Lake. Males are easily seen practically everywhere around Gambell while defending their territories.


I spent the latter part of the day back at the seabird colony, watching the activity and taking photos.

Alaska Trip ~ June 8, 2007

After packing up, we headed to the airstrip to catch our plane back to Nome.
Jason and Devich getting off the twin-engine plane that took us over to Gambell and back.


Back at Nome, we checked into the Nugget Inn. The wooden finish line banner for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race sat just across the street. After settling in, we headed right for Fat Freddy's Restaurant where I ordered a huge, juicy steak. It tasted so good after eating all those peanut butter sandwiches and beef stews on the island.

Dick picked up our rental vehicle. It was a crew cab pickup truck that had no driver's-side mirror. All of the inside door handles were busted off except the driver's, so if you wanted to get out, you either had to reach through the window and grab the outside door handle or you had to wait for the driver to let you out. It had power windows, but they were so full of dirt from the back roads that you had to help push them back up when you wanted to close them. The one window sounded like Chewbacca from the 'Star Wars' movie when you tried to close it. The good news was that it got us to where we were going and when you're 75 miles away from the nearest town with no houses visible for miles, that WAS a good thing.
Nome's Nugget Inn, which sits on the shore of the Bering Sea, and the wooden Iditarod Sled Dog Race finish banner, which is on the far right. The banner reads: "End of Iditarod Sled Dog Race" across the top. Our black, rented crew cab pickup truck sits in front of the inn by the sign post with mileages to all parts of the world.


With full stomachs, we headed down Council Road towards Safety Sound where we had some nice looks at several Emperor Geese. Other waterfowl seen there included Tundra Swan, Brant, Cackling Goose, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Greater Scaup, Common Eider, and Common Goldeneye. Other birds noted were Red-necked Phalarope, Northern Harrier, Sandhill Crane, Savannah Sparrow, and the always obvious Lapland Longspur. Just west of the Solomon bridge, we found the colony of Aleutian Terns, another new bird for me.
Aleutian Tern near the Solomon bridge at the east end of Safety Sound. Note the white forehead created by the black eyeline, the black bill and legs, and the dark wings and mantle.


The shoreline by the colony held both Black and Ruddy Turnstones. On the way back to Nome, we stopped at some mudflats where Hastings Creek emptied into the sea. There, we found two Bar-tailed Godwits, the only godwit I haven't seen in the 'Lower 48', among Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, and two other 'goodies'----a Red-necked Stint and another Black-headed Gull.
Bar-tailed Godwit near Hastings Creek east of Nome. Note the unmarked rufous underparts and the upturned bill.


Bar-tailed Godwit at the Nome River bridge east of Nome. The barred tail is visible on this preening bird.


A few stops along the road produced Whimbrel, Dunlin, Wilson's Snipe, Tree Swallow, American Robin, Yellow Wagtail, American Tree Sparrow, and Common Redpoll. It was really strange to see Long-tailed Jaegers and Arctic Terns perched along the road on wires and guardrails.
Long-tailed Jaeger on a telephone pole outside of Nome.


A couple Reindeer were in a field near the intersection of Kougarok and Council Roads.

Alaska Trip ~ June 9, 2007

We headed up the Kougarok Road in order to look for the rest of the Nome area specialties. Along the way, we got out of the truck to check out a Grizzly Bear that was sleeping in a distant meadow. A little farther along, we quickly stopped when we noticed a Willow Ptarmigan along the edge of the road. I've always thought that this ptarmigan's call was one of the funniest-sounding among North American birds, so getting to actually hear this 'lifer' call in real life was a special, comical treat. Before reaching the Grand Central River bridge, my other 'life' ptarmigan, a Rock Ptarmigan, was seen standing on a snow field.
Rock Ptarmigan on a snowfield below the Grand Central River bridge. Note the mostly winter plumage with the black line running from the bill through the eye.


A stop to look for Bluethroat produced an American Golden-Plover instead.

At mile marker 72, we met the WINGS tour and joined them for the walk up the hill opposite Coffee Dome. It was a real challenge to walk through the tussocks without tripping or falling. Near the top, we found our target bird, a Bristle-thighed Curlew, flying around and calling as it went over us. After some extensive searching, we finally got to see one on the ground well enough through scopes to see the buffy rump and tail and actually get glimpses of the 'bristles'.
Bristle-thighed Curlew on the hilltop opposite Coffee Dome. This poor 'digiscoped' photo still manages to show the buff-colored rump exposed between the wings, the stripes on the head, and the long, downcurved bill.


The view from atop the hill was amazing. The Kougarok Road is barely visible just to the right of center in the photo.


Another cooperative Willow Ptarmigan was seen on the walk back down to the truck.
Willow Ptarmigan on the hillside opposite Coffee Dome. Note the chestnut-colored head and neck and bright red eye combs.


Four miles farther out the road, we stopped at some old buildings and got great looks at a displaying male Bluethroat. This 'lifer' is appropriately named as it appears to have a hummingbird gorget that glows bright blue in the sun. It was definitely one of my favorite birds of the trip. A Say's Phoebe was also present there.
On the way back to Nome, we took a short side trip down the road to Pilgrim Hot Springs and found a pair of Northern Wheatears along with Long-tailed Jaeger and Whimbrel.
Whimbrel along the road to Pilgrim Hot Springs. Note the bold stripes on the head.


A stop near Salmon Lake produced another Bluethroat on territory. This bird was much more cooperative than the first one, so I was able to get a few half-decent photos of it.
Bluethroat along the Kougarok Road near Salmon Lake. Note this male's striking blue throat bordered by black and brown breast bands and the whitish eyebrow stripe. The rufous area at the base of the tail is barely visible in this photo.


Bluethroat along the Kougarok Road near Salmon Lake. Again, note the male's striking blue throat bordered by black and brown breast bands and the whitish eyebrow stripe.


Other birds seen along the Kougarok Road included Tundra Swan, Harlequin Duck, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Varied Thrush, Yellow Wagtail, Yellow, Wilson's, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Golden-crowned, White-crowned, and Fox Sparrows, and Common and Hoary Redpolls. After grabbing a meal in Nome, we headed back out Council Road to Safety Lagoon and managed to add Surf Scoter to the trip list.

Alaska Trip ~ June 10, 2007

With all the Nome specialties 'in the bag', Jason, Devich, and I decided to go out early and look for some photo opportunities. We headed up the Teller Road, finding Willow Ptarmigan and Pacific Golden-Plover along the way. We then drove up to Banner Creek, a small settlement along the Kougarok Road. There, we found Mew Gull, Bank and Cliff Swallows, and Yellow, Wilson's, Blackpoll, and Orange-crowned Warblers. Later in the morning, showers invaded the area, so we headed back into town and got something to eat.

By afternoon, the weather greatly improved, allowing us to head back out the Council Road. At the Safety Sound bridge, we saw eight breeding-plumaged Sabine's Gulls.
Sabine's Gull along the shoreline of the Bering Sea near the Safety Sound bridge. Note the distinctive gray, white, and black upperwing pattern and the black hood on the head.


On a rocky outcropping beyond Solomon, we stopped to scope a Gyrfalcon nest. Watching the male circling above and getting dive-bombed by a Long-tailed Jaeger while the female sat on the massive stick nest was definitely one for the memory books.
Gyrfalcon nest outside of Solomon along the Council Road. This huge stick nest (just above center in this photo) is built on the side of a large cliff face.


Gyrfalcon nest outside of Solomon along the Council Road. In order to appreciate the size of this impressive nest, I've enlarged the nest area and pointed out the Gyrfalcon's head, which is the tiny, dark 'dot' located just to the left of the red line.


Nearby, we spotted Wandering Tattler and Rough-legged Hawk. As we started into the edge of boreal forest before reaching Council, we found an Alder Flycatcher and several Gray Jays.
On the return trip, we watched a pair of Northern Wheatears at Skookum Pass while a rainbow appeared in the distance.
Northern Wheatear at Skookum Pass on the Council Road. Note this female's dark lores, light eyestripe, gray back, and dark wings. The tail's white base and black terminal band are barely visible along its edge. She was carrying food to her young in a nest under one of the rocks.


A rainbow at Skookum Pass on the Council Road. This was taken from the spot where the Northern Wheatears were. The tan cut through the dark green is Council Road continuing on towards the town of Council, 72 miles from Nome.


Mammal highlights between Solomon and Council included about a dozen Snowshoe Hares, a Moose just outside of Council, and several Muskox and a Red Fox.
Snowshoe Hare on the Council Road. We saw at least a dozen of these standing on or along the road between Skookum Pass and the town of Council.


Muskox along the Council Road near Skookum Pass.


Later, a stop at Cape Nome produced the only Common Loon of the trip. With still plenty of daylight to spare, we took a short drive up the Teller Road. A stop at the creek-sized Penny River bridge produced a Spotted Sandpiper, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Northern Waterthrush, and an American Dipper.
American Dipper at the Penny River bridge.


Birds noted at various stops during the day were Red-breasted Merganser, Whimbrel, Yellow Wagtail, Common Redpoll, and sparrows that included Fox, Savannah, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, and American Tree Sparrow.

Alaska Trip ~ June 11-12, 2007

After packing up, we got a ride over to the airport and boarded our '737' for the flight back to Anchorage via Kotzebue. During the flight, I got to see the top of Mount McKinley sticking up through the thick cloud cover. At Anchorage, we all had different flights back to Philadelphia. Mine involved an overnight flight from Anchorage to Atlanta and a next morning flight to Philadelphia. About 24 hours after leaving Nome, I was back home in Pennsylvania with 26 'lifers' among the 124 trip species.

For those of you interested in seeing many more photos from my Alaska trip, you can go to my Alaska Photos Album.


Alaska Trip List ---- May 29th to June 12th, 2007

1) Common Loon
2) Yellow-billed Loon
3) Pacific Loon
4) Arctic Loon*
5) Red-throated Loon
6) Red-necked Grebe
7) Horned Grebe
8) Northern Fulmar
9) Pelagic Cormorant
10) Sandhill Crane
11) Tundra Swan
12) Greater White-fronted Goose
13) Snow Goose
14) Emperor Goose*
15) Cackling Goose
16) Brant
17) Mallard
18) Green-winged Teal
19) American Wigeon
20) Northern Pintail
21) Northern Shoveler
22) Canvasback
23) Greater Scaup
24) Common Eider
25) King Eider
26) Spectacled Eider*
27) Steller's Eider*
28) Black Scoter
29) White-winged Scoter
30) Surf Scoter
31) Harlequin Duck
32) Long-tailed Duck
33) Common Goldeneye
34) Common Merganser
35) Red-breasted Merganser
36) Semipalmated Plover
37) Common Ringed Plover*
38) Black-bellied Plover
39) American Golden-Plover
40) Pacific Golden-Plover
41) Bar-tailed Godwit*
42) Bristle-thighed Curlew*
43) Whimbrel
44) Spotted Sandpiper
45) Wandering Tattler
46) Gray-tailed Tattler*
47) Red-necked Phalarope
48) Red Phalarope
49) Long-billed Dowitcher
50) Wilson's Snipe
51) Ruddy Turnstone
52) Black Turnstone
53) Rock Sandpiper*
54) Great Knot*
55) Dunlin
56) Semipalmated Sandpiper
57) Western Sandpiper
58) Temminck's Stint*
59) Red-necked Stint
60) Pomarine Jaeger
61) Parasitic Jaeger
62) Long-tailed Jaeger
63) Black-headed Gull
64) Mew Gull
65) Herring Gull
66) Glaucous Gull
67) Slaty-backed Gull
68) Glaucous-winged Gull
69) Black-legged Kittiwake
70) Sabine's Gull
71) Ivory Gull
72) Arctic Tern
73) Aleutian Tern*
74) Common Murre
75) Thick-billed Murre
76) Dovekie*
77) Black Guillemot
78) Pigeon Guillemot
79) Kittlitz's Murrelet*
80) Parakeet Auklet*
81) Crested Auklet*
82) Least Auklet*
83) Horned Puffin*
84) Tufted Puffin
85) Northern Harrier
86) Rough-legged Hawk
87) Peregrine Falcon
88) Gyrfalcon
89) Rock Ptarmigan*
90) Willow Ptarmigan*
91) Say's Phoebe
92) Alder Flycatcher
93) Tree Swallow
94) Bank Swallow
95) Cliff Swallow
96) Gray Jay
97) Common Raven
98) Arctic Warbler*
99) Swainson's Thrush
100) Gray-cheeked Thrush
101) Hermit Thrush
102) Varied Thrush
103) American Robin
104) Northern Wheatear
105) Bluethroat*
106) Red-throated Pipit*
107) White Wagtail*
108) Yellow Wagtail*
109) American Dipper
110) Orange-crowned Warbler
111) Blackpoll Warbler
112) Yellow Warbler
113) Wilson's Warbler
114) Northern Waterthrush
115) Savannah Sparrow
116) American Tree Sparrow
117) White-crowned Sparrow
118) Golden-crowned Sparrow
119) Fox Sparrow
120) Lapland Longspur
121) Snow Bunting
122) Common Redpoll
123) Hoary Redpoll
124) Hawfinch*

* Denotes a 'life bird'.