Field Guides Tour Report

Alaska I ‐ Part Two (Nome, Seward & Barrow) 2017

Jun 6, 2017 to Jun 16, 2017Chris Benesh & Tom Johnson

This mystical panorama was our view at the Aialik Glacier during our boat trip. At this point, we'd just had amazing views of Kittlitz's Murrelets and we were basking inthe incredible view and sounds of the ice. Photo by participant Ann Mitchell.

For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE.

We had an excellent tour this year - most of our group carried over to this adventure after taking Part 1 (Pribilofs & Denali) immediately prior, but wealso added a few new members to the group. From the tundra and estuaries of Nome to the temperate rainforests and spectacular glaciers of Seward tothe iced-in Arctic showing the signs of a late spring at Barrow, we saw a wonderful cross-section of this vast state and enjoyed a spectacular diversity ofbirds and other animals.

Starting out in Nome, we spent a day on each of the three main roads leading out from the town. On the Council Road, we watched Eastern YellowWagtails, Short-eared Owls, Long-tailed Jaegers, Eurasian Wigeon, Tundra Swans, Common Eiders, Aleutian Terns, and much more. A Surfbird alongthe beach was exciting, and OH YEAH, we saw ROSS'S and IVORY GULLS (the Ivory put on a particularly delicious show, snoozing on a gravel pointat close range).

The Kougarok Road leading east out of Nome deserved a full day of our attention, and we made the most of a beautiful day. Bluethroats, ArcticWarblers, Northern Wheatears, Muskox, and some good aerial shows from Bristle-thighed Curlews made us all pretty happy - and then we cappedthings off with an active Gyrfalcon nest in the afternoon!

On the Teller Road, we shifted to more upland tundra habitats and found additional exciting species like Northern Shrike, Willow Ptarmigan, and anawesome display from Bar-tailed Godwits.

Returning to Anchorage, we drove south to Seward, gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. Despite a breezy weather forecast, we snuck our wayinto Aialik Bay on our chartered boat and spent some quality time with Kittlitz's Murrelets AND vast flowing rivers of ice calving into the sea.Humpback Whales and Sea Otters also helped to make this a special day. Of course, the sea wasn't all that Seward had to offer, and we spent timefeeder-watching and exploring the temperate conifer rainforest in order to find Trumpeter Swans, Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, RufousHummingbird, American Dipper, Townsend's Warblers, and more.

Back at our base in Anchorage, we hopped on another plane that took us past the snowy crown of Denali and on to the North Slope. The town of Barrowwas our destination, and we spent two days seeking and finding Spectacled, Steller's, and King Eiders, Snowy Owl, Sabine's Gulls, Baird's and White-rumped Sandpipers, and colorful Red and Red-necked Phalaropes. The sea ice was still very much locked in, and the whole place had the feeling of avery late spring (it would be several weeks after our trip that the open leads really broke free and liberated the coast of land-fast ice), but the birding wasstill very good indeed.

Our journey took us to some of America's most beautiful and remote outposts, and along the way, we found a tremendous slice of Alaska's avifauna aswell. I'm still marveling at the view we had of the Ivory Gull on the beach in Nome in addition to the more expected but nevertheless awe-inspiring birdswe found.

Thank you for joining Chris and me on this tour. We hope that your Alaska experience was a rewarding and memorable one, and we'll look forward tobirding with you again in the future.

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Cheers,

Tom

PS - enjoy the tour gallery on the Field Guides Smugmug website. Scott Harvell has made his photos available via Flickr, and you can view them here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/133052166@N07/albums/72157685248400366

KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a =austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

BIRDS

Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)GREATER WHITE­FRONTED GOOSE (Anser albifrons) – A few were in Nome, but they were downright common in Barrow.EMPEROR GOOSE (Chen canagica) – Part of the group had a quick view of four birds flying by at Safety Sound near Nome.BRANT (BLACK) (Branta bernicla nigricans) – These Pacific­race birds were common in Nome, with a few in Barrow as well.CACKLING GOOSE (Branta hutchinsii) – We only saw 5 of the Taverner's form of these small, white­cheeked geese in Nome.CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis) – Common around Anchorage.TRUMPETER SWAN (Cygnus buccinator) – Exceptional views at close range below our feet on a boardwalk along the Seward Highway.TUNDRA SWAN (WHISTLING) (Cygnus columbianus columbianus) – Quite common in the Nome area.GADWALL (Anas strepera) – A few were on Safety Sound in Nome and also in the Anchorage area.EURASIAN WIGEON (Anas penelope) – We saw one male with American Wigeon on our first afternoon at Safety Sound in Nome.AMERICAN WIGEON (Anas americana) – Common in Nome and the Anchorage area.MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – One in Nome; common around Anchorage.NORTHERN SHOVELER (Anas clypeata) – Regularly seen around Nome ­ a few in Anchorage, too.NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta) – Very common in Nome and Barrow.GREEN­WINGED TEAL (AMERICAN) (Anas crecca carolinensis) – Common in Nome and Barrow.RING­NECKED DUCK (Aythya collaris) – Five of these low­density breeders were at Potter Marsh on our return to Anchorage from Seward.GREATER SCAUP (Aythya marila) – This was the dominant species of scaup that we saw in Nome. Around Anchorage, they occur side­by­side with

Lesser Scaup.LESSER SCAUP (Aythya affinis) – Common in the greater Anchorage area.STELLER'S EIDER (Polysticta stelleri) – Hooray! We found over 10 of these striking Arctic ducks on our first evening in Barrow, and then again on

several more occasions there.SPECTACLED EIDER (Somateria fischeri) – A distant male and female offshore from Nome's Council Road kicked off our experience with this fine

species. More of these scarce, range­restricted diving ducks showed off nicely along the road system in Barrow.KING EIDER (Somateria spectabilis) – Several good sightings around the Barrow area.COMMON EIDER (PACIFIC) (Somateria mollissima v­nigrum) – Very common around Nome. This is the subspecies in which the males have

carrot­orange bills, quite distinctive when compared to other Common Eider ssp. throughout the northern hemisphere.HARLEQUIN DUCK (Histrionicus histrionicus) – We saw a few in a river along the Nome road system, and more from the boat in Seward.SURF SCOTER (Melanitta perspicillata) – A few were at the mouth of Resurrection Bay near Seward, and we saw another one on the lake near our

Anchorage hotel as well.WHITE­WINGED SCOTER (NORTH AMERICAN) (Melanitta fusca deglandi) – Common offshore in Nome.BLACK SCOTER (Melanitta americana) – Common in Nome, with daily counts of up to 110 offshore.LONG­TAILED DUCK (Clangula hyemalis) – Many of these dressy ducks were in ponds and larger bodies of water in Nome and Barrow.COMMON GOLDENEYE (Bucephala clangula) – We saw two on Safety Sound in Nome, where the species is unusual.BARROW'S GOLDENEYE (Bucephala islandica) – Distant views for some in the group on the lake near our hotel.COMMON MERGANSER (Mergus merganser) – Ours were in small groups around Seward.RED­BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator) – Very common in the Nome area, especially along rivers.

Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)WILLOW PTARMIGAN (Lagopus lagopus) – Excellent views along the Teller Road out of Nome, where we found five birds on our final day before

flying back to Anchorage.ROCK PTARMIGAN (Lagopus muta) – A male was camped out on the top of "Curlew Hill" along the Kougarok Road east of Nome.

Gaviidae (Loons)RED­THROATED LOON (Gavia stellata) – Very common in the Nome area; smaller numbers around Barrow, too.ARCTIC LOON (Gavia arctica) – Wow! Excellent views of this challenging and rare (in North America) species in Safety Sound, Nome. We had

fantastic studies of the white "hip" patch, white lines running down the side of the neck, lead gray hindneck color, and head/ bill shape intermediatebetween Pacific and Common Loon.

PACIFIC LOON (Gavia pacifica) – Excellent views in Nome and a few more flyovers in Barrow.COMMON LOON (Gavia immer) – Our nicest views of these huge loons were of the nesting birds at Tern Lake near Seward. Two were also on Safety

Sound near Nome, where the species is uncommon.YELLOW­BILLED LOON (Gavia adamsii) – Due to the ice conditions in Barrow, the only "Yellow Balloons" that we saw were cruising past far

offshore.

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Podicipedidae (Grebes)RED­NECKED GREBE (Podiceps grisegena) – Plenty in the Anchorage area, including on floating nests at Westchester Lagoon. On the lake near our

hotel, we even heard their rickety, creaky calls.

Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)RED­FACED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax urile) – One strikingly iridescent adult with a lovely orange­red face was perched on the rocks at Spire

Cove during our boat trip out of Seward.PELAGIC CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax pelagicus) – A few passed offshore at Nome, and we saw many more in the Seward area.DOUBLE­CRESTED CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax auritus) – Very common in the Seward area.

Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetos) – We saw these huge raptors along the Kougarok Road in Nome and again soaring along a ridgeline at Tern

Lake.NORTHERN HARRIER (Circus cyaneus) – These were a frequent sight in the Nome area.BALD EAGLE (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) – Plenty in the Anchorage­Seward corridor.RED­TAILED HAWK (HARLAN'S) (Buteo jamaicensis harlani) – A dark morph individual with a mottled gray and reddish tail was perched up on a

utility crossbar along the Seward Highway.ROUGH­LEGGED HAWK (Buteo lagopus) – Three showed off very nicely near Nome, circling right overhead as we bailed out of the vans.

Gruidae (Cranes)SANDHILL CRANE (Antigone canadensis) – Distant views in Nome, and closer views when a flock circled and landed near us in Barrow.

Haematopodidae (Oystercatchers)BLACK OYSTERCATCHER (Haematopus bachmani) – A pair came in to whistling and hovered overhead during our Seward boat trip!

Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)BLACK­BELLIED PLOVER (Pluvialis squatarola) – One adult bird (a crisp male) was a surprise near the airport in Barrow. Fantastic views, and it

was especially nice when it responded to my whistling by flying in and landing on the road right next to us!AMERICAN GOLDEN­PLOVER (Pluvialis dominica) – We found these handsome shorebirds in the upland tundra of the Kougarok Road near Nome

and again at Barrow.PACIFIC GOLDEN­PLOVER (Pluvialis fulva) – We had some good opportunities to see the extensively white flank stripes, white undertail coverts,

and short­winged, long­legged shape of these plovers along the coastal plain of Nome.SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus) – A few individuals were along the gravelly edges of ponds in Barrow.

Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)WHIMBREL (HUDSONIAN) (Numenius phaeopus hudsonicus) – Plenty in Nome, where they breed. We even saw them in close proximity to the rare

Bristle­thighed Curlews near Nome.BRISTLE­THIGHED CURLEW (Numenius tahitiensis) – We found roughly 4 of these rare and enigmatic shorebirds at the traditional site east of

Nome along the Kougarok Road. We stepped out of the vehicles to the rollicking sound (described for the first time, to my knowledge, as soundinglike the "Swedish Chef") of a curlew displaying overhead, much to our delight. We found a few more during our hike up on the hill, but the initialviews were some of our best.

HUDSONIAN GODWIT (Limosa haemastica) – Three flew in and landed at Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage. These long­distance migrants nest justacross Cook Inlet from Anchorage and winter in the southern extremes of South America.

BAR­TAILED GODWIT (Limosa lapponica) – Several territorial adults showed off and even sang as they flew overhead along the Teller Road out ofNome. These champion migrants have been studied extensively with satellite tracking technology during their migrations across the Pacific to theSouthern Hemisphere and back to Alaska each year.

RUDDY TURNSTONE (Arenaria interpres) – One was at Safety Sound near Nome, and two more were along the Cake Eater Road in Barrow.BLACK TURNSTONE (Arenaria melanocephala) – Great views of this Pacific specialty at Safety Sound near Nome.SURFBIRD (Calidris virgata) – Wow ­ the individual on "Ivory Spit" near Safety Sound, Nome let us get really close ­ and then it ran even closer.

Fantastic! This species nests in low density on rocky mountainsides near Nome where it is difficult to find, so we were fortunate to find thisindividual foraging along the coast.

RED­NECKED STINT (Calidris ruficollis) – A bright male showed nicely in a large flock of other peeps on the gravel bar at the Nome River mouthlate one evening. In North American, this Asian species is a regular visitor only in western Alaska.

SANDERLING (Calidris alba) – Two were fixtures at the productive coastal pond at the town end of the Cake Eater Road in Barrow.DUNLIN (Calidris alpina) – Scattered throughout flocks of migrant sandpipers in Nome; plenty more were on territory on the tundra at Barrow.BAIRD'S SANDPIPER (Calidris bairdii) – One of these long­winged sandpipers appeared on two occasions on Cake Eater Road ­ it was actually one

of the last birds we looked at carefully in Barrow before heading to the airport.LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla) – Common in the Nome area.WHITE­RUMPED SANDPIPER (Calidris fuscicollis) – Excellent! This species is quite scarce in Alaska, and we were fortunate to encounter it on

breeding territory along the Gaswell Road out of Barrow. It walked around on the road next to our vehicles and then even displayed by singing andraising a wing in a sandpiper salute.

PECTORAL SANDPIPER (Calidris melanotos) – These "boomers" were displaying and quite conspicuous in Barrow, especially along the GaswellRoad. Seeing this species on the breeding grounds as the males float around hooting is a COMPLETELY different experience than seeing Pecsfarther south during migration or the winter.

SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (Calidris pusilla) – The low trilling song of this bird was a fun background sound during our excursions in Barrowand also along the Council Road out of Nome. We had some great views as well, including in comparison to Western Sandpipers.

WESTERN SANDPIPER (Calidris mauri) – Big flocks of migrants were along the coast in Nome where they mixed with Semipalmated Sandpipersand Dunlin.

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LONG­BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus scolopaceus) – Several of these rotund, orange­bodied shorebirds entertained us near Freshwater Lakein Barrow. On the North Slope, identification is rendered a simple task due to the absence of Short­billed Dowitchers at that high latitude.

WILSON'S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata) – Fairly common around Nome where we heard their display flights and saw these odd sandpipers zippingaround overhead.

RED­NECKED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus lobatus) – Common in Nome and Barrow. These small, colorful spinners were extremely accommodatingfor good views at close range.

RED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fulicarius) – These stunning shorebirds are perhaps the most sharply dressed of the suite of species we encountered onthe tour. On our final morning in Barrow, a pair spun in front of us at close range.

SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius) – A couple of these familiar sandpipers were bobbing along the edges of rivers in Nome.WANDERING TATTLER (Tringa incana) – We heard one calling along a river edge along the Kougarok Road near Nome. [*]

Stercorariidae (Skuas and Jaegers)POMARINE JAEGER (Stercorarius pomarinus) – One cruised past us during the boat trip out of Seward ­ it was fairly far up the bay for this typically

offshore species. Due to the low lemming population in Barrow, the species was largely absent there this spring.PARASITIC JAEGER (Stercorarius parasiticus) – A fairly common sight in both Nome and Barrow. We even saw mixed pairs that included light and

dark morph individuals.LONG­TAILED JAEGER (Stercorarius longicaudus) – This was the most common (and the most elegant!) jaeger during our tour. They were

especially abundant along the Council Road out of Nome.

Alcidae (Auks, Murres, and Puffins)COMMON MURRE (Uria aalge) – Plenty of these dark chocolate brown beauties were rafting on the water during our boat trip out of Seward.THICK­BILLED MURRE (Uria lomvia) – A few of these crisply black­and­white "flying footballs" streamed past us during a seawatching vigil out

of Nome.PIGEON GUILLEMOT (Cepphus columba) – Common in Seward and during our boat trip.MARBLED MURRELET (Brachyramphus marmoratus) – Common during our Seward boat trip ­ we estimated 22 individuals.KITTLITZ'S MURRELET (Brachyramphus brevirostris) – These small auks are some of the most specialized birds that we pursue on this tour. We

were very excited to find 16 individuals representing a variety of plumages during our exploration of the glacial footprint of Aialik Bay.RHINOCEROS AUKLET (Cerorhinca monocerata) – Very common near the mouth of Aialik Bay, where we found rafts of these nicely marked auks

on the water.HORNED PUFFIN (Fratercula corniculata) – Abundant during the Seward boat trip.TUFTED PUFFIN (Fratercula cirrhata) – Wow ­ lots of stupendous views of these cracking blonde­ponytailed seabirds during our Seward boat trip.

Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)BLACK­LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Rissa tridactyla) – Quite common in Nome and Seward.IVORY GULL (Pagophila eburnea) – "Hey, uh... what's this small white gull with the Glaucous Gulls!??" So began our awesome experience watching

a second­year Ivory Gull (retaining its black speckles) on the beach near the mouth of Safety Sound. This globally rare species is very unusual inNome in June (though we've actually seen it in 2 of the past 3 years there!), so we were extraordinarily lucky to have such great views.

SABINE'S GULL (Xema sabini) – About 20 were along the Council Road out of Nome on our first afternoon there. Two more pairs were on ponds inthe Barrow area.

BONAPARTE'S GULL (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) – Three were flying over the flats in Cook Inlet offshore from Westchester Lagoon inAnchorage.

BLACK­HEADED GULL (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) – A second year bird was a nice rarity at the Nome River mouth, capping off a stupendousgull trip at Nome.

ROSS'S GULL (Rhodostethia rosea) – Gavin Bieber called us on the radio to tell us about an immature (second year) Ross's Gull at the Safety Soundbridge near Nome. Thanks to his alert, we were able to scope this rare species, albeit at great distance ­ it was neat to see the black "M" on the wingsand also the wedge­shaped tail.

MEW GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus canus brachyrhynchus) – Very common in Nome and the Anchorage area.HERRING GULL (AMERICAN) (Larus argentatus smithsonianus) – A few pure­looking birds were lounging around the Seward Harbor.HERRING GULL (VEGA) (Larus argentatus vegae) – Several rough­looking immature birds in Nome showed enough of their tails to help us identify

them as this Asian taxon. As youngsters, Vega Gulls show a narrow dark band near the tip of the mostly pale tail, unlike American birds thatgenerally show fully dark tails.

THAYER'S GULL (Larus thayeri) – This species is rare in western Alaska, so we were lucky to find a relatively straightforward immature withmocha­colored upperparts, pale­edged brown primaries and a black bill. After the tour ended, Thayer's Gull was actually re­labeled as a subspecies ofIceland Gull during the AOU Checklist update of July 2017.

GLAUCOUS­WINGED GULL (Larus glaucescens) – Very common around Seward. In the Anchorage area, the dominant large gull is a hybridbetween this species and Herring Gull ­ Herring x Glaucous­winged hybrids are often referred to as "Cook Inlet Gulls" for this reason.

GLAUCOUS GULL (Larus hyperboreus) – The common large gull (with pure white wingtips) in Nome and Barrow.ALEUTIAN TERN (Onychoprion aleuticus) – This species occurs in Nome in varying numbers each year. This was a particularly great year there, and

we found hundreds of these fine North Pacific specialties. Almost everywhere we went along the coast in Nome, the air was full of the HouseSparrow­like chirps of these terns. Wonderful views were had from the gravel bar at the Nome River mouth, in particular.

ARCTIC TERN (Sterna paradisaea) – Common in Anchorage and Nome.

Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) – We saw a few in Anchorage and also found some released individuals along the Teller Road out of Nome. [I]

Strigidae (Owls)SNOWY OWL (Bubo scandiacus) – Chris's friend Joe called with news of a Snowy Owl near the gas plant on Cake Eater Road out of Barrow, so we

headed over right away and found it perched on a utility pole. This was our only sighting of this magnificent bird (which can be common in Barrowduring years with high lemming populations ­ 2017 was not such a year there).

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SHORT­EARED OWL (Asio flammeus) – These floppy­flapping owls performed along the side of the Council Road near Nome.

Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD (Selasphorus rufus) – We stopped in at Ava's feeders near Seward and found a male and female visiting the feeders and

terrorizing the other birds in the yard.

Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)BELTED KINGFISHER (Megaceryle alcyon) – Some in Chris's van saw one fly across the Seward Highway straight into a nesting hole in a bank!

Picidae (Woodpeckers)DOWNY WOODPECKER (Picoides pubescens) – Visiting Ava's feeders near Seward.HAIRY WOODPECKER (Picoides villosus) – A few noisy birds were attending the feeders at Ava's place near Seward.

Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)GYRFALCON (Falco rusticolus) – A fierce­looking gray­morph adult attended two fluffy white chicks in a nest on a rock face near Nome. What an

exciting experience! Thanks to Scott and Sharon for sharing their big scope to help with super up­close views.

Laniidae (Shrikes)NORTHERN SHRIKE (Lanius excubitor) – Seen on all three days we were in Nome ­ a couple were perched on roadside utility wires, making things

easy for us.

Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)STELLER'S JAY (Cyanocitta stelleri) – Just a couple of these blue and black jays swooped through the Sitka Spruce forest near Seward, announcing

their presence with raucous calls.BLACK­BILLED MAGPIE (Pica hudsonia) – These were near our Anchorage hotel and at a few places during our Anchorage­Seward drive.NORTHWESTERN CROW (Corvus caurinus) – These small crows were hanging out near the Seward waterfront and on some islands during our boat

trip.COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax) – Seen on almost every day of the tour. Widespread.

Hirundinidae (Swallows)TREE SWALLOW (Tachycineta bicolor) – Fairly common in Nome and the Anchorage­Seward corridor, including nesting in Ava's yard on the

outskirts of Seward.VIOLET­GREEN SWALLOW (Tachycineta thalassina) – Several sightings between Anchorage and Seward, including nesting in the side of the

restaurant at Moose Pass.BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia) – Common, especially near the coast in Nome. They were nesting in earthen banks near the mouth of Hastings

Creek along the Council Road.CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) – Very common, especially along rivers in Nome. We got to see several adults gathering mud for their

nests that they were building under bridges.

Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice)CHESTNUT­BACKED CHICKADEE (Poecile rufescens) – Several were around the Bear Lake salmon weir.

Sittidae (Nuthatches)RED­BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta canadensis) – A few showed up between Bear Lake and Ava's place near Seward, their presence given away by

their nasal calls.

Certhiidae (Treecreepers)BROWN CREEPER (Certhia americana) – We heard one singing across the highway from the Trumpeter Swan lake on the Seward Highway.

Cinclidae (Dippers)AMERICAN DIPPER (Cinclus mexicanus) – We got to see these awesome water­loving birds at two nesting sites. They were hanging out on the

gravel bar near a bridge on the Teller Road at Nome, and then we actually got to peer into a nest with down­covered chicks at the Bear Lake salmonweir near Seward! Wow!

Regulidae (Kinglets)GOLDEN­CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus satrapa) – We saw a few of these excitable sprites in the spruces near Bear Lake.RUBY­CROWNED KINGLET (Regulus calendula) – We heard the crazy, two­parted song of this little songbird a few times in the conifer forests

between Anchorage and Seward. [*]

Phylloscopidae (Leaf Warblers)ARCTIC WARBLER (Phylloscopus borealis) – Very common in Nome ­ tons were in riverside thickets along the Kougarok and Teller roads. We

were able to scope a few of these delightful little Old World warblers when they teed up and sang their buzzy, grinding songs.

Muscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers)BLUETHROAT (Luscinia svecica) – Wow ­ we found a spot with two male Bluethroats along the Kougarok Road near Nome and watched as they

perched up, made songflights, and generally showed off beautifully in the sunlight.NORTHERN WHEATEAR (Oenanthe oenanthe) – Ours were in Nome. The pair that we saw so well in the rocky pit along the Kougarok Road was

supplemented by a distant bird in the fog along the Teller Road.

Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)GRAY­CHEEKED THRUSH (Catharus minimus) – Extremely common in Nome, often singing from roadside utility wires in full view!HERMIT THRUSH (Catharus guttatus) – We finally found one that sat up and showed off its black­spotted breast and its rusty tail near Bear Lake.AMERICAN ROBIN (Turdus migratorius) – We saw plenty of these widespread thrushes in Nome and between Anchorage and Seward.VARIED THRUSH (Ixoreus naevius) – Excellent views eventually at the Trumpeter Swan lake and at Ava's feeders near Seward.

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Sturnidae (Starlings)EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) – Only near Anchorage. [I]

Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)EASTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla tschutschensis) – A pair popped up and showed nicely in the Hastings Creek area, but overall, this Old

World species was much harder to find than usual in the Nome area.AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus rubescens) – A few bobbed along the roadside through rocky tundra areas in the Nome region.

Calcariidae (Longspurs and Snow Buntings)LAPLAND LONGSPUR (Calcarius lapponicus) – A very common breeder in Nome and Barrow ­ their cascading, melodic songs were a frequent treat

over the tundra.SNOW BUNTING (Plectrophenax nivalis) – An abundant breeder in Barrow, even in town.

Parulidae (New World Warblers)NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia noveboracensis) – Commonly heard and seen a few times in the Nome and Seward areas.ORANGE­CROWNED WARBLER (Oreothlypis celata) – Heard far more often than seen. We tracked down a few of these trillers in the Nome area

for good views.YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia) – Common, especially around Nome.BLACKPOLL WARBLER (Setophaga striata) – Our best view was one perching on a wire and singing on the Kougarok Road out of Nome.YELLOW­RUMPED WARBLER (MYRTLE) (Setophaga coronata coronata) – A few joined songbird flocks in the spruces between Anchorage and

Seward.TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Setophaga townsendi) – Stunning views of a male near Bear Lake.WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla) – A very common breeder, especially in the Nome area.

Emberizidae (Buntings and New World Sparrows)FOX SPARROW (SOOTY) (Passerella iliaca sinuosa) – This dark, Pacific form of Fox Sparrow showed off near the coast in Seward.FOX SPARROW (RED) (Passerella iliaca zaboria) – These "zaboria" Fox Sparrows were the ones we found commonly in the Nome area.WHITE­CROWNED SPARROW (GAMBEL'S) (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) – Common and widespread. One was even in Barrow where the

species is an overshoot migrant.GOLDEN­CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia atricapilla) – Wonderful views in Nome.SAVANNAH SPARROW (Passerculus sandwichensis) – Abundant in Nome; also seen in Barrow.SONG SPARROW (Melospiza melodia) – Good views of the dark, Fox Sparrow­esque birds around Seward.LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii) – We heard the buzzy, complicated song of this attractive sparrow on the outskirts of Seward.

Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)RUSTY BLACKBIRD (Euphagus carolinus) – A couple of these scarce and declining blackbirds were calling and flying around the back of the

Trumpeter Swan lake on the Seward Highway.

Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)PINE GROSBEAK (Pinicola enucleator) – Both males and females attended Ava's feeders near Seward ­ awesome, close views!RED CROSSBILL (Loxia curvirostra) – We found females and juveniles at Ava's feeders near Seward. Based on recordings of the call types that these

birds gave in flight, Chris was able to determine that they were "Type 3", a vocal type that often associates with Sitka Spruce.COMMON REDPOLL (Acanthis flammea) – Common in Nome (where Hoaries are also found) and also around Anchorage.HOARY REDPOLL (Acanthis hornemanni) – Several very frosty redpolls in Nome showed nicely, and we saw more in Barrow, where Hoary is the

dominant taxon.PINE SISKIN (Spinus pinus) – Abundant in the Seward area, including at Ava's feeders.

MAMMALS ARCTIC GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus parryii) – Plenty on Nome's tundra.RED SQUIRREL (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) – These conifer­loving squirrels were in the Sitka Spruces near Seward.MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica) – We saw one swimming at Westchester Lagoon.HARBOR PORPOISE (Phocoena phocoena) – A couple of these dark gray cetaceans surfaced briefly during our Seward boat trip.DALL'S PORPOISE (Phocoenoides dalli) – These black­and­white porpoises made some rooster­tail waves but didn't show very well for us in

Resurrection Bay during the boat trip.GRAY WHALE (Eschrichtius robustus) – A few folks were fortunate to see one of these long­distance migrant baleen whales close to shore along the

Council Road in Nome.HUMPBACK WHALE (Megaptera novaeangliae) – We ran into plenty of these whales on the Seward boat trip. Though they weren't particularly

showy, we had some nice views and got to see plenty of them blowing and fluking.RED FOX (Vulpes vulpes) – We saw these widespread predators a few times in the Nome area.SEA OTTER (Enhydra lutris) – Amazing views in Seward, especially in the harbor!STELLER'S SEA LION (Eumetopias jubatus) – Plenty were hauled out on rocks at the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park on our boat trip.HARBOR SEAL (Phoca vitulina) – Common in the Seward/ Kenai Fjords area.SPOTTED SEAL (Phoca largha) – One spy­hopped and played around near the "Ivory Gull spit" near Safety Sound.MOOSE (Alces alces) – We saw several in Nome, especially along the Kougarok Road. A female with a calf in tow was a great sighting.MOUNTAIN GOAT (Oreamnos americanus) – Our first ones were at great distance at Tern Lake, and then we had some better views along rocky

slopes at the edge of Resurrection Bay on the boat trip.MUSKOX (Ovibos moschatus) – Wow ­ you know you're not in Kansas anymore when you catch sight of these bizarre critters ­ and we saw plenty,

including huge adults and small calves. This was surely one of Steve's highlights from the tour! It was neat to see their shed fur hanging from

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roadside bushes along the Kougarok Road, too.DALL'S SHEEP (Ovis dalli) – These sure­footed mammals were glued to the cliffs above Turnagain Arm on our drive from Anchorage to Seward.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 154 bird taxa and 16 mammal taxa

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