Saturday, October 5, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, partly sunny, wind WNW 15-30 mph

Weather, October 5, 2024

Only added Emperor Goose to the trip list.

The jaeger was indeterminate, so just a Jaeger, sp.

The winds were still strong. If only I had a few more days for the wind to calm down to make looking for passerines easier…

In summary, it was a great trip!

I’m still getting lifers on Adak after all these years and in spite of the law of diminishing returns!

Highlights:

Two lifers (and therefore 2 Adak List birds): Song Thrush and Mottled Petrel

One semi-Adak Bird: Male Ring-necked Duck.

The tubenose show in Kuluk Bay.

Birds seen by others on the island while I was there, but that I did not see.

Short-eared Owl
Pomarine Jaeger
Short-tailed Albatross
Lesser Scaup
Bewick‛s Swan
Ruddy Turnstone
Common Snipe

Lowlights

Missing the Short-tailed Albatross

Species usually seen this time of year, but were missing:

Ancient Murrelet and Horned Puffin. I have never missed a Horned Puffin on ANY trip to Adak! I have missed Ancient Murrelet on a few trips.

The Trip List was 65. A new high for Fall. Previous high was 63 in 2014.

The Year’s List was 93 (one shy of 2017).

Today’s eBird List can be seen at https://ebird.org/checklist/S197805132

The Trip List can be seen at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586

I’ll be back in May 2025.

Friday, October 4, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, partly sunny, wind WNW 15-25 mph

The tubenoses were still swirling about Kuluk Bay this morning. I saw at least 7 Laysan Albatross, but no Short-tailed Albatross. Thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters and still some Mottled Petrels.

I then went down to Sweeper Cove, where I saw a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel. It disappeared before I could get a photo, but minutes later a Jaeger flew by. This one I got photos of. Still determining the species…

Jaeger, Sweeper Cove, October 4, 2024
Jaeger, Sweeper Cove, October 4, 2024

I also had a flock of 25 Black-legged Kittiwakes. They have been hard to come by this year. I often see hundreds in the Fall.

I headed north to Clam Lagoon (and points in between) and when I got to the Breaches, I discovered that they had been breached last night. There were a lot of new rocks on the road (thankfully, not too large) and I could see where the water had flattened the vegetation as it rolled over.

I had mentioned in an earlier post about waves depositing kelp on the seawall. Well, these waves washed most of it away!

An odd sighting I had was a flock of a dozen Common Teal on the surf off the Seawall. I am always taken aback when I see “pond” ducks on the ocean.

In the afternoon, I dismantled and stored the feeders, then went back out, but didn’t add anything to the list.

As I was having dinner, I got the message that there was a Bewick’s Swan up at Clam Lagoon. So after I finished, I went up there, but it was gone. I had one on Adak back in May 2014.

We all leave tomorrow. My next post will be either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

The Trip List is 64. The Year List is 93. Both depending on the Jaeger identification.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197546004

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Some day!

Temps in the 40s-50s, partly sunny, Wind WNW 20-40 mph

It was hard standing up when I got out of the car!

I met Aaron up at Lake Jean to look for the Common Mergansers, but there were very few ducks there and only two Red-breasteds out beyond Lake Jean.

I checked Andrew Lake, but the waves and spray made it impossible.

I decided t try the Loran Station one more time. Here is what the rock that Aaron found the Double-crested Cormorant looked like two days ago.

Loran Station Area, October 1, 2024

And here it was today…

Loran Station Area, October 3, 2024

Not many cormorants there…

I headed around Clam Lagoon and not far from Candlestick Bridge, I found a Brambling.

Brambling, East Shore Clam Lagoon, October 3, 2024

This was a differently plumaged bird than the one I had at my feeder.

On the way back, near the East Side Ponds, I had a nice Pacific Golden-Plover.

Pacific Golden-Plover, East Side Ponds, October 3, 2024

I headed back to town to tell Aaron about the Brambling. He decided not to chase it, but was headed down to Finger Bay. I was also planning to go there to look for the redpolls that had been reported a few days earlier.

I got to Finger Bay, drove to the end where the redpolls were reported and found one in a little spruce tree.

Common Redpoll, Finger Bay, October 3, 2024

I stopped at the cement pier to scan the bay and a Leach’s Storm-Petrel flew by!

Leach’s Storm-Petrel, Finger Bay, October 3, 2024

I met Aaron’s group as I was leaving and informed them and they also got it. It was a lifer for at least one of his group.

Little did I know that this was a premonition of things to come…

I went back to the house, settled in, made dinner, and was just finishing up when I received a text from Aaron saying there were “loads” of Mottled Petrels in Kuluk Bay!

I raced over there and yes, there were. Plus Short-tailed Shearwaters. They were flying in and out of the mist, but viewing conditions changed from minute to minute. After clearly seeing several Mottleds, I decided to run up to the Palisades Overlook to see if the view was any better. It wasn’t (and no wind protection).

So I returned to the Kuluk Bay Overlook where the guys were and Aaron said he had just had a Short-tailed Albatross! Well, I didn’t get that, but the Mottled Petrel was a lifer!

While searching for the petrels, I had taken a random number of photos of the bay in hopes of catching one. I did!

Mottled Petrel, Kuluk Bay, October 3, 2024
Mottled Petrel, Kuluk Bay, October 3, 2024

The wind is to continue blowing all night, but will not be so strong tomorrow. Who knows what else it brought in last night and today?

The Trip List is 62. The Year List is 92.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197424964

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

This post was delayed, as high winds on Adak interrupted internet access (It shakes the Star-Link antenna dishes too much for a steady signal).

Temps in the 40s-50s, overcast, drizzle in the early morning, then a break, then rain starting in mid-afternoon, Wind WSW 10-25 mph

Weather, October 2, 2024

I finally caught site of the Brant at Clam Lagoon that Aaron had reported a few days ago.

I have seen Brant here 4 times before (the last one in May this year). All of my previous sightings have been in spring.

At Andrew Lake, both the male Tufted Duck and Ring-necked Duck were on the lake where you first approach it (on the west shore). Here is a better (though still distant) photo of the Ring-neck.

Ring-necked Duck, Andrew Lake, October 2, 2024

I went back to Lake Jean and halfway down the hill, I stopped to scope the waterfowl before they flew. I spotted a flock of mergansers and the first one I zoomed in on appeared to have a sharp white throat (Common). Aaron had reported a possible Common Merganser at at the north end of Andrew Lake yesterday, but it swam out of view before he could confirm it.

The birds flew before I could get any closer, but I got some flight shots. Aaron thginks the bird on the right might be a Goosander (the Asian subspecies of Common Merganser).

Common Mergansers, Lake Jean, October 2, 2024

We will look for them again tomorrow.

Today, the Pectoral Sandpiper and Song Sparrow were sharing the kelp patch.

Song Sparrow (far right) and Pectoral Sandpiper (far left), Seawall, October 2, 2024

They are predicting West winds of 40-50 mph tomorrow!

Bring on the birds!

The Trip List is 59. The Year List is 89.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197305720

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Good birds, bad photos…

Temps in the 40s-50s, mostly cloudy, rolling fog off and on, Wind SW 5-15 mph

Weather, October 1, 2024
Mount Sitkin Sunrise, October 1, 2024

After the usual rounds, I decided to go up to Andrew Lake to look for the Lesser Scaup that Aaron had reported.

While scanning a flock of Greater Scaup, I didn’t find the lesser, instead, I found a Tufted Duck! It was a female or immature with a scraggly tuft, but unmistakable. Too far for decent photo, but here is one anyway.

Tufted Duck (female/immature), Andrew Lake, October 1, 2024

I then headed f or Clam Lagoon.

I had mentioned in a previous post about the Pectoral Sandpipers working the kelp beds on the Seawall. Well today, I was watching one feeding vigorously at one particular goody (don’t know what), when a Song Sparrow flew in and chased the Pec away and started in on the morsel itself! The Song is much smaller than the Pec, but this was his territory…

As I was on the East Shore, Aaron called to say he had a Double-crested Cormorant out at the Loran Station. This would be an Adak bird for me. There are only two other Adak records from December 1984 and April 1986.

So I “raced” out there (knowing it would be the better part of an hour since Aaron had seen it).

No luck. There were plenty of cormorants sitting on the rocky island that he had seen it on, just no Double-crested…

Oh well, it wasn’t a total waste, as i picked up Northern Fulmar and Laysan Albatross for the trip.

When I returned, I went back out to Andrew Lake, where the other birders had seen a Ring-necked Duck. An adult male, no less. I have seen only one other on Adak (May, 2015) and it was a female.

I ran into Aaron’s group along the way and we all went out together. We stopped where I had seen the Tufted, but no luck. I continued out to where the Ring-neck was reported and found it.

Ring-necked Duck, Andrew Lake, October 1, 2024

Unfortunately, by the time Aaron’s group caught up to my location, the duck had swum behind a point.

I told them I was going to check Lake Jean (a southern adjunct to Andrew Lake) for the Tufted while they hoped for the Ring-neck to reappear.

I drove out Lake Jean, and out at the point where it joins Andrew Lake, I found a Tufted (Notice that I didn’t say “the Tufted.”).

This one was a male!

Tufted Duck (Male), Andrew Lake, October 1, 2024

Definitely a different bird than earlier. I did not see the female with this flock.

I called Aaron and his group came down and they all had nice looks at it.

I headed back to town, freshened up, had an early dinner, and reviewed my photos of the day. I couldn’t find the cormorant in any of the photos I took out at the Loran, but Aaron recommended that I go back out in case it had just been fishing and had returned to the roost.

So I did. Still no luck.

The Trip List is 57. The Year List is 88.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197204673

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Monday, September 30, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, overcast, rain in the afternoon, Wind SW 10-25 mph

Weather, September 30, 2024

I had no new birds today, but Aaron had a Brant at Clam Lagoon this evening that I raced up to see, but was too late.

I have found that Red-faced Cormorants are a lot easier to see close-up in the fall than in spring. This is probably because of all of the young birds around.

Here is a photo of two young Red-faced standing right next to a Pelagic.

Note the larger size, the light-colored thicker bill, and the white around the bill on the Red-faced.

Red-faced (two left) and Pelagic cormorants, Clam Lagoon, September 30, 2024

The Trip List remains at 53. The Year List at 87.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S197096473

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, partly sunny, wind switching from N to SW 5-10 mph

Weather, September 29, 2024

Mount Moffet had a little frosting on top this morning. But it had melted away by early afternoon.

My Moffet, September 29, 2024

I received an email from Aaron last night that his brother-in-law (with that group of three birders that arrived yesterday) had found a Song Thrush late in the day at the Andrew Lake Recreation Center area.

We agreed to be there at dawn today.

After spreading out and walking through the grasses where it had been seen the day before, it flushed. We flushed it a couple more times. It would not stay still for stationary photos. I got some really shitty photos (you can see better ones on eBird at https://ebird.org/checklist/S196843699 and probably better ones tonight).

Although not very good, you can still see some salient features in my photos. The buffy underwing and the distinctive eye-ring.

Song Thrush, Andrew Lake Rec Area, September 29, 2024
Song Thrush, Andrew Lake Rec Area, September 29, 2024
Song Thrush, Andrew Lake Rec Area, September 29, 2024

Lifer! First Adak record. Fourth Alaska record. Sixth North American record.

The rest of the day pales by comparison, but here goes.

I last saw the Brambling on Friday evening (much to the arriving birder’s woe). But herein lies a tale…

I was watching it sometime between 7 and 8 pm, when it took one last mouthful of seed, turned, and took off like a rocket! And I mean a rocket! It had afterburners on. It flew straight up and away. No zig, No zag. As direct as I have ever seen a bird fly. And as fast an ascent as I have ever seen a bird make. It flew directly east and I have not seen it since.

At the time, I thought it curious, but now i believe that once he had refueled (at my generous repast) he decided to continue on his errant way. He had no idea where he was going, but boy was he making good time.

I left the others still in pursuit of the thrush and on the way back towards town, I had a flock of about 20 Snow Buntings on the road near Palisades Lake. I had never seen a flock this size on Adak, so I assume it is a migratory flock, rather than the nesting pairs I regularly see. I studied the flock to see if any errant stray had joined them, but no.

Snow Bunting, Palisades Lake, September 29, 2024

Here are a few of the Rock Ptarmigan that are everywhere and in abundance this year.

Rock Ptarmigans, Andrew Lake, September 29, 2024

The Trip List is 53. The Year List is 87.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S196989703

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Finally, a sunset.

Sunset, September 29, 2024

PS: I placed a board on the ground (near the spruces that the thrush flew into at one point) and placed some mealworms on it. Hopefully, he will find it and give us some ground-shots…

Saturday, September 28, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, Mostly cloudy, some light rain in late afternoon, Wind NW 10-20 mph

Weather, September 28, 2024

Finally saw a Puffin (Tufted) for the trip list. They are hard to find this trip.

Also picked up two White-winged Scoters.

At the Seawall, strong surf washes kelp up onto the rocks. As it decays, it attracts insects, which in turn, attract shorebirds. Today there were two Pectoral Sandpipers working the kelp.

Pectoral Sandpiper, Seawall, September 28, 2024

The Sanderling flock was roosting at the Breaches this afternoon.

I have not seen the Brambling all day.

Aaron’s group arrived today, as did three more birders in a group.

Tim and Andy left.

The Trip List is 52. The Year List is 86.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S196827259

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Friday, September 27, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, partly sunny, Wind NW 10-20 mph

Weather, September 27, 2024

When I went out to fill my feeder (pre-dawn) this morning, I saw something that I rarely see on Adak. The moon…

Moon, September 27, 2024

And stars, and Jupiter!

They quickly disappeared behind the clouds.

A little later, I got the Mandatory Fall Rainbow photo — a double no less!

Double Rainbow, September 27, 2024

Not much in the way of new birds.

I found two Pacific Loons at the Palisades to add o the trip list.

The Brambling is still here.

There had been very little activity at the National Forest Feeder (just a Song Sparrow), but the Rosy-Finches have now found it, so it is very busy.

I had a nice male Black Scoter at the Seawall.

Black Scoter< Seawall, September 27, 2024

The Trip list is 50. The Year List is 86

My average Fall lists are 52. My biggest year list was 94!

This is my 33rd trip to Adak. Only three of them resulted in no lifers or new Adak birds. All three of those trips were in the last four years (the law of diminishing returns…).

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S196685486

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true

Tim and Andy leave tomorrow and Aaron Lang arrives with his Wilderness Birding Adventures tour group.

One week down, one to go.

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Temps in the 40s-50s, Partly sunny, Wind WNW 15-25 mph

Weather, September 26, 2024

I almost had nothing to write about today until I was back at the house sitting at the computer, entering today’s list, when I looked out at the feeder and there was a Brambling!

Brambling, Frank’s Feeder, September 26, 2024

I have had Brambling on only 7 of my 16 Fall trips. So it is not a guaranteed bird in the Fall.

I called Tim and Andy and they both came over and saw it. It was a lifer for Tim!

Trip List is 49.

Year List is 86.

Today’s List: https://ebird.org/checklist/S196583826

Trip List: https://ebird.org/tripreport/277586?welcome=true