Temps in the 40s, partly sunny, Wind SW steady 20-25 mph

I confirmed the Ring-necked Duck that I thought I had a few days ago at Andrew Lake.

There were two Common Loons there as well.

Up at the Seawall, the Brambling and one of the Pacific Golden-Plovers were still there.

I finally found a couple of Rock Sandpipers for the trip.

Coming back around, from the West Lookout, I saw a flock of shorebirds out on the flats.

There were 14 Sanderlings, one Dunlin, and another bird that may be a Western Sandpiper. I am reserving judgement on that one until some other experts review it. It could just be a Sanderling with an odd long bill.

Oh, and Marc’s mystery bird from yesterday… Olive-backed Pipit.

But the real action today started after dinner. I got a text from Zoe Anne (she lives up here a couple months a year) that she saw a Horned Lark!

I grabbed my camera and rushed out the door to meet up with Zoe. It was getting late.

I radioed Marc and he joined us.

We drove down to where she had seen it, and there it was! It played hide-and-seek with us for a while in the 25 mph wind and diminishing light, but we all got to see it and I got some crappy( (but identifiable photos).

This is a first record for Adak.

In the Aleutians, the only other records (3) are from Shemya.

Also, in the Pribilofs, both St Paul and St George have had them.

So, GREAT record!

Ever since coming out here, we wondered why Horned Larks were not regulars out here. They are one of the most adaptable species on the planet, ranging from deserts to the Artic.

The habitat on the Aleutian Islands looks ideal for them.

Go wonder…

So TWO new Adak birds this trip (Magnolia and Lark). Wow!

The trip list is at 60.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

(Note: the eBird Trip List does not show the Gyrfalcon records for some eBird policy…)

My Adak Year List is 102!

I leave for home tomorrow afternoon. I will make my last post for this trip either Sunday or Monday, depending on how tired I am.

Temps in the 40s, overcast, rain, Wind S 15-30 mph

Woulda, coulda, shoulda…

On my Guide to Birding Adak, I mention that it is rare to have rain all day.

This is one of those days.

It started raining in the middle of the night and is still raining as I am writing this blog at 8 in the evening. And windy too!

In this weather, the birds need extra nourishment. The Seal Drive feeder was a little active.

Every once in a while, the passing stiff-wings get pushed (or voluntarily enter) into Kuluk Bay.

Last fall’s occurrence yielded shearwaters, petrels, jaegers, Fulmars, and albatrosses (including Short-Tailed), which I did not see.

This morning, when I scanned the bay (I check every morning), I saw such an event was happening.

It turned out not to be as productive as last year’s, but rewarding nontheless.

Besides the thousands of Short-tailed Shearwaters, there were about a dozen Black-footed Albatross. These events usually yield many Laysan Albatross, but I did not see any.

However, I did see what appeared to be Short-tailed Albatross.

I based my identification on the fact that they (three) appeared larger, were brown overall, but lighter underneath like an older juvenile. Unfortunately, I could not make out the color of the bill (light for a Short-tailed, dark for a Black-footed). That would have clenched it.

After returning home, I researched it a bit and found the some Black-footeds can appear lighter underneath as well.

I feel fairly confident that they were Short-tails, but not enough to put them on my list.

Maybe one of these days I will see a sub-adult or adult which will make it easy…

The VENT tour group left today and Marc, Tim, and Bob arrived.

The trip list is at 53.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

(Note: the eBird Trip List does not show the Gyrfalcon records for some eBird policy…)

My Fulmar and Black-footed Albatross took me to the magic 100 for my Year List!

Temps in the 40s, partly sunny, wind NW 10-15 diminishing as the day went on

No new birds.

I got distant photos of the 4 Tufted Ducks on Andrew Lake.

A little later, I had a fifth one on Shotgun Lake. It flew before a photo op, but it was similar to one I had either last year or the year before, in that it had white undertail coverts. An uncommon variant among Tufteds.

I picked up Crested Auklet for the trip list.

Yesterday I got the mandatory rainbow shot.

Today I got the mandatory Bald Eagle head shot.

While walking around the Andrew Lake Rec Center area, I cam across this poor mortal. It’s tough on Adak…

Most of it was dead, but a small clump of foliage persisted…

Tomorrow is plane day, but the weather looks marginal at best. The VENT group is scheduled to depart and Marc Kramer and friends are due in. We shall see.

The trip list is at 50.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

(Note: the eBird Trip List does not show the Gyrfalcon records for some eBird policy…)

My Adak Year List remains at 98.

Temps in the 40s, partly sunny, occasional light sprinkle, Wind WNW 10-25 mph

Not a mystery bird today!

Unbeknownst to me, a VENT tour group arrived on Saturday. Had I known, I would have met them at the airport, etc.

However, we made contact today, I lent them a radio and all is right with the world…

I met them this morning when they pulled up to the Adak National Forest as I was taking photos of a first Adak record Magnolia Warbler!

Unlike the other “good” birds I’ve seen the past few days, this guy was fairly cooperative. Everyone got a good look.

A first for Adak and one of few records for Alaska.

Not a bad way to start the day.

Later, on the Seawall, I scared up a Siberian Pipit. No photos, but I saw enough of the markings, black malar patch, black streaks on the back, that I am confident of the identification.

After 10 days out here, I finally got my required rainbow shot.

I also picked up Black Oystercatcher and Snow Bunting today.

I will end with a sunset.

White Alice is the flat-topped hill in the distance. White Alice stands for ALaska Integrated Communications Extension (and white for snow), a military system from days of yore. It is now where the cell phone tower is located.

The trip list is at 49.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

My Adak Year List is 98. A new high for me.

Temps in the 40s, mostly cloudy, occasional light rain, wind WNW 15-30 mph

The wind was a little less brutal today, but still windy.

No new birds (maybe).

One of the immature Gray-tailed Tattlers was still at Tattler Corner today.

Many of the Otters have pups right now.

I had two Peregrine Falcons playing/fighting over the Lake Shirley Cliffs this afternoon.

After disappearing over the cliff, this one emerged (victorious?).

The Slaty-backed Gull remains. All four Tufted Ducks remain.

I had another mystery bird today.

At the building complex at the south end of the Seawall, I spotted a bird sheltering from the wind next to one of the buildings.

It was on the ground, partially hidden by vegetation. I could see that it was dark brown (darker than a Pacific Wren) on the back, face, and tail.

It had a fine bill like a wren or kinglet.

It did not have a sloping forehead like a warbler. More like a sparrow.

I could not see the belly or the wings.

It then flew up onto the side of the building and I saw that it was that dark brown in the wings as well.

The tail was longer than a wren’s and was not cocked.

I did not see any flashes of white or other bold markings.

It flew away.

Since I was viewing it through the windshield of my car, I didn’t get any photos.

I spent a lot of time walking through the grassland in the direction that it flew.

I also spent some time at the Lake Shirley Cliffs, which are in that direction, as they would provide sheltered spots.

No luck.

Afterward, I tried to convince myself that it was just a Pacific Wren, but the tail was so different, that I am confident that it was not.

Nothing in my Asian bird book satisfied what I thought I saw, but, as I said on my previous mystery bird, I am not the best witness on short views of small birds that fly away…

The trip list remains at 45.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

Temps in the 40s, partly sunny, wind light shifting from NE to SE

Again, no new birds (maybe).

When the weather is calm like this, the strategy is to check all possible passerine habitat — Ie. feeders, willows, and spruces.

So I spent most of the day doing so.

But before all that, I had two Gyrfalcons today, one with a twist.

As I was checking the Rock Feeder for the Brambling (no success), I looked up at the clifftop and spotted the brown immature Gyrfalcon. Just a few yards away were several Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches!

The other Gyrfalcon was the gray adult at The Marsh.

After checking all of the feeders, and woody plants in and around town, I went to the Warbler willows.

As I approached the side of the stream that borders the willows, a bird flew out and disappeared into the willows.

The only things I got on it were a gray back and wings. No obvious white or other flashy markings. I never saw the head and beak. It was the size of a bluebird or slightly smaller (I’m terrible on assessing size of a small bird flying away from me for less than a second).

After a few minutes of hiding in the willows, it flew out through the willows and over to one of the nearby cabins, where it dropped down behind. Since the bridge is out, I had no way to follow it and pursue it.

So I positioned my car for the best view of the willows and used it as a blind while I waited for the bird to return. I waited an hour to no avail. I returned about two hours later and spent another half hour, also to no avail.

Of course, I will be checking that site every day that I am here. So hope prevails.

We had a Gray-streaked Flycatcher there many years ago. And that is what popped into my head as I saw it fly…

No other small Asian birds were located.

After dinner, I drove up to the Seawall for a late-day viewing.

On the way, at Navfac Creek, I encountered a gull that appeared to have black primary tips (usually a sign of a non-Glaucous-winged).

Then up at the Seawall, I found another one.

I sent several images of each to guys who are better at gull ID than I am. I will let you know the results tomorrow.

So the trip list is at 44 (or 45 or 46…).

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221

Temps in the 40s, mostly cloudy, a little spritzle here and there, Wind NE 10-20 mph

Not even a new trip bird today…

Again, the northeast wind did not force any stiff-wings into Kuluk Bay. I saw some way, way out, but not in the bay.

At the Thrush Feeder, a Raven was standing guard.

Wilderness found a Brambling at the Rock Feeder yesterday. I looked several times today with no luck.

The two immature Gray-tailed Tattlers remained at Tattler Corner today.

I got a closer pic of the Long-tailed Duck today.

Two Peregrines today.

At Candlestick Bridge today I saw what looked like two Harbor Seals fighting just off shore. But then one of them hauled itself onto the beach, took a little breather, and then jumped back in. The other seal did not take the opportunity to run off, they continued cavorting. So I assume now they were just playing. They looked young.

The tide has been about two feet above normal this week. I saw a report about a Kelvin Wave hitting California and heading north. I wonder if that is what is going on here.

I now know that several birders will be arriving on the 7th.

The trip list is at 44.

You can see the total list at https://ebird.org/tripreport/576221