Highs and lows…

As usual, we headed down to Sweeper Cove to start the day. As we pulled up on the Cormorant Jetty, five small dark alcids flew in and settled on the water long enough for Frank to get them in the scope and identify them as Parakeet Auklets! Another lifer – for Frank at least.

The rest of the usual areas produced nothing new, but after packing and taking our luggage to the airport, another stop at the Sweeper Cove Breakwater gave us more looks at Crested Auklet, as one of the pair from yesterday (we presume) was still feeding there!

We drove up near Contractor’s Marsh and, as we headed back towards the Airport Ponds Road, we spotted a flock of dickey-birds flitting about the multiple fences surrounding a former munitions building. They were Common Redpolls – 15 of them! That is the largest number of non-native passerines we have ever seen on the island.

Common Redpoll, near Contractor’s Marsh, Sept 25, 2014.

The plane arrived on time, and although it left a little late, it arrived in Anchorage in plenty of time for our flight to Chicago (OH NO!). The Anchorage/Chicago flight started on a high point with the Aurora Borealis putting on a show. This was also a lifer for Frank, as Barb had seen them when she had spent some time in Canada many moons ago.

We were due in to Chicago around 8:30 am Friday. About 7 am, the pilot informed us we were going to Minneapolis instead due to a fire at the O’hare Control Tower. So we landed, we got off of the plane and got booked on another flight to Philadelphia via Charlotte. Of course, that flight wasn’t leaving until 1:45 pm! So, after spending six hours in Minneapolis, two hours in Charlotte and two more flights, we finally arrived in Philly around 11 pm (10 hours late!). Shockingly, our luggage had also made it to Philly on another flight! So although we were totally wiped out, we had all of our stuff and arrived home safely.

This was a great trip. Frank had five lifers, Barb had three (because she had gotten the auklets previously). We had a record 63 species. We had the fourth North American record of Wood Warbler (since then, St Paul has had two more!). The disappointing aspect of our trip was shorebirds. We had only 10 species, compared to 17 last year. And only two were Asian – Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. And the shorebird numbers were low. We usually run into numerous Pectorals throughout the island in remarkably small wet spots. But not this year (although it was very wet with a lot of standing water).

But other than that, the trip was very satisfying.

We will return.

Loony…

Temp in the 50s, mostly sunny, some afternoon showers, moderate S wind.

Same old, same old around town, so we headed up to Clam Lagoon. Nothing on the flats.

At the Seawall, we saw a bunch of Horned and Red-necked Grebes and, while scanning for more, found a breeding-plumaged Yellow-billed Loon. The Emperor Goose that we saw on the flats yesterday was on — fittingly — Goose Rocks today.

Emperor Goose (with cormorants), Goose Rocks, Sept 24, 2014

We continued down to Lake Shirley where only half of the scaup flock was there. However, the number of pintails had increased to ten. As we continued around the lagoon, we saw the rest of the scaup out in the lagoon, along with the two Tufted Ducks.

Upon returning to the Seawall, we spotted a winter-plumaged Common Loon and a breeding-plumaged Pacific Loon to make it a loon-trifecta! This brought our trip list up to 62 — tying our previous high.

Late in the afternoon, upon returning to town, we drove over to the Sweeper Cove breakwater to see if anything was in the bay. As we parked, Barb spotted a small dark bird in the water. We quickly got on it and discovered it to be a Crested Auklet! And there were TWO of them! For the next 45 minutes, we watched and photographed them to our utter delight. These were much closer than the one we saw last week — and that on was backlit. These were relatively close — very easy to see all of the details in the scope — and the lighting was at our backs. It was great seeing these birds with our feet planted on terra-firma instead of rocking on a boat.

Crested Auklet, off the Sweeper Cove breakwater, Sept 24, 2014

Crested Auklet diving, off the Sweeper Cove breakwater, Sept 24, 2014

One more day to go. We will be leaving around 5:30 tomorrow afternoon and expect to arrive home around 3:00 pm Friday. We won’t be updating the blog until Friday night at the earliest, and probably not until Saturday.

Temp in the 50s, partly sunny, a few showers late afternoon, moderate S wind.

Still no other Asian passerines to report.

We finally found some Ancient Murrelets to add to the trip list. And we finally got our first Emperor Goose for the trip.

We saw a Pacific Loon at the Seawall — probably the same one we had a few days ago.

The trip list is now at 60, just two shy of our record 62 in Sept 2007. However, there were other birders here at that time and that helped.

We haven’t seen that partial albino Pacific Wren since the 12th, so here is a so-so picture in which you can just see the tip of its white tail feather.

Pacific Wren, Elfin Forest, Sept 12, 2014.

Here’s another Song Sparrow photo.

Aleutian Song Sparrow (flat-headed variety), Sept 23, 2014.

Two days to go.

Temp in the 50s, partly cloudy, passing showers in late afternoon, increasing SW winds.

We had a few shorebirds today. Nothing new, but at least something to look at.

At Landing Lights Beach, there were three Ruddy Turnstones and a Rock Sandpiper. We had two Black Oystercatchers. At the Seawall, the tide was out enough to provide a sandy beach for the Sanderling flock to play tag with the waves.

Also at the Seawall was a juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper.

Pectoral Sandpiper, Seawall, Sept 22, 2014.

At Clam Lagoon, the seven Western Sandpipers had morphed into two Western Sandpipers and five Rock Sandpipers.

The scaup flock returned to Lake Shirley along with Pintails, Mallards, a shoveler, and the two Tufted Ducks. The total waterfowl flock there is now about 150 birds!

As we got back to town in late afternoon, it started to rain pretty hard, so we went in and had an early supper. The showers passed and it cleared up (relatively speaking), so we went back out to do a baywatch at Kulik Bay overlook.

Shortly after settling in, I saw a small dark alcid. I got it in the scope and discovered it was a Cassin’s Auklet — a lifer! We both got good looks at it, but was unable to get satisfactory photos, as the light was poor and it kept diving as soon as I would get it in the camera. And it kept getting farther out. Still, not a bad way to end the day.

Our trip list is up to 58. More to come…

Temp in the 50s, partly sunny, then mostly cloudy in the afternoon, some light rain in the afternoon, light to moderate S to SW wind.

The feeders are active with local birds, but still no vagrants. Over at the High School Willows, three Common Redpolls popped out and quickly flew away.

Common Redpoll, High School Willows, Sept 21, 2014.

This brings our trip list to 56 — above average.

Today was perched falcon day! The flock of waterfowl at Lake Shirley got spooked by someone walking around the lake, so we did not see the Tufted Ducks today — or any other ducks there!

The question is — where did they go? They weren’t on Lake Ronnie, Clam Lagoon, or Shotgun Lake. It is a large flock — hard to miss.

Up at the Seawall, a lone scaup was hanging with the Harlequin Ducks.

Greater Scaup, Seawall, Sept 21, 2014.

And some Red-breasted Mergansers, which are usually really flighty up here, came close enough for a photo.

Red-breasted Mergansers, Seawall, Sept 21, 2014.

By the way, you can see how calm the water was today.

In clam Lagoon, the peninsula’s flock of Western Sandpipers had dwindled to five. As usual, a Songpiper was in the vicinity.

Song Sparrow “Songpiper”, Western Sandpipers, Rock Sandpiper, Clam Lagoon, Sept 21, 2014.

Hoping for something new tomorrow…

Temp in the 50s, overcast, light rain most of the afternoon, increasing SE wind.

It’s hard to follow up a day like yesterday, but we tried.

After checking the feeders around town, we headed up to the Boy Scout Cabins to see if the warbler was still there. No luck. The stand of willows is probably only 20 by 10 yards or so, so it is easy to see if any birds are hanging out there. Oh well…

Haven Lake had three Eurasian Wigeon. At Clam Lagoon, the seven Western Sandpipers were still on the peninsula.

The flock of twenty Sanderlings were at their usual spot at the Breaches. No other shorebirds today.

We added Pacific Loon to the list at the Seawall.

We checked every willow and tree we could get to, but could not relocate the warbler or turn up any new birds.

Here is one of the giant Aleutian Song Sparrows.

Song Sparrow, Adak National Forest, Sept 20, 2014.

And here is one of their giant flies…

Fly (Actual size, would you believe?), Adak, Sept 20, 2014.

The winds have shifted to the south. Maybe a change of weather will bring a change of birds.

Still, it has been a great trip so far.

Warbler! Warbler!

Temp in the 50s, mostly sunny, moderate west wind, diminishing as the day went on.

Nothing of note in Sweeper Cove or creek. We headed up to Clam Lagoon. The marsh edge revealed four Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and the peninsula harbored seven Western Sandpipers.

The breaches had a flock of 20 Sanderlings which we also ran into later along the southern part of the seawall.

The Horned Grebe total climbed to eleven, with eight at the seawall and three at Candlestick Bridge. The waterfowl on Lake Shirley changes from day-to-day around a core flock of fifty-or-so Greater Scaup. Today’s guests were the Tufted Ducks and two Eurasian Wigeon.

While Lake Ronnie had the usual mallards, a shoveler, two pintail, a few mergansers, and a scaup.

Four Black Scoter at Candlestick Bridge were new for the trip.

We came back around and Frank walked part-way out the peninsula to see if the shorebird numbers had changed (increased!). The same seven westerns were resting there, so he came back and we decided to go to Haven Lake.

We first went down to what we call the “Boy Scout Cabins” on the access road to the southern end of the lake. There are some willows there that we keep expecting to host a vagrant passerine someday.

Frank walked over to the edge of the creek across from the willows, saw something flit and yelled “Warbler, warbler!” He knew it was an old-world warbler of some sort and ran back to the car to grab the camera. NOTE: He ALWAYS grabs the camera when he steps outside the car. Why not this time? Who knows…)

Thankfully, the bird did not disappear, but kept wandering throughout the stand of willows, occasionally fluttering up to catch a flying insect or two. Frank was able to get some photos and we both had nice looks at the bird. Barb tried playing the songs of various warblers and it responded to one of them. She thought it was the Arctic or Wood warbler call.

We returned to the car, pulled out the field guides, and after looking at the photos, the only thing that looked like our bird was Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix). The closest breeding grounds for this species are over 2500 miles away! And they winter in Africa!

According to Rare Birds of North America (2014) Howell and Russell, the only other records for this species in North America are Shemya, Oct 9, 1978 and Oct 8, 2010 and the Pribilofs, Oct 7, 2004. So this is the fourth North American record!

Wood Warbler, Adak, Sept 19, 2014.

Wood Warbler, Adak, Sept 19, 2014.

Wood Warbler, Adak, Sept 19, 2014.

Wood Warbler, Adak, Sept 19, 2014.

This is why we come here.