Some people just can’t leave…

Overcast, but not raining in the early morning. Then increasing wind and rain throughout the day. South wind 35-40 mph.

We headed up to Contractor’s Camp Marsh to look for the Brambling. As we approached the marsh, we spotted a large flock of Cackling Geese circling and landing on the airport — joining another flock already there. We scoured them for other geese, but they were all Cackling. 105 of them.

Cackling Geese, Airport, May 21, 2015

The other two groups were over in the marsh looking at Pacific Golden-Plovers. As we neared the fenced-in compound where the Brambling had been seen, we spotted a Gyrfalcon sitting on the fence. We stayed back and called the other two groups and they got to see it and photograph it up close. It finally flew away when we tried to get closer, so my photo is not so hot.

Gyrfalcon, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 21, 2015

We didn’t see the Brambling. We cruised around the marsh looking for Wood Sandpipers, which we did not find. However, the Tundra Bean Goose was still in the field where it was yesterday. We saw some more Pacific Golden-Plovers.

Pacific Golden-Plover, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 21, 2015

We ran into the High Lonesome group and they reported seeing a flock of Redpolls.

At Clam Lagoon, we had the Black-headed Gull again. At Shotgun Lake, no Smew. If it had been there, it would have been the latest date that we had had one on Adak (not a record though — there is one June record).

Near the Blue Building feeder, we spotted another Gyrfalcon. This one was different from the other as it had a ragged tail.

Gyrfalcon, Clam Lagoon, May 21, 2015

At the Breaches, we had our first Ruddy Turnstone for the trip.

Ruddy Turnstone, the Breaches, May 21, 2015

On the east side of the lagoon, we found only 3 godwits. The Black-headed Gull had also come over to the east side. Back on the west side, we spotted both the Glaucous and Black-headed Gulls.

We headed back to town to see the Sitka birders and find out if the plane was on time. Not only was it not on time, it was cancelled. You see, Typhoon Dolphin was bearing down on us! So they are stuck here until Sunday. You just can’t get rid of some people…

The Sitka Birders, Vicky, Jen, and Kitty.

We went back out, checked Sweeper Creek and the Airport Ponds, but everything was hiding. We came around near Contractor’s Camp Marsh and spoted some ducks in one of the nearby ponds. One of them was different. It turned out to be a Ring-necked Duck! Our first for Adak and one of only a few records out here.

Ring-necked Duck, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 21, 2015

We went back and let everyone know about the duck, then went to dinner with Sitka.

A few days ago, Barb had the idea of throwing some seed out behind our unit in case a few birds might wander by. Well — after we got back from dinner, Frank looked out and saw the two Hawfinches feeding away!

Our trip list is now 63 — 2 over our average.

One week down and one to go.

Another fine day on Adak…

Temp in the 40s, partly cloudy, much sunshine, occasional drizzle, NW wind 10-15 mph.

We checked the feeders and looked for the Hawfinches. No luck.

At Sweeper Cove, an Ancient Murrelet was close enough to photograph.

Ancient Murrelet, Sweeper Cove, May 20, 2015

They are here in good numbers now.

We went to Finger Bay and Creek, but had nothing new there.

We met the High Lonesome group at Palisades Overlook and they reported having seen the Brambling this morning and a Short-eared Owl.

We ran into the Sitka crew near Clam Lagoon, and they reporting having seen the Brambling this morning and some Wood Sandpipers, and 18 Pacific Golden-Plovers. They also said they saw three geese (one of which was different) flying towards Shotgun Lake, but they could not relocate them.

We continued around Clam Lagoon to Shotgun Lake, where the Smew was still present. We then went towards Lake Andrew in case the geese made it over there. No luck.

But, on the way back towards Clam Lagoon, the Gyrfalcon graced us with his presence!

We found 9 godwits and the Dunlin on the east side of the lagoon.

Bar-tailed Godwit and Dunlin, Clam Lagoon, May 20, 2015

Bar-tailed Godwits, Clam Lagoon, May 20, 2015

When we got back around to the west side again, the godwits and Dunlin had moved back over there also. While scanning the flats, Barb picked out the Black-headed Gull again.

Frank walked out the peninsula to see what other shorebirds might be out there. Instead of shorebirds, however, he found a Glaucous Gull.

Glaucous Gull (left) with Glaucous-winged Gull, Clam Lagoon, May 20, 2015

We went back down to Contractor’s Camp Marsh to look for the Brambling. While we were there, the other groups arrived. As the High Lonesome group drove off, they spotted the Tundra Bean Goose just a short distance away! This time, he was much more cooperative. In the photos, you can see the definitive short, thick neck and bill shape and grin patch.

Tundra Bean Goose, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 20, 2015

Tundra Bean Goose, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 20, 2015

Tundra Bean Goose, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 20, 2015

Everyone was thrilled — except those that wanted a Taiga Bean Goose.

We did not see the Brambling.

We went back to town, had dinner and went over to the High Lonesome group’s house to share war stories, as this was their (and Sitka’s) last night on the island.

Afterwards, we went back out to check feeders, including the new Brambling one. No go, but we had a Wood Sandpiper up at the marsh.

On the way back to town, a flock of 37 Cackling Geese flew off the roads onto the airport.

Our trip list is now 61, which is the average number we get on our May trips, and we still have a week to go!

It’s a beautiful day on Adak…

Temp in the 40s, light NE wind getting stronger later in the day and switching to NW. Occasional light drizzle, partly sunny.

The morning dawned to sunshine, bathing Mount Moffet in morning glow.

Mount Moffet, May 19, 2015

As I was out photographing Mount Moffet, the High Lonesome group informed me that there were now TWO Hawfinches hanging around town. I saw one of them and, later in the day, Barb and I saw the pair together.

We checked the feeders and Sweeper Cove. Nothing new.

We headed up to the Airport Ponds and saw the two pair of Tufted Ducks.We got a call that there were three Arctic Loons off the Navfac Creek area. We raced over there, but by the time we got there they were too far out for photos. However, while looking through a flock of Black Scoters, I picked out a larger duck with an orange bill. It turned out to be a young male King Eider — a new bird for our Adak list!

Clam Lagoon still had 8 godwits and one Dunlin. Shotgun Lake still hosted one female Smew.

We came back down to Contractor’s Camp Marsh and found two of the Wood Sandpipers, who were much more cooperative today.

Wood Sandpiper, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 19, 2015

Wood Sandpiper, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 19, 2015

Wood Sandpiper, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 19, 2015

The High Lonesome group had a couple more nearby and Kitty was nearby and got to see them again. We continued through the marsh area and came upon a flock of a dozen Pacific Golden-Plovers.

Pacific Golden-Plover, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 19, 2015

Everyone saw those, too.

We headed back to town, got dinner and decided to go back out again — as it was so nice out.

By the time we got back up to the marsh, it had started to drizzle again and the wind was much stronger! The Sitka crew were there looking at the plovers and told us the Gyrfalcon had just passed through. Missed it again!

We left them and headed up the road, but just a short distance away, we saw a brightly-marked bird fly across the road. We slammed on the brakes, got out and quickly found it. A Brambling — a lifer for all of the other birders, except us and Forest (the leader of the High Lonesome group). We called the Sitka crew over and they got it. We called Forest and although they had just ordered dinner, they got the restaurant to hold it for them and headed out. They got it too! Yesterday, the Sitka crew had a bird, which they believed was a Brambling, fly across the road a short distance down the road from here. We all looked for it then, but came up empty. It was nice to confirm their sighting today.

Our trip list is at 59 and the first week isn’t even over, yet.

Oh, and one more new Adak bird…

Angry Bird, near Palisades Lake, May 19, 2015

It keeps getting better…

Temp in the 40s, rain, rain, rain, East wind 35-40 mph.

With the east winds, we decided ti check Kuluk Bay first thing in the morning to see what had been blown in overnight. The answer — nothing.

We checked feeders, then started driving up towards White Alice in case the hawk showed itself. Just as we turned back towards town, we got a call from the Sitka birders that they had a different-looking goose with some Cackling Geese on the end of the airport runway. We put the pedal-to-the-metal and raced to their location. On the way, they radioed again that they believed it to be a Bean Goose — either species of which would be a lifer for us.

We saw their truck by the side of the road and quickly spotted the small flock of geese. Sure enough, it was a Bean Goose. We weren’t sure whether Tundra or Taiga, but took photos and savored the moment. Our first impression was Taiga, but we new we would have to do some research back at the apartment before deciding which one it was.

Tundra Bean Goose (with Cackling Goose), Airport, May 18, 2015

Tundra Bean Goose, Airport, May 18, 2015

After looking at information and photos online and consulting with other birders, we settled on Tundra Bean Goose.

The High Lonesome group also arrived and got to see it.

We proceeded up to Contractor’s Camp Marsh and found a Reeve!

Reeve, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 18, 2015

Reeve, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 18, 2015

We called the other groups to let them know. We then went out to Lake Andrew. Nothing new there. As we were returning, we got a call from Sitka that they had found the Reeve and three other shorebirds. As we raced there, we got a call from High Lonesome that the other birds were Wood Sandpipers. We arrived at the marsh and quickly got to see them. There were now six Wood Sandpipers!

Wood Sandpipers, Contractor’s Camp Marsh, May 18, 2015

These were the first we had seen since 2011, and the most we had seen since our first trip in 2005. Both the Reeve and Wood Sandpipers were lifers for Sitka!

After catching our breath, we headed up to Clam Lagoon. There were still 8 godwits and one Dunlin.  At Shotgun Lake, one of the female Smews was in the little outlet pond actively feeding and much closer than previous sightings.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 18, 2015

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 18, 2015

We continued around Clam Lagoon. At the Seawall, we spotted Short-tailed Shearwaters far offshore. There was nothing new on Lake Shirley.

As we continued down the east shore of Clam Lagoon, there were hundreds of gulls sitting and flying around the flats. There were also dozens of Arctic and Aleutian Terns giving us great views. As I scanned the flocks of gulls, I found a Common Black-headed Gull.

Black-headed Gull, Clam Lagoon, May 18, 2015

In addition to all of this, the Sitka contingent reported a Gyrfalcon at the marsh!

Our trip list s now 55.

What a day!

Temp in the 40s, mostly cloudy, occasional sun, occasional rain, light to moderate west wind.

The nicest day — weather-wise — so far.

Nothing new at the feeders. There are still two pair of Tufted Ducks on the Airport Ponds.  Still 8 godwits at Clam Lagoon.

At Shotgun Lake, the male Smew was back along with one of the females.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 17, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 17, 2015.

We went out to the Loran Station, but visibility was not very good, so we didn’t add anything except the Tufted and Horned Puffins. On the way out, the Sitka Crew (who were driving behind us) saw a hawk come up from near the road and quickly disappear over a ridge. They think it was the Rough-legged Hawk again. We never saw it.

We found an Oldsquaw (so sue me!) at the Seawall. While we were up at Zeto Point, the Sitka Crew arrived at Lake Shirley and briefly saw the male and female Smews there, but they flew off before we arrived back there.

When we got back around to the south lookout of Clam Lagoon, we spotted two Dunlin (doubled our count!). Also, we spotted an American Green-winged Teal. Ninety-nine percent of the teal out here are Common Teal — the Eurasian race of Green-winged Teal, which Europeans count as a separate species.

We went down to Sweeper Creek and found the Sandhill Crane again. This time he cooperated and stayed for  photos.

Sandhill Crane, Sweeper Creek, May 17, 2015

Sandhill Crane, Sweeper Creek, May 17, 2015

A little farther down the creek, a pair of Eurasian Wigeon took off.

Eurasian Wigeon, Sweeper Creek, May 17, 2015

A tour group from High Lonesome Tours arrived today, so we will have more eyes.

Our trip list is 50.

How do you top two Smews?

Overcast, moderate southwest winds, on and off rain (more on than off…)

We started the day filling feeders and checking Sweeper Cove. We met up with the Sitka contingent at Sweeper Creek and headed up to check the Airport Ponds again. This time the Tufted Ducks cooperated as a male and female were seen well by all.

Haven Lake had no surprises. We stopped at Adak National Forest to fill the feeders and headed towards Clam Lagoon. There were 4 Bar-tailed Godwits and a Dunlin. Lots of Eurasian Wigeon, pintails, Greater Scaup, Mallards, Common Teal, etc.

The Haas Law of Adak says “You MUST stop at Shotgun Lake every time you get near it.” So we did. And, not only was the female Smew from yesterday still present, it had been joined by another female and an adult male!!!!! We had never seen a male Smew before, so this was tantamount to a lifer. The male Smew is an iconic black and white bird that most birders just dream about seeing. We drove around to the back side of the lake so I could sneak up to the edge of the lake behind a berm and get closer photos than can be had from the other side. Here are a few…

Smews, 1 male, 2 female, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, (female) ready for lift-off, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

Smew, ready for lift-off, Shotgun Lake, May 15, 2015.

That’s how you top two Smews…

We continued around Clam Lagoon, went up to check Lake Ronnie, and came back around. No new birds of note. We spotted this Black Oystercatcher “catching” clams.

Black Oystercatcher, having “caught” a clam, Clam Lagoon, May 15, 2015.

We headed back to town to get gas and pick up some stuff at the store.As we were driving back from the gas station we stopped to check some waterfowl in a nearby pond. As we were doing so, a Bar-tailed Godwit flew in and landed on the roadside.

Bar-tailed Godwit, near the airport, May 15, 2015.

We parted ways with the girls and checked out Sweeper Creek, where we found our first Semipalmated Plover for the trip and flushed a Sandhill Crane! Up at NavFac Creek, we spotted a Common Loon offshore.

Our trip count is 41.

What will tomorrow bring?

Nice way to start…

Our flights on Wednesday were uneventful. We got to Anchorage, got our shopping done and sacked out for a long needed sleep.

We birded around Anchorage this morning and added a few things to our Alaska lists.

First, on the road up to Arctic Valley, Barb spotted a flock of White-winged Crossbills — a new bird for our Alaska list.

White-winged Crossbills, Arctic Valley Road, Anchorage, May 14, 2015.

Shortly thereafter, we came upon a black Bear. A first for us in Alaska.

Black Bear, Arctic Valley Road, Anchorage, May 14, 2015.

And shortly after that, Barb spotted an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Another state bird for us! I did not get photos of the flycatcher, but it was nice to hear it call. (It is Barb’s phone ringtone…).

Farther up the slope a moose (one of three today) crossed the road in front of us.

Moose, Arctic Valley Road, Anchorage, May 14, 2015.

We went to Potters Marsh, where we saw the usual suspects, but I caught this chickadee in an interesting pose.

Black-capped Chickadee, Potters Marsh, Anchorage, May 14, 2015.

On to Adak.

There are no tour groups here this week, but three birders (Victoria, Kitty, and Jen?) from Sitka arrived with us for their first trip to Adak. We suggested they follow us around on our first foray to show them some of the spots. We headed for the Airport Ponds in hope of getting a Tufted Duck for them, but as we neared the ponds, a small bird with striking features flew across the road in front of us. Barb quickly got on it and called Hawfinch! A lifer for all three of the girls! The bird stayed on the side of the road and was very cooperative.

Hawfinch, near Airport Ponds, May 14, 2015.

Alas, no Tufted Duck.

We continued up towards Clam Lagoon. Just before where the road splits to go to the south side or west side of the lagoon, there is a small pond down to the left where we saw a duck fly in. We stopped to see what it was, but just as we did, it flew away. However, another duck flew in just as the other was departing. I looked at it and immediately identified it as a Smew! Another lifer for the Sitka crew!

Smew, near Clam Lagoon, May 14, 2015.

After getting our fill of that bird, we continued around Clam Lagoon. There were three Bar-tailed Godwits on the flats and the usual assortment of waterfowl. We decided to check Shotgun Lake, and — low and behold — there was another Smew.

We drove as far as Lake Shirley, turned around and headed back to town to finish unpacking and get ready for tomorrow.

Not too bad…