August 18, 2010, I took a 6:00 AM flight to Tucson. After arriving I drove around lost for an hour in 102 heat looking for the grocery store. In Target getting some propane I ran into a lawyer I know whose office is one floor below mine. Finally with everything I needed I headed south on I-19 to Madera Canyon. It was hot and muggy and a few drops fell but there were few birds, just a few Cassin's Kingbirds and Lesser Goldfinches. I hiked a couple of miles up the Old Baldy Trail but didn't feel that great after getting up at 3:45 AM. I set up a camp site in the canyon at Bog Springs Campground and then walked around Proctor Road for a bit until the sun got too low. Saw Blue Grosbeak with a worm in its mouth. The sunset was spectacular. Back at my campsite a racoon came and wouldn't leave but as night fell the Mexican Whip-poor-wills began to sing along with an Elf Owl, Whiskered Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, and Common Poorwill.
August 19, I woke up late and only left the canyon at 6:00 AM. It took me one hour to drive south to Ruby Road to Pena Blanca Lake. There was not a single person in any of the campgrounds. I saw a Thick-billed Kingbird at the lake. There were a lot of birds on the road including White-winged Dove, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Varied Bunting, more Cassin's Kingbirds but not the bird I was looking for, a Montezuma Quail. I drove to Sycamore Canyon and parked. The place was overrun with mosquitoes and I had no repellent. There were three guys taking down their tent. They looked like very inexperienced hikers. I hiked the canyon for about a mile or so before turning around. The water was very high and there were few birds. However, there was many butterflies including many Pipevine Swallowtails, Orange Sulphur, Southern Dogface, Sleepy Orange, Dainty Sulphur, Painted Crescent, Gulf Fritillaries, and Two-tailed Swallowtail. While driving back on Ruby Road I saw a Zone-tailed Hawk circling overhead plus Hooded Oriole and Bronzed Cowbird. I drove around in a big circle because Highway 89 to Patagonia was closed. So I had to drive back north on I-19 to Madera Canyon and then across on the dirt road, Greaterville Road. I stopped along the way and saw dozens of American Snouts on an acacia tree. While looking at them many insects bit the back of my knees. There were Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows singing in the field. I drove past the tiny town of Sonoita south on Highway 82 to Roadside Rest, a famous birding spot. There was a Thick-billed Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Gila Woodpecker. From there I drove back north to Las Cienegas Conservation Area where there were lots of Cassin's and Botteri's Sparrows, Eastern Meadowlark, and Lucy's Warbler. There were rolling hills of grasslands to explore but I didn't like that it was a working ranch full of cows, which I dislike intensely. So I decided to drive to the Chiracahuas. It was a long drive with too much time to think. I saw some Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures along the way. My intent was to camp at Pinery Campground. But as I crested the canyon at 7000 feet and arrived there a man was already set up with his chair and such so I continued up the canyon. I stopped long enough to bathe and then continued all the way to Rustler Park. I set up the tent, put my food in the bear box, and was very content with my book until I read in Birding Southeast Arizona that marauding bears were a serious problem at Rustler Park. I was the only person there ! Forget that. I took down my tent, threw it in the car, and continued to Cave Creek where I found a lovely site at Sunnyside Flat CG where only one other person was camping. I could hear a faint Whiskered Screech-Owl calling during the night . It was hard to hear because the creek was so full of rushing water.
August 20, I woke up early; it was a cool 62 degrees. A Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher was in the campground. The sun was just coming up and illuminating the red canyon walls; it was very beautiful. I drove to the Cave Creek trailhead intending to take this famous Arizona hike but the creek was so high I had a hard time finding a safe place to cross. I finally found a somewhat low point and almost made it across when my right foot went in. I made it across and tried to re-find the trail. While crossing over a log my foot went through some rotten areas and it tore the flesh away from my left leg. It bled and was painful. There were zero birds. So I gave up and went back to the car. I next went to the Southwest Research Station. There were a couple of Say's Phoebes and one lone Blue-throated Hummingbird and that was about it so I left there. Next I went into the tiny town of Portal. Some man was mowing his lawn on Main Street and there were no birds there either. I intended to get gas and head back over Pinery Canyon to Chiracahua National Monument to hike around but there is no gas station in Portal. I had only half a tank so I proceeded slowly up Pinery Pass conserving as much as possible. I drove right past George Walker House and the Paradise Cemetery where Ken later told me Montezuma Quails can be found. Urgh. Melody Kehl, bird guide, who was too busy to help me find a Montezuma Quail, drove right past me when I was down to 1/4 tank and not even to Pinery Summit. I could have gone up to Barfoot Park for the Short-tailed Hawk but couldn't chance wasting precious gas so I drove slowly to the summit and then coasted all the way to the National Monument. Near the entrance I found a Common Poorwill in the road. Someone had run over the poor thing's head and crushed it. I couldn't even drive to the rock formations for which the park is famous for fear of running out of gas so I pulled into the picnic area instead, had lunch, and took a short walk to an old homestead called Faraway Cabin. It was very hot. I drove slowly to the tiny town of Sunizona where I finally found a gas station and filled up. Then I drove the back roads to Tombstone, Arizona where I stopped briefly to film downtown and the courthouse. I was too embarrassed to be filming such a hokey thing and soon left. I found Charleston Road with my iphone's help and drove a dirt road all the way from Tombstone to the Charleston Bridge. I got out and walked along the San Pedro River. There were many birds, Blue Grosbeaks, Summer Tanagers, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Northern Beardless Tyranulet. I couldn't walk very far because the river was so high so I left and drove from there to Ramsey Canyon, one of the most famous birding locations in the US. On the road to the canyon a Roadrunner ran across the road. You can sometimes find up to 14 species of hummingbirds in Ramsey Canyon during migration. On the day of my visit I saw just two or three Black-chinned Hummingbirds, one brief look at a Violet-crowned Hummingbird, and one brief look at a Magnificent Hummingbird. I drove to the next canyon over, Miller Canyon and pulled up to Beatty's Guest Ranch. I was looking around for the upper hummingbird watching station and Tom, Jr. came out. He was so hostile. He said I had to pass through the gate but that I had to pay $5. He stood over me making sure I put the $5 in the basket before entering through the gate. Then the obnoxious guy followed me up to the viewing station with his obnoxious dogs and breathed down my neck for 20 minutes. I had to stay despite the harrassment though because he had hundreds of hummers. Within five minutes a Berryline Hummingbird, a rare vagrant from Central America flew within five feet of me. I got my camera on it but when I got home found the footage blurry. I was so disappointned. There was also one White-eared Hummingbird, many Anna's Hummingbirds, Black-chinned, Rufous, Broad-billed, and Broad-tailed. At 6:00 PM I had to go. I drove all the way around to Sonoita and then from there to Parker Canyon Lake to the Lakeview Campground. During the drive a Common Nighthawk nearly flew into the car. There was only one space left at the CG right across from some man who was pouring lighter fluid on his fire to make it bigger. Someone was playing very loud music. I was concerned but it was too late to drive anywhere else. Also according to my bird finding guide Montezuma Quails can be found here around the lake. I stayed at campsite #2. There were tall weeds growing right next to the picnic table. Around midnight some rednecks arrived in a truck. Actually everyone there was in a truck. They rolled down their windows and began to blare music at about 25 decibels for nearly an hour while they put up their tents. I thought it would never end. I am a very light sleeper but there is no way anybody could sleep through that. Finally they finished and turned off the music when the people in campsite 3 let their stupid ass dog scamper over to my campsite and begin to sniff around my tent. I had just fallen back asleep but had to keep yelling at the dog to get away. What assholes would let their dog loose in a campground late at night? I really don't like Arizona. Why do all the most wretched states have all the good birds? I was furious. The only redeeming thing about that noisy campground was it only cost me $5.00 and during the night I heard a Great horned Owl and Common Poorwill.
August 21 at 5:30 AM the people who poured lighter fluid on their fire got up to go fishing in the lake; they turned on their truck and left it idling loudly for about 30 minutes. I got up dejected. I just wasn't up to walking the five mile trail around the lake with all those rednecks there so I left. On the way out of Parker Canyon I saw a Band-tailed Pigeon and a Cooper's Hawk. I drove the back roads all the way from Canelo Hills to Patagonia but saw zero Montezuma Quails. This was prime quail habitat too. I stopped at Canelo Hills pass at 4500 feet before dropping down into the grasslands and past Vaca Ranch. I stopped again in San Rafael Valley where I heard Grasshopper Sparrows and Eastern Meadowlarks. I went through Hershaw Canyon one of the top quail habitats but no quails. So I returned to Patagonia and went to Patagonia Sonoita Creek Preserve. There was a sign at the sign-in kiosk announcing, "we have chiggers." The guided walk at 9:00 AM was about to start. Two guys were there and one leader. The leader took my $3.00 and asked me if I wanted to join the walk. I said no. So he said "we have chiggers; do you know what those are?" I said yes I already had a couple I must have gotten at Sycamore Canyon. He gave me some insect repellent which I sprayed on my bare legs and headed out. There were more birds than I had seen the whole trip and dozens of species of butterflies I had never seen before. But I could see that the chiggers were going to be a problem as the grass was very high in places. Yellow-breasted Chats were singing all over and Phainopeplas were in droves. I also saw Summer Tanager, Gila Woodpecker, Yellow Warbler, MacGillivray's Warbler, Western Wood peewee, Lazuli Bunting, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak and heard a couple of Yellow-billed Cuckoos. The butterflies I was able to identify were Arizona Skipper, Golden-headed Scallopwing, and Tiny Checkerspot. I left around 11:00 AM and went back to Roadside Rest to put away my tent and pack some of my stuff. The Thick-billed Kingbird was acting like it was tired of being looked at but I got some nice video of the Gila Woodpecker. I looked at my iphone and saw an email from the listserv for Arizona. There was a report of two Black-capped Gnatcatchers at Montosa Canyon. Where in the hell was Montosa Canyon? It was not in my bird finding book or anywhere else. I drove to the tiny town of Patagonia where internet service is pretty good and downloaded the Tucson Audubon Society's web page and found directions to it there. I could either drive south to Nogales on 82 or take Greaterville Road across Madera Canyon to I-19. I decided on Greaterville Road. While driving a little bit too fast on that dirt road I crossed a streambed and bottomed out. I heard a loud clank and hoped I had not punctured the oil pan but continued to drive on to I-19 and then south to Elephant Head Road and then toward the National Geographic Observatory to a concrete lined wash that marked the spot. I walked up and down the canyon. I saw dozens of Phainopeplas, Summer Tanager, Varied Bunting, Canyon Wrens calling, one large brown bird with white spots on its tail that I flushed, and one lone Painted Redstart but no gnatcatchers at all. I was willing to spend the rest of the afternoon if necessary but dark clouds were moving closer and closer and it was incredibly muggy. Soon drops began to fall and worse lightning began to pop too close for comfort. I got in my car and watched it cover up the observatory high on a hill of the Santa Rita Mountains. I was willing to sit it out but realized I was in a flood area so I drove to higher ground. I saw a picnic area and pulled in to wait out the storm. I had the door open waiting and watching the ligthning and the clouds moving toward Madera Canyon. The border patrol drove past on the dirt road that leads up to the observatory and then made a u-turn and pulled up beside me. The passenger took one look at me and realized it was a waste of time. They both looked like teenagers. The driver said "how's it going?" I said, "great. how are you?" But he wouldn't answer like it was his first day on the job and he didn't know what to say or do. He finally said, "what are you doing? Waiting to pick somebody up?" I said I'm waiting for the storm to pass, what are you doing?" He said, "I'm patrolling!" I said well good luck! What a dumb job. Finally the storm passed and I drove back to Montosa Canyon. I walked up and down some more and finally after 30 more minutes two Black-capped Gnatcatchers flew into an acacia tree very nearby. I got a very good look which is good because they were both females or immature-- hard to differentiate from Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. They called which was helpful. I got zero video because it was still raining and I had no cover for my camera! Shoot. Best bird of the trip and no video. All in all it took two hours to get that bird but it was worth it because my trip was essentially over. It was dark quickly due to the rain and clouds. I stopped briefly in Madera just to have a picnic dinner before heading back to Tucson to my hotel. I checked in, took off my socks, and examined my feet. They were covered in chigger bites, hundreds of them. I also had them all over my waist line, buttocks, arm pits, abductors, ankles, and behind my knees. I showered but it was too late. I drank a lot and went to bed. I am still itching as I write this.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Anchorage, Barrow, & Kenai Fjords, AK:
June 12-20, 2010
On June 12, 2010, I flew into Anchorage and spent the day looking around there first visiting Kincaid Park. It was windy with more people than birds. I saw only Savannah Sparrow, Common Redpoll, Orange-crowned Warbler, and American Robin. Next I went to Hillside Park but it was devoid of birds entirely. Then I tried Potter Marsh where I saw a Tundra Swan very close to the road, a Muskrat in the marsh and a Moose near the parking lot. There were also Lesser Yellowlegs, Lincoln's Sparro, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, American Wigeon, Arctic Tern, Mew Gull, and Glaucous-winged Gull. My last stop was West Chester Lagoon where there were nesting Red-necked Grebes, Alder Flycatcher, and Hudsonian Godwit.
June 13 my sister and I hiked up Wolverine Peak in Chugach State Park. It was a glorious day for Anchorage reaching 70 degrees and hordes of people were out on the trail with their dogs. It was awful and I will never go back. We didn't see very many species of birds though there were many of each species including Alder Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Bald Eagle. We also saw two Moose.
After our hike we went back to Hillside Park as I was very interested in finding a White-winged Crossbill but we only saw Golden-crowned Kinglet and Gray Jay. We then returned to West Chester Lagoon and there were several Hudsonian Godwits, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, and Long-billed Dowitcher. There was plenty of light left but we returned to our hotel since we had an early flight the next day.
June 14 we met our group from Wilderness Birding Adventures at the Anchorage Airport and flew from there to the northernmost city in North America, Barrow, AK at 71 degrees lattitude. After landing we checked into the King Eider Inn and then put on all the clothes we owned and headed out in a van to look for birds. The wind was blowing viciously and keeping the temperatures in the low 30s the entire visit. The town itself was hideous, depressing and trash filled and filthy. Barrow is owned by the Inupiat Indians and every visitor must pay the tribe $50 just to land there. The Eskimoes own the gas wells there which supply the entire town with gas heat. Despite the ramshakle surroundings the town has excellent internet service. Other than that I can't recommend it unless you enjoy visiting a trash dump because that's what it is. Once we got out of town things improved when we got out on the open tundra which despite its barrenness in mid-June when the rest of North America was bursting with spring blooms, was full of the many birds that nest in the tundra. There were many sightings of Northern Pintail, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspurs. Long-tailed Ducks were everywhere along with numerous Semi-palmated Sandpipers and a few Baird's Sandpipers. We saw a lot of Red Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes and several Snowy Owls. We also came across a few American Golden Plovers looking very dapper in their breeding plumage. Every day we saw dozens of Pectoral Sandpipers many of them males in display flight with their chests bursting forward. Toward dinner time we finally saw what I made such a long trek to see, the endangered and rare, Steller's Eider. I was so excited to see it I nearly cried either from the incessant wind or from the knowledge that this bird may go extinct in my life time. The owner of WBA, Bob, had joined us and asked our driver and bird guide, Dave to pull over and there in a melt pond about as far away from the van as possible was my other target bird, the Spectacled Eider. Dave's scope, a 62 mm Swarovski was small and inferior to Bob's 77 mm Leica. Bob showed me the Spectacled Eider through his scope and I was very happy to see it. I remember the first time years ago I was thumbing through National Geographic's Field Guide to North American Birds and saw a picture of the Spectacled Eider. Oh I wanted to see one but in reviewing the range map determined it would be impossible and I would never see one. Their range is confined to the tundra of far northern Alaska which seemed remote and out of the question at the time. In my mind's eye though as my trip to Barrow approached and the dream became more of a possibility I imagined seeing it as I had seen it in NGFG-- up close and detailed, not this little spec in the spotting scope. On the other hand at least I was able to see it. The most exciting bird for Dave and Bob was an extremely lost Yellow-rumped Warlber of the subspecies, Audubon, a first for Barrow. After a while we stopped and drove into town for dinner which was bizzare. All food in Barrow besides the whales the Inupiat's slaughter is shipped in. We ate at a "Mexican" Restaurant where one guest, John from Florida, ordered a milkshake. I ordered something that was merely a tortilla with a can of refried beans dumped into it and some iceberg lettuce.
After dinner we went back out for a while looking for more birds and I spotted another Steller's Eider, this one much closer and I was even more content.
June 15 we had breakfast in Dave and Bob's room and then met Nathaniel a local Inupiat who for $85 a person drove us out to the northernmost point in North American, Point Barrow to look for polar bears. As we drove out along the beach Nathaniel explained that the Inupiats still enjoyed hunting and shot eiders. He claimed they shot all three species found there but I hope he is wrong and they are not shooting the endangered Steller's Eider which would be a sin in my opinion. The Inupiat are allowed to legally kill whales for subsistence. Nathaniel said that this spring they had killed 14 whales. He drove us to the place on the point where the Indians dump the whale carcasses to look for the bears. We saw fresh polar bear tracks near the carcasses but no bears. The carcasses were only partially decomposed but you couldn't smell anything due to the intense wind. Nathaniel was nice enough but I found the whole concept of living in Barrow off of slaughtered whales insane and offensive. It seemed to me the Indians were clinging to a past way of life that can no longer be sustained. They all had snow mobiles and cars (where were they driving to?) and piped in gas heat from their gas wells and a pricey fully stocked grocery store. (Peaches were $5.49 a pound!) And the way they discarded their broken down cars and snow mobiles and other trash in heaps in their "yards" was grotesque and appalling. At the point we stopped to take photos, touch the Arctic Ocean which was still very frozen, and while there a Sabine's Gull flew by. We had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce this bird named after Irish Scientist, Sir Edward Sabine. After our trip to Point Barrow we had lunch at the grocery store and then headed back out in our own van to look some more. We found more Snowy Owls and a Long-tailed Jaeger and a King Eider that was preening just feet from the van in a large melt pond. King Eider's have gorgeous powder blue heads and orange bills and it was fantastic to get so close and see all the beautiful colors. After a while it finally swam away and we continued on. We came upon a thrush beside the road that turned out to be a female Varied Thrush, another bird far off course. We had dinner at a nasty restaurant that allegedly was serving Japanese food. I ordered the bento box and it was terrible.
On the last day we drove around until lunch time when we had to catch our flight back to Anchorage. We saw more Snowy Owls, one lonely Brandt, and two out of place Rock Ptarmigans, a male and female. We drove toward the dump and found a Ruff in breeding plumage and we spent a long time at a melt pond that held a nesting Spectacled Eider that let me get very close video, a beautiful breeding American Golden Plover, and a Parasitic Jaeger, all tundra nesters. We didn't get back to Anchorage until very late and even though it was as bright as midday we went to bed.
June 17 we drove first to Connor's Lake in Anchorage where we walked around the lake. We came across a moose with a calf and then an Arctic Tern attacked me because I guess I was too close to her nest. She dive bombed my head and in raising my tripod to protect my head my already fragile viewfinder on my camera became even looser. Toward the back of the lake we got as close as possible to a nesting Pacific Loon. Then we drove the scenic and beautiful Seward highway all the way from Anchorage to Seward 126 miles south. First we drove down Crow Pass Road just outside of Anchorage to the end and hiked the incredibly beautiful Crow Pass Trail. I did not have enough clothes on and nearly died of hypothermia at the pass so I could not thoroughly look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan. But the scenery along the way was outstanding and we were able to walk right up to Raven Glacier at the pass. The pass was so windy we didn't tarry long and returned back the way we came back to the car. Next we stopped at beautiful Tern Lake along the Seward Highway where there was a nesting Common Loon and many terns. Upon arrival at the fishing town of Seward we checked into the very overpriced Marina Hotel and went to bed.
June 18, it was raining and continued to rain all day putting a damper on our planned boat ride to Kenai Fjords National Park. During the trip my viewfinder fell completely off and I was reduced to filming solely through the LCD which was very challenging with so many tourists and with the rain and mist. We travelled on a large boat with two decks both covered with a full restaurant and bar. The boat left from the harbor where a Bald Eagle was perched on a pole nearby and into Resurrection Bay bounded on both sides by gorgeous sitka spruce forested mountains and into the Harding Gateway. There were lots of birds in the water, mostly Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres but an occasional Rhinoceros Auklet and a very accommodating Sea Otter. Not long into our trip we came across a large pod of Orcas which excited our fellow travellers greatly. The boat spent a long time with the Orcas one of which breached in a dramatic fashion. But we had lots more things to see so we eventually moved on. As we sped along we passed one Red-faced Cormorant, one Parakeet Auklet and one Leach's Storm-Petrel. We also found one Humpback Whale. We stopped at the Chiswell Islands to see nesting Stellers Sea Lions many of which are larger than a black bear, a moose, and a carribou combined. There were hordes of Tufted and Horned Puffins nesting on the rocks and in the water near the boat. Next we left the island and approached the Holgate Glacier. The boat turned sideways to give everyone a good view and soon sure enough the glacier calved (part of it broke off and slid into the sea) before our very eyes. Afterwards we were treated to a delicious all you can eat buffet of wild Alaska King Salmon. I went back for seconds, yum. And all you can eat dessert too. After admiring the glacier the boat turned around and headed back but I still had not seen what I came to see. I stood under the eaves of the upper deck scanning and scanning and wiping my binoculars from rain and spray until finally I saw two tiny Kittzlitz's Murrelets one on the water and one flying past the boat. The ranger had no clue; she was too busy reading her script and of course nobody on the boat cared enough for the boat to stop but I had seen my third life bird of the trip. It never stopped raining but after our boat trip we drove out to Exit Glacier and despite the lateness of the hour there were many people hiking with us on the short trail to the glacier. Markers along the road and the trail mark the glaciers incredible retreat from when it was first discovered in 1900. The only birds were a few Hermit Thrushes, Varied thrush, and Orange-crowned Warbler.
June 19 was our last day. We left Seward and started our drive back to Anchorage. We stopped at Tern Lake and took a short walk. A Bald Eagle was very close on a tree vocalizing. There was also a Northern Waterthrush, Townsend's Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Adler flycatcher, and some Tree Swallows. On the way to Anchorage we stopped at Chugach National Forest and drove the road to Palmer Creek. It was very snowy and eventually we had to stop. We got out and just started hiking up a very steep slope looking for White-tailed Ptarmigans. It took two hours of struggling up the steep hillside past thick willows and snow patches and finally up moss covered strands til we finally got above tree line. The wind was howling and the summit was wind swept and barren but beautiful. However, it was devoid of birds except a lonely Spotted Sandpiper that flew over. It took only 30 minutes to get down as we slid most of the way over a snow field on our butts. We stopped at Crow Pass Road one last time looking for that doggone White-winged Crossbill with no luck then returned to Anchorage. My flight stopped in Minneapolis where I had a three hour layover. So I rented a car and drove to a nearby park. It was 80 degrees and the sun was out--a great respite from the foul weather of Alaska.
The weather is atrocious in Alaska but if you can tolerate it the rewards are great.
June 13 my sister and I hiked up Wolverine Peak in Chugach State Park. It was a glorious day for Anchorage reaching 70 degrees and hordes of people were out on the trail with their dogs. It was awful and I will never go back. We didn't see very many species of birds though there were many of each species including Alder Flycatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow, Wilson's Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Hermit Thrush, and Bald Eagle. We also saw two Moose.
After our hike we went back to Hillside Park as I was very interested in finding a White-winged Crossbill but we only saw Golden-crowned Kinglet and Gray Jay. We then returned to West Chester Lagoon and there were several Hudsonian Godwits, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte's Gull, and Long-billed Dowitcher. There was plenty of light left but we returned to our hotel since we had an early flight the next day.
June 14 we met our group from Wilderness Birding Adventures at the Anchorage Airport and flew from there to the northernmost city in North America, Barrow, AK at 71 degrees lattitude. After landing we checked into the King Eider Inn and then put on all the clothes we owned and headed out in a van to look for birds. The wind was blowing viciously and keeping the temperatures in the low 30s the entire visit. The town itself was hideous, depressing and trash filled and filthy. Barrow is owned by the Inupiat Indians and every visitor must pay the tribe $50 just to land there. The Eskimoes own the gas wells there which supply the entire town with gas heat. Despite the ramshakle surroundings the town has excellent internet service. Other than that I can't recommend it unless you enjoy visiting a trash dump because that's what it is. Once we got out of town things improved when we got out on the open tundra which despite its barrenness in mid-June when the rest of North America was bursting with spring blooms, was full of the many birds that nest in the tundra. There were many sightings of Northern Pintail, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspurs. Long-tailed Ducks were everywhere along with numerous Semi-palmated Sandpipers and a few Baird's Sandpipers. We saw a lot of Red Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes and several Snowy Owls. We also came across a few American Golden Plovers looking very dapper in their breeding plumage. Every day we saw dozens of Pectoral Sandpipers many of them males in display flight with their chests bursting forward. Toward dinner time we finally saw what I made such a long trek to see, the endangered and rare, Steller's Eider. I was so excited to see it I nearly cried either from the incessant wind or from the knowledge that this bird may go extinct in my life time. The owner of WBA, Bob, had joined us and asked our driver and bird guide, Dave to pull over and there in a melt pond about as far away from the van as possible was my other target bird, the Spectacled Eider. Dave's scope, a 62 mm Swarovski was small and inferior to Bob's 77 mm Leica. Bob showed me the Spectacled Eider through his scope and I was very happy to see it. I remember the first time years ago I was thumbing through National Geographic's Field Guide to North American Birds and saw a picture of the Spectacled Eider. Oh I wanted to see one but in reviewing the range map determined it would be impossible and I would never see one. Their range is confined to the tundra of far northern Alaska which seemed remote and out of the question at the time. In my mind's eye though as my trip to Barrow approached and the dream became more of a possibility I imagined seeing it as I had seen it in NGFG-- up close and detailed, not this little spec in the spotting scope. On the other hand at least I was able to see it. The most exciting bird for Dave and Bob was an extremely lost Yellow-rumped Warlber of the subspecies, Audubon, a first for Barrow. After a while we stopped and drove into town for dinner which was bizzare. All food in Barrow besides the whales the Inupiat's slaughter is shipped in. We ate at a "Mexican" Restaurant where one guest, John from Florida, ordered a milkshake. I ordered something that was merely a tortilla with a can of refried beans dumped into it and some iceberg lettuce.
After dinner we went back out for a while looking for more birds and I spotted another Steller's Eider, this one much closer and I was even more content.
June 15 we had breakfast in Dave and Bob's room and then met Nathaniel a local Inupiat who for $85 a person drove us out to the northernmost point in North American, Point Barrow to look for polar bears. As we drove out along the beach Nathaniel explained that the Inupiats still enjoyed hunting and shot eiders. He claimed they shot all three species found there but I hope he is wrong and they are not shooting the endangered Steller's Eider which would be a sin in my opinion. The Inupiat are allowed to legally kill whales for subsistence. Nathaniel said that this spring they had killed 14 whales. He drove us to the place on the point where the Indians dump the whale carcasses to look for the bears. We saw fresh polar bear tracks near the carcasses but no bears. The carcasses were only partially decomposed but you couldn't smell anything due to the intense wind. Nathaniel was nice enough but I found the whole concept of living in Barrow off of slaughtered whales insane and offensive. It seemed to me the Indians were clinging to a past way of life that can no longer be sustained. They all had snow mobiles and cars (where were they driving to?) and piped in gas heat from their gas wells and a pricey fully stocked grocery store. (Peaches were $5.49 a pound!) And the way they discarded their broken down cars and snow mobiles and other trash in heaps in their "yards" was grotesque and appalling. At the point we stopped to take photos, touch the Arctic Ocean which was still very frozen, and while there a Sabine's Gull flew by. We had a lengthy discussion about how to pronounce this bird named after Irish Scientist, Sir Edward Sabine. After our trip to Point Barrow we had lunch at the grocery store and then headed back out in our own van to look some more. We found more Snowy Owls and a Long-tailed Jaeger and a King Eider that was preening just feet from the van in a large melt pond. King Eider's have gorgeous powder blue heads and orange bills and it was fantastic to get so close and see all the beautiful colors. After a while it finally swam away and we continued on. We came upon a thrush beside the road that turned out to be a female Varied Thrush, another bird far off course. We had dinner at a nasty restaurant that allegedly was serving Japanese food. I ordered the bento box and it was terrible.
On the last day we drove around until lunch time when we had to catch our flight back to Anchorage. We saw more Snowy Owls, one lonely Brandt, and two out of place Rock Ptarmigans, a male and female. We drove toward the dump and found a Ruff in breeding plumage and we spent a long time at a melt pond that held a nesting Spectacled Eider that let me get very close video, a beautiful breeding American Golden Plover, and a Parasitic Jaeger, all tundra nesters. We didn't get back to Anchorage until very late and even though it was as bright as midday we went to bed.
June 17 we drove first to Connor's Lake in Anchorage where we walked around the lake. We came across a moose with a calf and then an Arctic Tern attacked me because I guess I was too close to her nest. She dive bombed my head and in raising my tripod to protect my head my already fragile viewfinder on my camera became even looser. Toward the back of the lake we got as close as possible to a nesting Pacific Loon. Then we drove the scenic and beautiful Seward highway all the way from Anchorage to Seward 126 miles south. First we drove down Crow Pass Road just outside of Anchorage to the end and hiked the incredibly beautiful Crow Pass Trail. I did not have enough clothes on and nearly died of hypothermia at the pass so I could not thoroughly look for the White-tailed Ptarmigan. But the scenery along the way was outstanding and we were able to walk right up to Raven Glacier at the pass. The pass was so windy we didn't tarry long and returned back the way we came back to the car. Next we stopped at beautiful Tern Lake along the Seward Highway where there was a nesting Common Loon and many terns. Upon arrival at the fishing town of Seward we checked into the very overpriced Marina Hotel and went to bed.
June 18, it was raining and continued to rain all day putting a damper on our planned boat ride to Kenai Fjords National Park. During the trip my viewfinder fell completely off and I was reduced to filming solely through the LCD which was very challenging with so many tourists and with the rain and mist. We travelled on a large boat with two decks both covered with a full restaurant and bar. The boat left from the harbor where a Bald Eagle was perched on a pole nearby and into Resurrection Bay bounded on both sides by gorgeous sitka spruce forested mountains and into the Harding Gateway. There were lots of birds in the water, mostly Common Murres and Thick-billed Murres but an occasional Rhinoceros Auklet and a very accommodating Sea Otter. Not long into our trip we came across a large pod of Orcas which excited our fellow travellers greatly. The boat spent a long time with the Orcas one of which breached in a dramatic fashion. But we had lots more things to see so we eventually moved on. As we sped along we passed one Red-faced Cormorant, one Parakeet Auklet and one Leach's Storm-Petrel. We also found one Humpback Whale. We stopped at the Chiswell Islands to see nesting Stellers Sea Lions many of which are larger than a black bear, a moose, and a carribou combined. There were hordes of Tufted and Horned Puffins nesting on the rocks and in the water near the boat. Next we left the island and approached the Holgate Glacier. The boat turned sideways to give everyone a good view and soon sure enough the glacier calved (part of it broke off and slid into the sea) before our very eyes. Afterwards we were treated to a delicious all you can eat buffet of wild Alaska King Salmon. I went back for seconds, yum. And all you can eat dessert too. After admiring the glacier the boat turned around and headed back but I still had not seen what I came to see. I stood under the eaves of the upper deck scanning and scanning and wiping my binoculars from rain and spray until finally I saw two tiny Kittzlitz's Murrelets one on the water and one flying past the boat. The ranger had no clue; she was too busy reading her script and of course nobody on the boat cared enough for the boat to stop but I had seen my third life bird of the trip. It never stopped raining but after our boat trip we drove out to Exit Glacier and despite the lateness of the hour there were many people hiking with us on the short trail to the glacier. Markers along the road and the trail mark the glaciers incredible retreat from when it was first discovered in 1900. The only birds were a few Hermit Thrushes, Varied thrush, and Orange-crowned Warbler.
June 19 was our last day. We left Seward and started our drive back to Anchorage. We stopped at Tern Lake and took a short walk. A Bald Eagle was very close on a tree vocalizing. There was also a Northern Waterthrush, Townsend's Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Adler flycatcher, and some Tree Swallows. On the way to Anchorage we stopped at Chugach National Forest and drove the road to Palmer Creek. It was very snowy and eventually we had to stop. We got out and just started hiking up a very steep slope looking for White-tailed Ptarmigans. It took two hours of struggling up the steep hillside past thick willows and snow patches and finally up moss covered strands til we finally got above tree line. The wind was howling and the summit was wind swept and barren but beautiful. However, it was devoid of birds except a lonely Spotted Sandpiper that flew over. It took only 30 minutes to get down as we slid most of the way over a snow field on our butts. We stopped at Crow Pass Road one last time looking for that doggone White-winged Crossbill with no luck then returned to Anchorage. My flight stopped in Minneapolis where I had a three hour layover. So I rented a car and drove to a nearby park. It was 80 degrees and the sun was out--a great respite from the foul weather of Alaska.
The weather is atrocious in Alaska but if you can tolerate it the rewards are great.
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