Birding the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
I’ve just returned from three weeks (June 13-July 2) in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge where I led two birding trips for Wilderness Birding Adventures. Below is a brief photo tour through some of the many highlights.
Fledgling Gray-headed Chickadee Poecile cincta, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 16 June 2010.
The large white cheek patch, gray crown and contrasting sooty mask help identify North America’s rarest chickadee. This year we found a family group that included four fledged young.
Smith’s Longspur Calcarius pictus, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 19 June 2010.
Butterscotch…a very nice color for a bird.
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 14 June 2010.
Normally a bird of higher elevation ridge tops and passes this male Northern Wheatear dropped into our camp along the river.
Male Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta, Plunge Creek, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 20 June 2010.
Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 23 June 2010.
Orange-crowned Warbler is one of several species who push the limits of their range. At the northern extent of their breeding range, we find them along the rivers in dense willows and cottonwood stands.
Olive-sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 15 June 2010.
This out of range Olive-sided Flycatcher was one of the most exciting bird sightings of the trip. A bird normally confined to the spruce forest of the south side of the Brooks Range this bird seemed right at home fly-catching in the tops of a dense willow thicket. In the Refuge, it is the first time that we’ve recorded this species on the north side of the Brooks Range. (We have found it once on our spring trip to Barrow).
Wolf Canis lupus, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 22 June 2010.
This dark wolf broke off his chase of a caribou to check us out as we landed our boats in our night’s camp. This is the third year in a row we’ve seen it in the exact same spot. It was one of at least ten different wolves we saw.
Wolf Canis lupus, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 26 June 2010.
The more common gray pelage.
Midnight sun on the coastal plane (actually 11:45 pm), Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
Eversmann’s Parnassian Parnassius eversmanni, Butterfly Hill, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
For the second summer I’ve paid attention to butterflies and for the second summer the Eversmann’s Parnassian stole the show. I’m not sure how I’ve gone so long without even noticing them before! We found four males and a female on the same low hill on the coastal plane that we found them last year. We’ve named this previously unnamed hill “Butterfly Hill.”
Hecla Sulphur Colias hecla, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 23 June 2010.
Freija Frittilary Boloria freija, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 24 June 2010.
Freija seemed to be the most common fritillary around this summer.
Young’s Alpine Erebia youngi, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 23 June 2010.
Western Tailed-Blue Everes amyntula, Salisbury Creek, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 23 June 2010.
Northern Blue Lycaeides idas, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 23 June 2010.
Mt. McKinley Alpine Erebia mackinleyensis, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
White-veined Arctic Oeneis taygete, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 19 June 2010.
Melissa Arctic Oeneis melissa, Butterfly Hill, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
Polixenes Arctic Oeneis polixenes, Butterfly Hill, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
I think I have the IDs correct on these three Arctics. Feedback from others with experience would be great. This is only the second time I’ve identified Melissa Arctic and the first for Polixenes.
Labrador Sulphur Colias nastes, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 14 June 2010.
Dingy Fritillary Boloria improba, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2010.
Common Ringlet Coenonympha tullia, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 25 June 2010.
Banded Alpine Erebia fasciata, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 14 June 2010.
A very common Alpine on the trip.
Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice, Arctic Village, 2 July 2010.
A final butterfly for the trip. I had the afternoon to spend in Arctic Village on the south side of the Brooks Range while waiting for our flight back to Fairbanks. Trying to get the perfect flight shot of this Clouded Sulphur kept me occupied for several hours.
There were a number of other butterflies that I photographed on the trip but have not yet identified. I’ll be posting some mystery butterflies soon.
