Birding Alaska

From October 6-8th I was in Barrow leading a trip for Wilderness Birding Adventures. While bird diversity in Barrow at this time of year is low, we were interested in quality, not quantity, and hoped to be there to witness the Ross’s Gull migration. Going to Barrow in early October is without a doubt the best way to find this high arctic breeder. The quality of birding was indeed high on this trip and we also tallied a surprising trip list of 26 species! Below are a few photo highlights. Click on any photo to enlarge.

Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea, (with Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus in the last shot) Barrow, 6 October 2011.

Although this was a trip to find Ross’s Gulls, this Ivory Gull on the first day of the trip stole the show and gets top billing on this page. It spent much of the morning on the beach in front of us feeding in the froth. We found it again the next day at the end of Point Barrow feeding with a flock of Ross’s Gulls and three Sabine’s Gulls.

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I just returned from 12 days of birding in the village of Gambell on St. Lawrence Island with Wilderness Birding Adventures. Our fall tour was conducted from September 1st through the 7th, after which a few of us stayed on longer to see what else the island might produce.  As it turned out the bulk of the excitement occurred during our first three days on the island.  Without question the highlight of the trip was the discovery of both Pallas’s and Yellow-breasted Buntings on September 2nd.  There are about 5 previous North American records for each species, all from Alaska.  Late on September 5th the winds switched to north and remained there more or less for the rest of our stay making the birding a bit slow.  The first few days of rarities, however, more than made up for the slow ending to the trip.

Juvenile Pallas’s Bunting Emberiza pallasi, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.  More photos here.

Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 2 September 2009.  More photos here.

Fresh out of the bath, the bird appears a bit bedraggled.  In over seven hours of attempting to get good looks of these two skulking buntings, this was the only time that I saw the Yellow-breasted Bunting on the ground and completely in the open.  With a bit of diligence and fortitude everyone in the group eventually got great views of both buntings.

Black-headed Gull Croicocephalus ridibundus, Troutman Lake, Gambell, 5 September 2009.

Its larger and more robust build, thicker bill, darker legs, less extensive hood, and under-wing pattern separate adult Black-headed Gulls from the somewhat similar Bonaparte’s Gull.

Female-type Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 1 September 2009.

Common Rosefinches have a strongly curved culmen and an unmarked face, giving them a blank-faced and beady-eyed look.  Of the three other North American Carpodacus finches female Common Rosefinch is most similar to female House finch (which also have a curved culmen and plain face) but can be separated by voice, range and possibly by the slightly blurrier breast streaking of the House Finch.  However, there is very little information in print (none?) on separating House Finch and Common Rosefinch, and no region where they have ever overlapped in range.  While House Finch is extremely unlikely at Gambell, it has strayed to southeast and south coastal Alaska and is listed as casual on the state checklist.

This individual had especially warm plumage with the rump appearing warmer brown than the rest of the upperparts and the flight feathers showed warm, slightly greenish tones.  The only other Carpodacus recorded from St. Lawrence Island is Purple Finch for which there are three records. Click here for discussion on the identification of the other Carpodacus finches.

Female Brambling Fringilla montifringilla, Far Boneyard, Gambell, 3 September 2009.

This female Brambling spent a few sunny hours catching flying insects in the far boneyard. It was found in the afternoon and not seen in subsequent days.

Juvenile Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis, Gambell, 4 September 2009.

Getting a bit late for most shorebirds at this latitude, this Red-necked Stint tied the late date record for the island.

“Asian” Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica rustica, Gambell, 4 September 2009.

Two races of “Asian” Barn Swallow occur as vagrants to Alaska–rustica and gutturalis. This individual probably represents rustica because of the complete and thick blue breast band.  The North American subspecies eurythrogaster, which has an incomplete breast band and a reddish belly, regularly breeds no closer to St. Lawrence Island than Cordova in Prince William Sound, Alaska.  This bird arrived at Gambell on the 3rd and was seen at widely scattered locations around town.  It was not seen perched until the evening of the 4th when it cooperated for about 30 minutes before disappearing.

Juvenile Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes, Troutman Lake, Gambell, 3 September 2009.

Both species of Tattler are rare but regular fall migrants at Gambell.  The heavy spotting on the upperparts, especially the tertials and great coverts, and the pure white flanks identify this bird as a juvenile Gray-tailed Tattler. The wing coverts of Gray-tailed Tattler also show faint brownish-gray tones.  Juvenile Wandering Tattlers show more blueish-gray tones.  The distinctive two-note “too-weet” call is diagnostic for the species.  For more photos of juvenile Gray-tailed Tattlers and a side-by-side comparison with juvenile Wandering Tattler click here.

Juvenile Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius, Corner Marsh, Gambell, 7 September 2009.

Red Phalaropes are regular migrants past Gambell in the fall and we encountered several hundred each day we were there.  This bird is beginning to acquire its winter garb in the form of grayish scapular and mantle feathers.