tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64853873768211542024-03-13T21:27:52.978-04:00David's Bird and Nature BlogAfter a hiatus, I've resurrected this blog! Here you'll find photos of birds, ramblings about birding trips and photos of other things I find interesting along the way. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-86515797699567629972013-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:002013-01-05T15:45:21.997-05:00New BlogIf you are wondering why I haven't updated this blog in a while, it isn't because I've forgotten about it. I have started a new project for 2013 and am updating a new blog corresponding to the project. Check it out, and enjoy!<Br><Br>
<a href="http://birdingforconservation.blogspot.com/">Birding for Conservation</a>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-64434743185845218652012-12-27T19:50:00.001-05:002012-12-27T20:08:17.886-05:00The Midland Barrow's GoldeneyeI slept in 'till noon today (don't judge me) and woke to an email about a Barrow's Goldeneye found by the Midland area Christmas Bird Count on Sanford Lake. With nothing better to do, I figured I would go scope it out. There was no information on where to look for the bird other than "on Sanford Lake" so I figured access was probably an issue. And it was...<br><br>
So, I started at the south end of the lake at Sanford Lake Park. Access was easy, but there were only a few Goldeneye, and no Barrow's. I moved north along the west side of the lake and could see a huge smattering a mostly Common Mergansers with Goldeneye mixed in, but they were super far and they looked closer to the east side. I moved there and could find no accessible place to scope the flock.<br><br>
I rang the doorbell of a sleeping homeowner and asked about access. She let me scope from her backyard, but I still couldn't see enough of the flock and they were still far. So I moved north and found another homeowner who had the flock close to his yard. He graciously let me scope from his backyard and was very curious about the bird. Long story short, I finally found the beast floating with a raft of Common Goldeneye. It was FAR but obviously a Barrow's Goldeneye, and obviously not a hybrid. <br><Br>
I managed a few poor photographs of the bird with my iPhone through my scope. Given the distance, I was surprised I got anything.<br><Br>
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I can't suggest going to look for this bird as access is obviously an issue. I got very lucky that the homeowners were willing to let me scope from their yard and I got the feeling they weren't hip on the idea of having a lot of birders in their yard. If you do go, the flock was west of the "Meridian High School" seen on google maps.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-36695689065790255402012-12-21T16:01:00.000-05:002012-12-21T16:01:14.864-05:00Late December Cape May WarblerYou usually don't see many "good" feeder birds while living in the heart of overpopulated (in my opinion) Lansing, Michigan. However, my dad has been playing host to a confused and hearty Cape May Warbler since December 4th, 2012. Luckily for the warbler, the weather has been very mild... some might even say warm for this time of year. <br><br>
The first big test for this warbler came last night/today as a few inches of blowing snow fell. And yet, the bird persists. These birds can be tough. A quick search of eBird shows a few historical November/December records among the Great Lakes region.<br><br>
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The Cape May Warbler enjoys feeding under the suet feeder on scraps dropped by the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, House Sparrows and Starlings. I helped it out today by breaking up a few extra pieces of suet and scattering them on the ground. <br><br>
The latest Cape May I could find for Michigan was a record at a private feeder until December 20th. Does anyone know of any other late December or January records for Michigan? Ohio has a January record via eBird, but that is all I can find.<br><br>
Hopefully it sticks until the new year. That sure would be a nice way to start!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-82941129495564637762012-12-17T14:24:00.001-05:002012-12-17T14:24:04.434-05:00P-Town, Poutien and PanzarottiesDuring the time period of December 3-10, I found myself racing toward the east coast with two good friends; Garrett MacDonald and Lucas Foerster. Our goal was simple, enjoy the crazy vagrants showing up and have fun birding. Both goals were realized in epic fashion.<br><br>
I picked Garrett up from the Detroit airport at 3:30pm and we raced over to Lucas' house in London, ON, arriving just after dark. We quickly left his house and were racing east. First stop: Hyannis for the recently identified Little Egret. Driving through the night, we arrived at sunrise, even before the egrets. After a short wait, they arrived; two Great Egrets with a smaller one following. They landed quite close and allowed great study. And just like that, the first major target was acquired.<br><br>
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After enjoying the Egret, we back-tracked to Barnstable where a Northern Lapwing has been spending time in a corn stubble field. We spotted the bird from the car and had amazing scope views of this stunning shorebird. Quite possibly my favorite bird of the trip.<br><br>
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We ended our day at Duxbury Beach. Once we were walking toward the beach, we all saw 9 Cave Swallows heading south. I still haven't seen this bird in Michigan, and we were all shocked at our luck.<br><br>
On the 5th, we chased a Barnacle Goose in the Bronx, NY. We didn't plan too well and hit some major traffic. We eventually did make it to the bird and had great looks at this smartly marked goose.<br><br>
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We didn't have much time to do any other birding, but we did try once again for the Black-headed Gull in Hyannis, which we missed again. <br><br>
Tired of chasing birds, we spend the 6th in the Gloucester/Rockport area. We started at Andrew's Point where we saw Great Cormorants, Razorbills, Northern Gannets and Purple Sandpipers (our only PUSA of the trip!). We worked our way down the coast, checking some peninsulas and just doing some general birding, which felt good. We ended at Manomet Point where we had better looks at Razorbills and Great Cormorants and plenty of Bonaparte's Gulls, but not much else. <br><br>
On the 7th we decided it would be best to do more seawatching. Dovekie was a major target and we had yet to see one. Provincetown (or P-town) was the obvious choice and we got there just before sunrise. After setting up, Lucas yelled out about some small alcids heading north. We all got on them and sure enough, Dovekie! Four of them! We had another 3-4 scattered throughout the morning. We also saw our first and only Black-legged Kittiwake, Common Murre and Pomarine Jaeger of the trip. In the afternoon, we stomped around the Fort Hill marsh for the second time. Still, we were unable to identify any ammodramus sparrows besides a couple Seaside Sparrows. The others just would not cooperate, but a few were clearly Nelson's or Saltmarsh. So, we went back to Hyannis to look for the Black-headed Gull that we kept missing. Finally, it showed well and we had fantastic looks at the bird with two Bonies. <br><br>
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After refueling our bodies with Subway, we again trounced through Fort Hill marsh, this time with a little more success. We flushed a Clapper Rail that was a lifer for Lucas. It had been a while since I had actually SEEN one of these rails. And in December, no less!<Br><br>
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We also had better looks at Seaside Sparrow.<Br><br>
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And, finally, we got great looks at a non-Seaside ammodramus that, after some debate, turned out to be a Nelson's Sparrow. We never would get a look at a Saltmarsh Sparrow. <br><br>
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We slept in on the morning of the 8th with intentions of having a relaxing morning and working our way up to Niagara Falls for some gulling on the 9th. But, as fate would have it, Mike Lester texted Garrett and I that a Pink-footed Goose had been re-found in New Jersey. This kick-started us into gear, and after driving for 5 1/2 hours, we made it to the pond and the sight of some dis-heartened birders. The goose wasn't here! We exchanged numbers and drove around every pond and corn field we could find, sorting through thousands of geese with no luck. With only an hour or two of light left we returned to the pond where thousands of geese were pouring in. Still, the birders on the scene told us the Pink-footed wasn't among them. Finally, after scanning the flock a few times, I found the bird! It was hiding quite well in the dense flock, but it was there. Everyone enjoyed prolonged scope views of this great bird from Greenland. <br><br>
Now it was time to make the 8 hour trek to Niagara Falls. The drive would have seemed a lot longer, but coming off of a win, it wasn't too bad. The gull show on the morning of the 9th didn't disappoint either. In with the thousands of Bonaparte's Gulls we found one adult Little Gull. Below the falls we had great looks at multiples of Thayer's and Iceland Gulls. Above the falls, we found an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. We ended in Brantford hoping to get lucky with a Gray Partridge, but it wasn't to be had. They are nearly impossible, except in the winter when there is snow. I guess I'll have to head over once the snow comes, which could be a while.<br><br>
To celebrate this successful week of birding, we stayed with Lucas in London and enjoyed some delicious Canadian food. We stuffed our faces with Poutien. When we got hungry again, we tried the Panzarotties which are similar to a calzone, but infinitely better.<br><br>
On the 10th I dropped Garrett off at the Detroit airport and made it back to Lansing. I'm already looking forward to another birding adventure with these guys!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-69142862627757509722012-11-07T21:21:00.000-05:002012-11-07T21:48:24.601-05:00Spontaneous UP TripAfter securing a seasonal, part-time job here in Lansing, MI starting next week, I figured now was as good of a time as any to jolt to the UP and clean up some missing year birds and enjoy some chilly November camping before that is no longer possible. I planned to stay two nights, figuring a few birds would give me difficulty, but instead everything was insanely cooperative... how often does that happen!?<br><br>
I started the trip looking for Sharp-tailed Grouse on Hantz Road. They had been reported to eBird from there not too long ago, and I found one eating catkins from a tree along the road, just south of W 23 Mile Road. <br><br>
I took my good luck north to Dafter Dump to look for Iceland and Thayer's Gulls. Iceland was easy, with two juvenile, one 2nd year and one adult present. I also saw an intermediate type bird I desperately wanted to call a Thayer's, but I just couldn't do it. The bird was just a little too light, with little secondary bar and no tail band to mention. I stopped by again today, hoping for a clear-cut Thayer's (are there such things?) to no avail. However, more Iceland Gulls were present, including 3-4 juveniles and the same 2nd year and adult birds. Also on these dump-runs were 2 Glaucous Gulls, a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull.<br><br>
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After the first dump-run, I cruised to the Pike Lake area via County Roads 500 and 414. The roads were recently graded and easily drive-able in my little Honda Civic. This made access to the burn easy, and finding a Black-backed Woodpecker was only a matter of time.<Br><br>
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I then walked the Clark Lake trail near Tahquamenon, famous for the nearly-impossible-to-miss Spruce Grouse. Apparently my luck ran out as I did indeed miss them, but I picked up a Ruffed Grouse and White-winged Crossbill, also year birds, as a consolation prize.<br><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bolted to Whitefish Point where Pine Grosbeaks infested the feeders, #599 for the year.<br><Br>
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I then camped along Vermillion Road, behind the concrete slab. In the morning, after pushing my alarm back an extra 45 minutes, the birds started calling. While trying to talk myself out of my warm sleeping bag and into the crisp UP air, I heard the unmistakable sound of grouse wings beat by my tent. The taunt, and knowing I probably JUST missed a Spruce Grouse got me out to start packing my tent. Half-way through, I looked up just in time to see a male Spruce Grouse flying right at me! He saw me, veered and flew back into the pines. It appeared he was going to land, and after searching for quite some time, I stumbled upon him staring me down from a Jack Pine. #600 came to me! <br><br>
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After I finished packing away my tent, I spent some time scoping gulls in the WPBO Harbor. I was surprised to find a juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull, but even more surprised by what happened next. I heard a very familiar call that immediately got me excited. A high-pitched "pit" or "fit" that sounded suspiciously, and exactly like what an Audubon's warbler sounds like. If you have the Sibley guide on your iPhone, it sounds like the song labeled "Audubon's chwit calls_UT", but I don't really hear "chwit", but I'm also pretty horrible at describing calls. Anyway, the bird flew to two pines near the edge of the water. The bird called a lot in the 10-15 seconds I was able to view it. I was able to see the yellow throat, and rump, although from a bit of a distance. I went to get my camera, and BAM, the bird disappeared. Due to the brevity of the sighting, no photos, and my limited view of the bird, I won't be writing this one up. If I was out west, I wouldn't have thought twice. I have extensive experience with Audubon's from my time working out west. If you are in the area, check it out. Here is a picture from Wyoming that matches fairly well with what I saw today<br><Br><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eXJCxOfrMAh_Eki_ciw6BA">http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/eXJCxOfrMAh_Eki_ciw6BA</a><br><br>
I spent some time at the feeders, photographing finches and waiting for a Bohemian Waxwing to drop in. The previously reported Hoary Redpoll was quite entertaining, allowing me to walk right up and photograph it. I also found another Hoary, although this one was not as obvious. Here is the obvious one.<Br><br>
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I expected the Bohemian Waxwings to be flying over. I didn't have to wait long before I heard one, but this one was close! Turns out it was hungry and joined the Pine Grosbeaks below the feeders. No complaints here!<br><br>
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After a very successful whirlwind year-bird birding roundup, I'm back in Lansing. Now to track down a few birds around here. Shame I still haven't seen a Pheasant this year...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-81572754489420253932012-10-20T17:43:00.000-04:002012-10-20T17:43:47.779-04:00Arctic? Tern My dad and I visited Muskegon County today and found an interesting Sterna tern at Pere Marquette Park. I'm under the impression this looks like a juvenile Arctic Tern. That said, I've only seen one juvenile Arctic Tern.<Br><br>
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Note: Small, thin bill, white secondaries, very limited dark outer webs to outer retrix. Deeply forked tail.<br><br>
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Note: Very white underwing, extremely limited black on outer retrix.<br><br>
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Note: Very small, thin bill and rounded head.
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Lighting was very tough but with back-lighting, the transparent secondaries and inner primaries were evident, although I couldn't get this in a picture. To my eye, everything looks good for an Arctic Tern and I'm struggling to find any pro-Common Tern features. Comments appreciated.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-43916577785737411432012-10-07T13:06:00.000-04:002012-10-07T13:06:16.331-04:00Sparrows and WarblersThe Robin seems to have taken off (or died), but new birds continue to arrive here in Gambell. The storm that produced some nice SW/SE winds is over and dropped some more goodies, mostly from the mainland. However, another Brambling joined the group now totaling 3 birds in the near boneyard. <br><br>
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In addition, a Wilson's Warbler was discovered in old town on 10/5, a species that somewhat regularly strays to Gambell. It continued on 10/6.<br><br>
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Also on 10/5 was a red Fox Sparrow in the near boneyard near the runway. On 10/6, a Dark-eyed Junco appeared in old town, the first for the year in Gambell. A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow was seen among the bones in old town. <br><br>
The winds have now switched to the north and it looks like they will remain there for the rest of my stay. There still may be a few goodies kicking around and I'll continue to work the boneyards at least once a day. I leave on the morning of 10/12 and get to Michigan on 10/13. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-73983847842819750032012-10-05T01:51:00.002-04:002012-10-05T01:51:31.458-04:00The Robin ContinuesI was able to re-find the now Siberian Blue Robin today, although it required my almost stepping on it. Once flushed it is extremely cooperative and easy to follow, but the initial flushing is tough! <br><br>
Anyway, I paid close attention to the tail shivering. The bird essentially NEVER quit shivering the tail (and sometimes wings) the entire time I watched it. When hiding in the wormwood, when out in the open on the dirt, after being flushed and landing, the tail was constantly "shivering". I'm not sure how much shivering Rufous-tailed Robin does, but there is no way it could top what the bird was doing today.<br><br>
Here is another picture from today. Tough to get good photos when the lighting is this bad.<Br><br>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-50909373719899653992012-10-04T14:22:00.000-04:002012-10-04T14:27:03.778-04:00The Robin...People a lot more knowledgeable about Rufous-tailed/Siberian Blue Robin are questioning the identification of the Gambell Robin. I'm posting additional pictures for reference, and some of my field notes as well:<br><br>
- I never saw a BRIGHT red tail on the many times the bird flushed. It appeared brown, but when sitting the rump had some rufous, the same color as the rufous on the wings. <br><br>
- The bird frequently fluttered its tail/wings. This was especially apparent when I went back the second time to take more photos. When the bird skulked away, it hunched over and ducked its head while running. It reminded me of the <i>ammodramus</i> sparrows when running away.<br><br>
- I was shocked at how small this bird appeared from the <i>Catharus</i> thrushes I am used to seeing.<br><br>
- The bird was very active, moving quickly and making short flights. It did not seem particularly shy and often perched in the open and on rims of holes or bones, as apparent in my photos.
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Below are some of the photos I took of the bird. I have more if needed. All taken 10/2/2012. The bird was not present 10/3.<Br>
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I'd love to hear comments on this bird from those with experience. They can be sent to dtpavlik@hotmail.com
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-6732888670119939412012-09-29T12:37:00.000-04:002012-09-29T12:37:30.713-04:00MourningWell, something happened that turned the "migration" switch on and now Gambell is flush with birds. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but finding 3 new arrivals yesterday (9/28) was quite exciting. First, the far boneyard held a flighty Orange-crowned Warbler, and then a much more confiding Ruby-crowned Kinglet.<br><br>
Then, in the near boneyeard, the second Gambell record and 6th Alaska record of Mourning Warbler looked quite out of place. <br><br>
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A drastic change in weather is predicted to hit in the next few days and last for quite a while. Winds will switch to the South and Southeast, and get strong for a few days into next week. Not the best weather for those vagrants from Asia, but it will be interesting to see what shows up from the mainland. Stay tuned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-50030463202811875332012-09-25T21:14:00.000-04:002012-09-25T21:14:44.827-04:00Wind StormAfter having perfect weather for a vagrant to show up from Asia (light west wind and precipitation), nothing was produced. We checked every area multiple times for anything new and came up empty. Paul and I are the only birders left, and he leaves on October 1st. It is too bad I am here for the worst fall for vagrants on record, but I can't complain too much as I've seen 10 lifers and am being paid to be here. And I have a feeling this won't be my last time birding Gambell. <br><br>
The lull in birds has given me time to focus a bit more on counting loons and photography. I'm pleased with this picture of a Rock Sandpiper, basically the only shorebirds left on the island, although a few Pac. Golden Plovers and Dunlin might still be around.<br><br>
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The wind has really, really picked up and is only going to get stronger. Right now gusts of 35mph from the NE makes birding the boneyards nearly impossible and the seawatch is the only thing worth doing if you can stand the cold. Winds of 45mph are predicted before finally breaking sometime Friday. With a drastic wind shift predicted for this weekend and into next week, I just might find something before I leave (if the predictions hold).<br><br>
Keep checking back, one bird could change an extremely slow fall into a great success. It only takes one...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-76378866698461059512012-09-22T16:01:00.001-04:002012-09-22T16:01:45.029-04:00Still TurnoverWe had a slight break in the weather as the north winds subsided and gave way to very light, variable winds on Thursday night and Friday. During this time two new birds showed up, another White-crowned Sparrow and a Yellow Warbler (I didn't see either). We worked the boneyards very hard yesterday and although calm winds can be good for Asian vagrants, we found none. Sunday night the winds may shift to a light WNW, and Monday may be calm as well. This could be good for some new birds if it holds true.<br><br>
Work wise, the loons have been very slow. I'm here to conduct Yellow-billed Loon surveys. A few years ago, a native hunter claimed to have shot 100 Yellow-billed Loons on one of the subsistence harvest surveys, so the Alaska FWS is surveying to see if this number of YBLO could actually be harvested (it can't). I have only seen 6 or 7 Yellow-billed Loons since my arrival, although they are supposed to pick up later in the season. Pacific Loons are trickling by, but not nearly the number they are supposed to be, and I've yet to see an Arctic. <br><br>
I'll update again soon, and hopefully I'll have something more interesting to report!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-25076077025786156452012-09-16T17:38:00.000-04:002012-09-16T17:38:33.756-04:00Dull DaysAs you can probably surmise from the lack of posts, there ain't much happening. The most exciting thing in a while has been the now 4 Gyrfalcons frequenting the mountain in Gambell, wreaking havoc on unsuspecting auklets. The Gyrs are mostly the white flavor, my personal favorite, but also a gray. <br><br>
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Not much going on at the seawatch yet either. Loons are still very slow. Most of the landbirds are gone, and weather is still predicting north winds from now until forever. Maybe this cold, snowy weather will bring in the McKay's Buntings sooner? We will see...
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-62981368770027132542012-09-09T16:56:00.000-04:002012-09-09T16:56:11.142-04:00A PechoraYesterday was a beautiful day in Gambell, and those are hard to come by. Even though we didn't have west winds, the winds were very light and somewhat variable, which can be just as good as west. Any time the wind dies is good. <br><br>
The excitement started when Gary Rosenberg and I found 2 "flava" Horned Larks, along with a light faced bird that may be an "arcticola", or some sort of young, weird looking "flava". I'm not familiar with these subspecies, and Paul has never had a light-faced bird in the fall here. Interesting to say the least.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9ycS0gLH8NxSYG7n-bmegSXOZsd43-RS-7_IO9iE34_0p6vufT0HqtC3VPJMb9762oocu14tX0fLXtSBniBGLGV6ENV_SqSPTPV2RTV8MQ_730Hb90YaRcgyrJShA9X4II7q_ihCOX8/s1600/flava-horned-lark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="232" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl9ycS0gLH8NxSYG7n-bmegSXOZsd43-RS-7_IO9iE34_0p6vufT0HqtC3VPJMb9762oocu14tX0fLXtSBniBGLGV6ENV_SqSPTPV2RTV8MQ_730Hb90YaRcgyrJShA9X4II7q_ihCOX8/s320/flava-horned-lark.jpg" /></a></div><br> A "flava" Horned Lark<br><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdcG2pKwqc-hQ0ViV2iyHVvHfc9iKp4itUTyj6OKJvrTvjId4XFCTUE0Sp6x2xZ1cYHR6whZoMrXLqZO18Kw3Z5JOal2g0wWfmFniIaYen7XdXBFbaRm6H-_LqfHIyCuGx5wOvQ_8kVM/s1600/horned-lark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="219" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdcG2pKwqc-hQ0ViV2iyHVvHfc9iKp4itUTyj6OKJvrTvjId4XFCTUE0Sp6x2xZ1cYHR6whZoMrXLqZO18Kw3Z5JOal2g0wWfmFniIaYen7XdXBFbaRm6H-_LqfHIyCuGx5wOvQ_8kVM/s320/horned-lark.jpg" /></a></div><br> The light faced Horned Lark.<br><br>
Things got even more exciting when Gary flushed an interesting, silent Pipit that took short flights and was extremely skulky. With diligent birders stalking the bird, we got good looks and pictures, clearly showing a Pechora Pipit. This species is proving to be annual on Gambell in small numbers.<br>
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Keeping with the "asian bird" theme, here is a picture of a nice adult Slaty-backed Gull found earlier in the week. They seem to be quiet sporadic this year, although I've seen a handful since my arrival.<br>
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Winds continue from the NE for the near future, and they may become quite strong. Seabirds should be picking up (eiders, loons) so I may do more seawatching. As always, more later.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-87578994115299619882012-09-08T01:34:00.001-04:002012-09-08T01:34:43.783-04:00Playing With Puffins...and Auklets. I ventured to the seabird colony on the North end of the mountain and climbed around a bit. With no rare birds from Asia around, this helped past the time, and it was a beautiful night! <br><br>
Crested Auklets were the most numerous. At this time of year, they have lost most of their crest. <br>
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Horned Puffins were flying by at close range.<br>
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Horned Puffins are also numerous.<br>
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On my way back, this Parakeet Auklet was posed quite nicely, and allowed very close approach! He wasn't bothered by me at all.<br>
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I won't be posting much until something exciting happens, which could be a while. North or Northeast winds projected until at least the 16th (a long away to be predicting winds... but still). Stay tuned.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-48599201372352772372012-09-04T22:00:00.000-04:002012-09-04T22:00:51.277-04:00Another Rare ShorebirdThe last few days have been dominated by strong North or Northeast winds, the winds of which bad dreams are made of. There continues to be a little passerine turnover, but all are from the Alaskan mainland (except maybe some Red-throated Pipits). We have seen an influx of White-crowned Sparrows and some had a juvenile Chipping Sparrow. Arctic Warblers, Northern Wheatears, Bluethroats and Red-throated Pipits continue to please the crowds of tours groups that have all finally arrived. <br><br>
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Even in these winds, when you have this many birders together in a small area, good birds are going to be found. September 3 produced my lifer Lesser Sand-Plover along the lakeshore of Troutman Lake. Great looks were had. I re-found the bird in the same place today (September 4) and managed a mediocre picture. Also today a Gray-tailed Tattler was found, along with a few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. <br><br>
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September 2 and 3 produced one Yellow-billed Loon each, the bird I will soon be surveying for the Alaska Fish and Wildlife. They become more numerous later in the season, along with other loons (*cough Arctic cough*). <br><br>
There are now three tour groups here including Wings, High Lonesome and Wilderness. Winds are supposed to change to the West on Thursday, but possibly only for a short time. After that we will be hammered with North winds indefinitely. Looks like this might be the year of no Asian passerine vagrants… more later.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-38469567639516630062012-09-01T01:04:00.000-04:002012-09-01T01:05:04.414-04:00Rare ShorebirdsAfter my somewhat quiet start, Gambell has been producing. On August 29th we took a trip down to the bottom of Troutman Lake in a thick fog. Shorebirds were grounded and abundant. This is where I got my first solid looks at Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and they were quite numerous. <br>
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We continued around the lake, checking the good plover habitat along the way. Plenty of Pacific Golden-Plovers were around, but we couldn’t find the rarer Lesser Sand-Plover (a bird seemingly annual now on Gambell, and one of my high priority species). We made a quick stop to check some landbird habitat, and this is where I flushed a white-rumped Tringa. It called while flying, and landed in another pond where we chased it down. It turned out to be the third fall record of Wood Sandpiper for Gambell. <br>
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We made it back around the lake and started birding the far boneyard. Almost immediately Paul called out “COMMON SANDPIPER!”. This is unheard of in the fall, and represents the first fall record for Gambell. We spent quite a bit of time chasing it around to get better looks/pictures to confirm it wasn’t a Spotted. It is still present today.<br>
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August 30th brought north winds and rain. North winds are not what you want for Asian vagrants, but the rain seemed to drop a number of “trans-Beringian” migrants from the mainland. There were good numbers of Northern Wheatear, Bluethroat, Arctic Warbler and both Wagtail for all to enjoy. I was able to finally get an identifiable picture of a Bluethroat, an extremely hard bird to approach. <br>
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In the afternoon, huge numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters were streaming by. The picture below is one frame from the massive passage that lasted over 6 hours. You do the math. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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August 31st is more of the same. Stronger north winds did not bring many new passerines. Arctic Warblers, Wheatears and Bluethroats are still around in smaller number than before. Paul’s tour had a “flava” Horned Lark below Troutman Lake, so even with poor winds birds from Asia are coming over. All of September is fair game for finding megas from Asia, and more tours are coming in the next few days, so this place will be covered in birders. Someone should turn something up! More soon…
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-38689604433503676902012-08-28T22:42:00.000-04:002012-08-28T22:45:35.121-04:00First Few Days in GambellI’ve been on St. Lawrence Island in the town of Gambell for a few days now. After the airlines really messing things up, I made it to the island on the afternoon of August 26th. It turned out to be a beautiful day. But beautiful days aren’t what you want for birds on Gambell, and only a few migrants were around including an Arctic Warbler and Red-throated Pipit, both lifers. I also found the second fall record of … drum roll please… American Wigeon!<br><br>
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On my first full day, August 27th, I spent the entire day scouring the boneyards, mountain side, the point and the sewage ponds. We also got a ride to the end of Troutman Lake. Around town, migrants were slow again, but a Northern Wheatear was nice. I had a total of 3 Slaty-backed Gulls, 2 at the point and one at the end of Troutman Lake. Also at the end of Troutman, in the smaller ponds, was another second fall record! This time it was a Common Goldeneye. I sure wish they were second fall records from Asia, but I’ve got time. I had one Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a bird that does not appear to be around in numbers this year (at least not yet, only a total of 3-ish this fall!). Upon arrival back into town, completely tired and broken, Paul tells me about a Gray-tailed Tattler along the mountain side. So, after a quick dinner, I hiked through more pea gravel and finally found the Gray-tailed Tattler right where he described. It was quite friendly!<br><br>
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Today, August 28th, has been more of the same. Landbird migrants are few and far between, although there was a bit of a Pipit/Wagtail thing going on. I did get my lifer Bluethroat, too. A lot of the tour groups are coming in soon. Should make finding those rarities easier.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-44739930617939351372012-08-23T12:34:00.001-04:002012-08-23T12:34:59.127-04:00Off to GambellMy next job starts soon in Gambell, Alaska. I'll be surveying Yellow-billed Loons for the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Service. Just about every serious birder should have at least heard of Gambell, a hotspot in spring and fall for rare Asian strays with a handful of first-ABA records. It is so close to Russia, you can see the mountains on a clear day. <br><br>
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I'll be on the island from August 25-Oct 12 and will be in the field daily. I should be able to update this blog once in a while, so check back often to see what blows in!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-25765858096352598222012-08-16T19:53:00.000-04:002012-08-16T19:53:15.252-04:00A Quick AZ TripJust returned from a quick and successful trip to SE Arizona. It was great seeing some birds that I haven't seen since 2008 including Red-faced Warbler, Elegant Trogon, Elf Owl and Short-tailed Hawk, among others.
We started out birding Carr Canyon. Mike Lester was nice enough to play tour guide to my dad and I. We camped at the top of Carr Canyon and birded the top in the morning. Buff-bellied Flycatchers were quite abundant, our target for the morning. After birding our way down, we lucked into a pair of Montezuma Quail on the road! The male even posed for pictures.<br><br>
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Another abundant bird we encountered just about everywhere was the amazing Painted Redstart.<br>
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We also were amused by this Rufous-crowned Sparrow gathering nesting material.<br>
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Virginia's Warbler was nice to come across in a mixed flock of warblers in Carr Canyon. <br>
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We stopped in Ash Canyon to take a look for the Plain-capped Starthroat. We scored the consolation prize of Lucifer Hummingbird. An uncommon bird in Arizona this year!
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Magnificent Hummingbird is another spectacular bird to have around the feeders in the mountains. I never get tired of these birds.<br>
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In Madera Canyon, we found my dad his 600th ABA bird, the Mexican Whip-poor-will. We even got amazing looks at is as it called from a close tree.<br><br>
On our last day, we visited Rose Lake but failed to find any Greater Pewee. So we drove to Inspiration Lookout and enjoyed the continuing Short-tailed Hawk along with a Zone-tailed Hawk. A great way to end the trip!<br><br>
I'll be leaving for my next job on August 24th, and will try to keep this blog going. I'll be working in Gambell, Alaska doing Yellow-billed Loon surveys for Fish and Wildlife. If all goes well, I should be in Gambell on August 25th. Check back soon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-85041235360168388562012-08-02T22:55:00.000-04:002012-08-02T22:55:02.603-04:00Moths at My HouseI'm back in Michigan after completing my third field season on Alaska's North Slope. I've really been enjoying being able to go birding! It is nice to bird in a place with trees and more passerines than just Lapland Longspur and Savannah Sparrow. I've tracked down a few warblers I missed earlier this year including Prothonotary and Cerulean. Flycatchers are still calling and I have seen Alder, Willow, Acadian, along with Eastern Wood Pewee. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning (8/3) for a trip to the UP to look for more birds/butterflies and moths.
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Speaking of moths, I'm finally getting time to use my blacklight. I've only used it in my backyard in Holt, but the past two nights have turned up quite a diversity. I'm still trying to identify a lot of the smaller ones (and some of the bigger ones), but here are a few cool ones that made an appearance.<br><br>
I'll start out with my personal favorite, <i>Apantesis phalerata</i>, or Harnessed Tiger Moth.<br>
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This one is a bit smaller, but is has a lot going on. The new Peterson moth guide leads me to ID this one as <i>Cenopis reticulatana</i>.
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The biggest moth to visit was this Banded Tussock Moth, (<i>Halysidota tessellaris</i>).
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I'm a fan of the strange looking moths, and this one sure did stick out. It is a Dark-Spotted Palthis or <i>Palthis angulalis</i>.
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This one also has a strange appearance. It sits up on the front legs which are "hairy" if you will. It is a Boxed Leaftier or <i>Galasa nigrinodis</i>.
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I'll be bringing the light with me on my trip to the UP this weekend. Hopefully being away from the city will help turn up even more moths. I could go for a Sphinx!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-20439603088003510052012-07-15T21:17:00.002-04:002012-07-15T21:17:24.164-04:00Home StretchFirst I'd like to say I have been horrible with updating my blog recently, my bad. I promise to update this more when I have a reliable internet connection and some more interesting news. <br><br>
That said, there isn't much to talk about. For the most part, birds are done breeding and busy trying to protect their investments (for the lucky ones that actually successfully bred), or flocking up and staging for migration. Lets have a look at some youngsters.<br><br>
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You may have no idea as to what this little guy might grow up to be. I probably wouldn't have either if the adult Arctic Terns weren't actively calling and dive bombing me. As if that wasn't enough, they often poop on the intruder right before making contact...<br><br>
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<br>This odd-shaped gray ball of fluff will (hopefully) turn out to be a Long-tailed Jaeger. <br><br>
A few birds are still incubating. We found a very weird sight the other day. It seems two female Rock Ptarmigan are cooperatively incubating 11 eggs.<br>
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This female King Eider just recently hatched her six eggs and disappeared.<br>
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I've talked a lot about the bird life on the Colville this past season, but not about much else. Believe it or not, other life does thrive here. Right now, the most common wildlife is mosquitoes. They have been horrendous the past few days, worse than I have ever seen before. Luckily, we have some pretty serious bug jackets, but that doesn't stop them all. We haven't seen the massive caribou migration that we saw last season (in the thousands) and have only seen a few scattered around.<br><br>
One thing I am seeing more of is moths! This fella was flying around the tundra the other day.<br>
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While the previous moth was cool, this Tiger Moth (sp?) takes the cake for the coolest moth I've seen up here. It was flying over the river while we were boating to our vegetation sites.<br>
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I have 13 days left at camp, a couple days in Anchorage, and will be spending about 3 1/2 weeks home (with a quick trip to SE AZ)before leaving for my next grand adventure. Stay tuned!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-29290411818184474952012-07-03T21:32:00.001-04:002012-07-03T21:32:20.001-04:00Hatching and LeavingThe shorebirds are already flocking up and seem to be migrating. Female Red Phalarope have been absent for days, Pectoral Sandpipers are present in large numbers and roaming the tundra, and shorebirds, geese and the other arctic breeders are busy hatching and raising young. We have been very busy gathering data on hatch dates for all the species we can. I banded about 50 Semipalmated Sandpiper chicks, so hopefully a few will be captured in the years to come. Butterflies are hatching, and I've seen Polaris and Frigga Fritillary (I thought Polaris was biennial, but have seen them two summers in a row here), and Booth's and Hecla Sulphur. Nothing new from last year, but I'll keep an eye out. <br><br>
Due to the insanely busy schedule since my last post, I haven't had much time for photography. Yesterday I was able to spend some "free" time photographing the ridiculously cooperative Stilt Sandpiper at it's nest. It was too close for my long lens, so I resorted to my 90mm macro. This lens is incredibly sharp!
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The ptarmigan are also hatching young, and this male was sizing me up.<br>
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This Parasitic Jaeger tried to lead me away from their nest with some sort of floppy, injured bird dance type thing. <br>
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My next few weeks will consist of banding a few more adult shorebirds and monitoring the rest of the active nests. The weeks after that will be riddled with data entry. Hopefully some exciting birds will be moving through!
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-21943651856122341182012-06-25T12:00:00.001-04:002012-06-25T12:00:38.737-04:00Busy SeasonThe lack of updates are a direct result of the extremely busy time of year. I left AK for a couple days to attend a cousin's wedding. This is the busiest time of year for our camp, with birds starting to hatch, most of them deep into incubation and almost all birds on nest. Lapland Longspurs started to hatch before I left, and shorebirds will be right around the corner. We will band as many adults and juveniles as possible during the hatch. Being gone for 5 days really set us back on the number of birds banded, so I'll be busy trying to catch up.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzgINIhHiwS-NOm8TQheaZyc0vvbaUbuQERZL05B_RoWyoMskLdNIRmFUZTJHNkXJ-SLoIhRmmLqyWCk6_GuN5Y4Cb8EzgIDn7jKldakaAuiWTz91WSFjRINZy6hIScZYY1pYKOddoXc/s1600/pectoral-sandpiper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="209" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzgINIhHiwS-NOm8TQheaZyc0vvbaUbuQERZL05B_RoWyoMskLdNIRmFUZTJHNkXJ-SLoIhRmmLqyWCk6_GuN5Y4Cb8EzgIDn7jKldakaAuiWTz91WSFjRINZy6hIScZYY1pYKOddoXc/s320/pectoral-sandpiper.jpg" /></a><br>
Pectoral Sandpiper males, like the one pictured above, are still busy hooting at females and protecting territories. They will leave soon as the females being to incubate. <br><br>
Male Spectacled Eiders also only hang around until the females are on nest. This male is the only one I've been able to get a decent picture of in my 3 field seasons on the North Slope.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4K12SAdt8dPlKJmehb207E2pY0p7kLHdFmklk4wFUVmIp9KpybebNXGszC2oLK-ygYq7nVARYSwSmoZN1nVsY-6YX8rfpVFymGsCO67sC9uLkbAW3lT_5Z2R0eJR4AfITlMcuD3MUxc/s1600/spectacled-eider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="205" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4K12SAdt8dPlKJmehb207E2pY0p7kLHdFmklk4wFUVmIp9KpybebNXGszC2oLK-ygYq7nVARYSwSmoZN1nVsY-6YX8rfpVFymGsCO67sC9uLkbAW3lT_5Z2R0eJR4AfITlMcuD3MUxc/s320/spectacled-eider.jpg" /></a><br>
Red Phalarope females will be gone soon as well, as most males are sitting on nests. The females will sneak off, leaving the males to incubate and raise the young. <br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDVN6j3zM3CtwdinFu3lMOn1Wtf91oeUf2doN10K8oKgqU_JUkmSMZoQAxUgfXBYxj-PNHOARM3ToVXNtnVH4Hmb6cJBh4RJO4LiXnY3VX-p2cIGAc_JasFep8TFdTqVLLfoHBvOez7Q/s1600/red-phalarope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="210" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDVN6j3zM3CtwdinFu3lMOn1Wtf91oeUf2doN10K8oKgqU_JUkmSMZoQAxUgfXBYxj-PNHOARM3ToVXNtnVH4Hmb6cJBh4RJO4LiXnY3VX-p2cIGAc_JasFep8TFdTqVLLfoHBvOez7Q/s320/red-phalarope.jpg" /></a><br>
I'll update when I can, but it could be a while. I imagine loads and loads of work upon my return to camp, which should be at the end of the day unless my plane keeps getting delayed.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6485387376821154.post-20339811313796882982012-06-11T01:50:00.000-04:002012-06-11T01:50:59.120-04:00The nest-finding-frenzy has begun. In just the last few days, I've tracked down over 40 nests of arctic breeding birds including Greater White-Fronted Goose, Brant, Red Phalarope, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, among others. <br><br>
And where there are nests, there are predators. All season the Red Foxes were extremely skittish. Yesterday, they walked right up to me. Why the sudden change of heart? It offered a good photography session, though.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm_xgb7wibQQnEGTlWKkNqKN-pIIVwh5zNr_VgTYm4dLDQ9tNxZwYIDmBwOnb8OzdMtQRciGQHaZjmFkfS75hhz9_KMla5npI-Q5FbybB8_yiZpYQTHnCZRTf2aRXpb9hn5DbcsfzIMk/s1600/red-fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="206" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBm_xgb7wibQQnEGTlWKkNqKN-pIIVwh5zNr_VgTYm4dLDQ9tNxZwYIDmBwOnb8OzdMtQRciGQHaZjmFkfS75hhz9_KMla5npI-Q5FbybB8_yiZpYQTHnCZRTf2aRXpb9hn5DbcsfzIMk/s320/red-fox.jpg" /></a>
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Today (6/10) we had our first glimpse of the sun in many days. The overcast, windy, cloudy days really kill the photography aspect of being in the field, so I focused on re-sighting birds we banded last year and finding early nesting birds. Long-tailed Ducks have been around for a while and are obviously paired up. This male was curiously guarding his female.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RtOosf4XMKQ-HBgm2ExsTzWYw9J0SDOMK-tncDVXdfDyFBC-bA1nwhkExhLYRhTty9r5VhHiC9HDpRL-9RJtnDbQldBMfrJMbu9Mm6Zl1V6ojKVMkk19mJgoyHaLVC4J8xEvGlnr400/s1600/long-tailed-duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="217" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RtOosf4XMKQ-HBgm2ExsTzWYw9J0SDOMK-tncDVXdfDyFBC-bA1nwhkExhLYRhTty9r5VhHiC9HDpRL-9RJtnDbQldBMfrJMbu9Mm6Zl1V6ojKVMkk19mJgoyHaLVC4J8xEvGlnr400/s320/long-tailed-duck.jpg" /></a>
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I was thrilled when this stunning Ruff found me just north of camp. Like the one last year, this one flew at me, landed a little ways out, pecked around for a minute or two, and took off. No one else saw it, and I'll be surprised if it is seen again.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fq2CDiyDsVVcn1X-0A9QwF2SS899CYvtSFKdWmI9KEgjs92ge6qoW3x8vsTl4Urks9tKi9UnS8CLJYPZmlP5vHUQDhfwW-99Q0T0GQ1c-gV4xekxBhzS92NvfeSUjj7FpwX2msz37jw/s1600/RUFF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Fq2CDiyDsVVcn1X-0A9QwF2SS899CYvtSFKdWmI9KEgjs92ge6qoW3x8vsTl4Urks9tKi9UnS8CLJYPZmlP5vHUQDhfwW-99Q0T0GQ1c-gV4xekxBhzS92NvfeSUjj7FpwX2msz37jw/s320/RUFF.jpg" /></a><br><br>
Even if you aren't a birder, or even a big fan of birds in general, it is hard not to enjoy the male King Eider.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_TU9wgWazFT2U0ZPh-_FWwCRjc1qXA9k0QB70_b7PZoKLJQfj4OgmxieYToRytXscS2M8vxu1SfD2K030cxt4jT8HKQ3nKdx5lPp8qhm8aBK1ydSx6-_Eale7CLQiGxopmzyTI-vqEE/s1600/king-eider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="222" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_TU9wgWazFT2U0ZPh-_FWwCRjc1qXA9k0QB70_b7PZoKLJQfj4OgmxieYToRytXscS2M8vxu1SfD2K030cxt4jT8HKQ3nKdx5lPp8qhm8aBK1ydSx6-_Eale7CLQiGxopmzyTI-vqEE/s320/king-eider.jpg" /></a>
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Weather has been very windy the last week, with gusts over 40mph. It makes field work challenging, especially when temperatures still aren't breaking 40 degrees, except maybe today. <br><br>
For the next 3-4 weeks, we will be very busy finding nests, monitoring their success or demise, banding adults, collecting invertebrate samples, surveying for predators, all while attempting to sleep once in a while. This is more like it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0