Busy Season

The 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.