Alaska birding and mammal safari June 2023

[offshorebirder]

Thank you for the kind words @pomkiwi, @Towlersonsafari and @TonyQ.  

 

@pomkiwi - Katmai and Lake Clark are the pinnacle of Alaska wildlife experiences.   I am really looking forward to spending a week in that area next June, with Jerry Jacques of Alaska Grizzly Safaris.  @inyathi and I are going to try for Walrus haulouts and Gray Wolf dens in addition to the bears.

 

@Towlersonsafari - I must admit, it was nice to have high quality beer on "safari" which is almost never possible in Africa.  But Savanna Ciders in Southern Africa make up for it.

 

@TonyQ - I am glad you like the TR thus far.  It pales in comparison to ones from @pault, @madaboutcheetah, @michael-ibk and others, but I want to contribute to this marvelous online community called Safaritalk.

 

[Kitsafari]

beautiful sceneries and landscapes, and great shots of the various wild and birdlife. looking forward to a more remote corner of Alaska? 

[offshorebirder]

 

I may have mentioned the birding guide, but I mostly have neglected to describe the reference books and field guides I used to plan and study for this "safari".  I brought them with me as well.   

 

"A Birder's Guide to Alaska" was absolutely essential in trip planning and referencing while in Alaska.  The maps and detailed information are just what one needs.  It was published by the American Birding Association and has been out of print since 2008.   But it is still very on-target with information and is not dated in 2023.   You can buy copies in good or even excellent condition on Amazon, ABEbooks and aLibris - and probably other sources.  Unfortunately it is not available in eBook, Kindle, etc.   It is paperback and measures 5.5 inches wide, 8.5 inches long, and 1.6 inches thick.

 

The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America is an excellent field guide that covers every mammal species of North America and its offshore waters including naturalized exotics.  This comes to 450 mammal species accounts.  It is intuitive, easy to use, has good seasonal range maps and excellent text.  It also has a couple of sections that explain how to find and how to identify mammals, and some fieldcraft tips as well.  Best of all, it is comparatively small in size and portable.  It was previously known as the Kaufman Focus Guide to Mammals of North America.  Unfortunately it is not available in eBook, Kindle, etc. but new and used copies are for sale on Amazon and other online sources.  It is a paperback and measures 4.8" by 7.8" by 0.7"

 

Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide (2005) by Dennis Paulson is the best shorebird field guide I have ever encountered.  It contains species accounts for every shorebird species that had been seen in North America (as of 2005).   It also contains many European and Asian shorebird species - that have occurred as vagrants in North America over the years.  Each species account (save a couple of rare/extinct species) has multiple good photos in different plumages, ages, and in some cases, sexes.  It is great at emphasizing key points and features for identifying similar shorebirds - some of these identification techniques are not well known. Unfortunately it is not available in eBook, Kindle, etc. but new and used copies are for sale via various online sources.   It is a paperback and measures 5.5 by 8.5 by .9

 

In terms of Apps, I used Sibley Birds V2 - the best North American bird field guide by far.  I also used the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Merlin app and preloaded the Alaska and northwestern North America modules.  We used these apps in the field to judiciously to play recordings of bird vocalizations.

 

We also used Google Maps for driving directions (where there was cellphone Internet coverage).

Edited September 1, 2023 by offshorebirder

[offshorebirder]

Utqiagvik (pronounced ute-kee-AH-vik) is the northernmost town in the USA.  It has been inhabited by Inupiat people for over 1,500 years.  Prior to 2016 the town was known as Barrow, but a referendum was approved by voters in the predominantly Inupiat village to change back to the original name. 

Barrow is on a peninsula that separates the Chukchi Sea to the west from the Beaufort Sea to the east.  It narrows to a sandy spit of land jutting northeast - Point Barrow.  To reach Barrow, you must travel by plane - it is not connected to the rest of Alaska by road (except in winter, when an ice road is passable to the Dalton Highway).  There are dirt roads leading out into the tundra and out onto Point Barrow and you can rent 4x4 vehicles to explore.  If you want to go more than 50 yards off the road, you are supposed to get a permit from the UIC - Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation.  

Roger and I arrived on the daily Air Alaska flight late in the day on June 16.  We departed the plane, walked across the tarmac, into a small airport terminal.  The baggage claim process was crowded bedlam.  It was not a carousel but a stationary narrow platform beside two holes in the wall covered with plastic flaps.  Airport staff leaned through the 'luggage ports' and placed bags on the platform, which quickly filled.  Then passengers moved bags to a row on the floor to allow for more bags on the platform which quickly filled again.

In hindsight, next time I arrive in Barrow (and Nome to a lesser extent), I will just post myself at the exit to make sure my bags do not get carried off without me.  And wait for the crowd and pile of bags to subside.  

For the first evening and to learn our way around, Roger and I had hired a local "guide" named Mike who had been recommended by the King Eider hotel.  He claimed to be a birding guide but his bird knowledge and ID skills were poor.  After we got our bags, I walked next door to UIC car rentals and picked up our four-wheel-drive SUV.  It was a Ford Escort which turned out to have all wheel drive (different than 4WD).   

After checking in at the King Eider Inn and dropping off our luggage, we rode around town with Mike to get the lay of the land and we hoped to see some good birds.   We saw a few birds but rather distantly and Mike mostly talked about human stuff - and not much Inupiat-wise.  Mike was from the Lower 48 (continental USA) and was of European descent.  

We eventually cut our losses, said goodbye to Mike and thanked him for his invitation to visit bird feeders at his house during our trip.  A couple of days later, Roger ended up getting some Lemming photos at Mike's - Northern Collared Lemming I think.  

At that point we were a bit tired and frustrated.  So we decided to do some quick shopping for breakfast and lunch food at the local supermarket, then eat an early supper and make a plan for the next day.  Restaurant options in Barrow are somewhat limited.  The restaurant in the Top of the World Hotel is fairly good but with a limited menu.  We decided on Sam and Lee's - who offer Chinese, Korean and American dishes and is run by a Korean lady named Mrs. Kim.  I had hoped for some broccoli with the General Tso's Chicken that I ordered, but was disappointed - no vegetables, only rice.  Vegetables of quality can be hard to find in outback Alaska - the joke in Nome is the best veggies are at the Subway sandwich shop, a corporate franchise operation.   

Over dinner, we decided to go to back to the King Eider Inn for a beer and get up early tomorrow to look for special shorebirds near the base of Point Barrow.  The tundra behind the NARL site is well known and eBird had an approved sighting of a Red-necked Stint there the day before.  Roger and I had never seen that species and were eager to try for photos of the striking bird.

I should mention that Alcohol is illegal to sell in Utqiagvik - and only in recent years is it legal to bring it with you in checked baggage.  Roger and I brought a bottle of cognac and half a dozen beers.  

We got up early on June 17 and it was chilly - a degree below freezing.  But the sun was already bright and up in the sky before 6am as we loaded our gear in the vehicle.  Midnight sun and all that.  We headed to a coastal tundra area near the base of Point Barrow behind the NARL facility - Naval Artic Research Lab.  Now the Navy research presence is greatly reduced / ended and the facility is  Iḷisaġvik college - Alaska's only tribal college.  It is the northernmost accredited college in the USA.

 

After we parked and walked back into the tundra, we saw three people taking photos of some 'peeps' - a nickname birders have for small Calidris sandpipers.  As we got closer we could see it was two - no THREE Red-necked Stints!   This is a very rare vagrant in North America, except Alaska where they are regular vagrants and occasional breeders on the extreme northwest coast.  It looked like these three male Stints were fighting over breeding territory.   Incredible.

Of the three Red-necked Stints - two had richer, more extensive rufous plumage in the face, neck and back - and one had more muted and limited red on its neck and face.   The Stints were chasing each other, flaring wings and gaping bills, singing a trilling song and puffing out their throats.  Their puffed throats reminded me of Jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's cheeks.  The Stints were also taking short and long flights around the area while giving "chirrup" calls and trilling.  Amazing stuff - I had never seen anything like it in 30 years of shorebird field work in lower latitudes.   Some things you only see on the breeding grounds.

One of the gentlemen, an Englishman named Nigel, told us good info about the stints' habits.   And he said that some shorebird researchers had asked them not to publicize the birds' presence too much.  Roger and I agreed to do the same, though we knew one of the birds had been reported to eBird already.

The birds sort of made a circuit around the area - mostly on foot but also on the wing, disputing and sometimes physically sparring.  Every now and then, the Stint melee would fly a distance to the southeast and we would lose sight (and sound) of them.  But before long here they would be again, squabbling and effectively saying "this patch is mine" "No, mine".

The Stints did not mind us much at all - they did not worry if we approached - just not TOO close.  And they often strayed up very close to us - very difficult to track and focus on a fast-walking shorebird within actual spitting distance.  None of those photo attempts turned out.

We spent more than half the day with the Red-necked Stints (formerly known as Rufous-necked Stint) - soaking up their splendid colors, amazing vocalizations and comic feistiness.  There were also other shorebirds present - Baird's Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, Dunlin, and Long-billed Dowitcher.  Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs were the other birds we saw.

 

Lapland Longspur

 

Pectoral Sandpiper

 

 

The Red-necked Stints were easy to tell apart using differences in plumage.

This is "Bird 1" - rich red color on the face, throat and upper breast with extensive whitish patch between bill and cheeks.  Extensive white flares extending back from the bill up into the crown and an arc above the bird's eye.  Fair amount of rufous coloration on the scapulars (interior upperwing feathers).   This was the most dominant Red-necked Stint and seemed to be atop the hierarchy.  He even dominated other species of sandpipers, as did Stint 3.

 

 

 

This is Bird 1 taking flight in pursuit of Bird 2.

 

Here is Bird 2 - a good bit of rufous coloration on the face and throat, but not as much as bird 1.  Also lacking the bold white patch between bill and cheek and missing the whitish streaks from the bill back towards the crown and above the eye.

 

Here is bird 3 - much less extensive and more muted rufous coloration:

 

 

Here is Bird 3 trying to dominate a Semipalmated Sandpiper (and eventually winning)

 

Here is Bird 1 (background) warning Bird 3 not to trespass on his patch:

 

Next year I need to get some video and audio recordings of the Red-necked Stint spectacle if it occurs again.

In the early afternoon, we tore ourselves away from our new shorebird acquaintances.  Without a doubt, the Three Red-necked Stint Circus was one of the best shorebird experiences I have ever enjoyed.  Absolutely astounding. 

 

Since it was a sunny day and we wanted to maximize our field time due to the area's fickle weather,  we dashed by our room at the inn, made turkey and ham sandwiches, scarfed them down, and headed down the coast past the airport and south on Freshwater Lake Road into vast wet tundra.  We did half the 3.5 mile road on foot, due to a halfhearted Road Closed sign that some locals were driving past.  Turns out we were glad we did, as we saw a few things on foot we would likely have missed in a vehicle.

I will cover the afternoon and evening of June 17 in the next post.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2023 by offshorebirder

[TonyQ]

Those Stints are stunning, and your photos are beautiful.

In any other situation the Lapland Longspur would be a real highlight!

[offshorebirder]

Thank you @TonyQ.  

 

We were glad to see Lapland Longspurs in breeding plumage - we only see them in drab winter plumage down in the Lower 48.   And seeing them doing skylarking displays and hovering and singing was amazing.

 

That is another spectacle I need to try and film, though it would be quite a challenge.

[Zim Girl]

Great description and pictures of the Stint sighting.  

Enjoying this trip report a lot!

[Kitsafari]

awesome to see the interaction between the red necked stints and in breeding plumage? weve seen them when they migrate to Thailand, but they were in their not-as-colourful winter coats. 

 

The lapland longspur is so pretty. 

[michael-ibk]

Love this trip report - this is an area I would really like to visit one day. You saw so many stunning birds and got away with excellent photos. And of course the Moose and Bears -very, very cool. Looking forward to more!

[offshorebirder]

You and @AndMic would have a blast in Alaska @michael-ibk.      

[offshorebirder]

After eating a quick sandwich and some carrots in our room at the King Eider Inn, Roger and I hurried out to take advantage of the afternoon sunshine for photography.  In Utqiagvik, you never know when clouds or fog will roll in.

 

We headed west to the shore of the Chukchi Sea and pulled in at an overlook.  There was still extensive 'shorefast ice' extending out almost as far as the eye can see (with binoculars).  Shorefast ice is sea ice that sticks to land as it freezes and remains there despite shifting winds.  Although there was ice near shore, farther out the sea had thawed.  In places, there were narrow leads that had melted between the shorefast ice and land.  Such leads are good places to look for loons as they fish and wait for breeding ponds in the tundra to thaw.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_(sea_ice)

 

Shorefast ice along the Chukchi Sea shoreline, just southwest of Utquiagvik.
 

 

 

After admiring the view from the overlook, we headed down Freshwater Lake Road which ends at Emaiksoun (Freshwater in Inupiat) Lake.  We parked in a pullout beside the road near the graveyard, to scout road conditions on foot.  There was a Road Closed sign blocking half the road but we saw a local drive around it.  Still, we wanted to walk a bit to see how driveable the road appeared for our vehicle.  We spotted a male Snowy Owl far out in the tundra and made a mental note to check on it on our way back. 

 

A vast expanse of tundra opened before us and I had to fight an urge to go running and frolicking in the arctic prairie. 
 

 

 

 

The tundra was occupied by several species of shorebirds - most on land but there were also plenty of Red Phalaropes and Red-necked Phalaropes foraging on small ponds, puddles and even roadside ditches.  And Northern Pintail ducks were everywhere - flying past, swimming on small bodies of water, waddling between small ponds, eyeing us suspiciously from behind hills or small mounds, and also drakes jostling for hens.  

 

We could still see the Snowy Owl back to our left, multiple American Golden-Plovers at short and medium distance, Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaegers (the two Parasitic Jaegers were mating), several Pectoral Sandpipers puffed up and hooting, Long-billed Dowitchers, and several more.   It was hard to decide which good bird to pursue first.  

 

Our good friend Chris Feeney, who has seen over 800 species of birds in North America and has been to Alaska once or twice a year for decades, was one of our main advisors for this safari.  Chris said that Roger and I would be like two kids in a candy store in Nome and Barrow.  And so we were!

 

Snow Buntings were all over the place - they are ubiquitous around Utqiagvik - both in town and out on the tundra.
 

 

Greater White-fronted Geese were everywhere we went out in the tundra during our time in Utqiagvik.  And almost always in pairs.  Like Snow Buntings, these birds are quite rare back home.  Weird to have them everywhere you look.  

 

 

 

As we walked down Freshwater Lake Road, a pattern became obvious.   Larger bodies of water such as lakes and large ponds were still frozen, perhaps with a thin margin of water.  Smaller bodies of water were mostly thawed and accessible to ducks and shorebirds.  We would learn over the next few days that as ice and snow melt on higher ground, water flows down and slowly floods certain low areas.  So every day in Utqiagvik offers a slightly different playing field and critters shift accordingly.  More on this later.

 

Looking out at the tundra, at first glance it looked like a vast, lifeless expanse.  But take a moment, scan with your binoculars or spotting scope and all sorts of creatures would reveal themselves.  Some grudgingly, some in parading fashion. 

 

This is near the south of Freshwater Lake Road - still plenty of ice present.  
 

 

 

The air temperature was in the upper 40s Fahrenheit, so not too chilly.   By the way, I am happy to use the metric system and spellings like 'grey colour' for trip reports when I travel to the old world, Asia, or Central + South America - but for trip reports in the USA I am going to use miles, feet, inches, Fahrenheit and 'gray color'.  Kind of a relief making my readers do the conversions  :-)

 

We could see a couple of American Golden-Plovers in some dry tundra but they seemed alert and shy, so we chose to focus on Phalaropes and try to get some photos in the sunny conditions.  

 

Here is a wide shot of a female Red Phalarope foraging in a pond that is still mostly frozen.  Unlike many birds, Phalarope females are larger and more brightly colored than the males.
 

 

This is a female Red Phalarope feeding in a shallowly flooded patch of tundra

 

 

This one is foraging in a more open pond

 

 

This Red-necked Phalarope was feeding in a patch of newly flooded tundra

 

 

This one was doing its spinning dance and feeding in an open pond

 

 

 

All along our walk down Freshwater Lake Road and out into the tundra, we saw and heard Pectoral Sandpipers.  The males were puffed up and giving their hooting series of calls - mostly from a perch atop a mound or hill, sometimes while flying around the perimeter of their territory.  

 

We also had some nice encounters with Long-billed Dowitchers - such handsome birds with their scalloped finish to a rufous background.  

 

Then as we reached the last 80% of Freshwater Lake Road, we came upon a small pond near the road on the western side.  It was right where the dotted line on a map in 'A Birder's Guide to Alaska' indicates a nesting area for Steller's Eiders.  Lo and Behold, we saw a pair of Steller's Eiders swimming up to a narrow mud bar and waddling across.  This was perhaps my most-wanted bird of the trip - a real Grail Bird for North American Birders in terms of photographing well.   Smaller than I expected, but that was from not studying the literature closely enough before our trip.  Both the male and female are beautiful birds - he in bold black and white, she in subtle browns and grays.

 

The Steller's Eiders were obviously shy and wanting to get away from us, so we did not press things.  We withdrew to continue our walk down to Freshwater Lake Road, but I made some mental notes about the Steller's Eiders and their habitat preference, comfort radius, hyper-vigilant hen versus drake, and several other key points.  We planned to come back tomorrow and not be caught unawares by our quarry.

 

 

 

Freshwater Lake itself was still almost completely frozen, with a couple of narrow bands of open water around its northeast and northwest edges.  Two pairs of Red-throated Loons were foraging and courting but not within good camera range.

 

At that point, it was midafternoon and we decided to go explore Cakeeater Road, Ikoravik Lake Road and Gas Well Road to the southeast of town.  So we walked back to the vehicle and again suppressed the urge to walk out and get closer looks at the male Snowy Owl.  

 

At the beginning of Cakeeater Road (an unpaved dirt road) as it leads southeast from Stevenson Street, the Middle Salt Lagoon lies to the north of Cakeeater.  Once past the main part of Middle Salt Lagoon, a small narrow spur continues alongside the road.  The spur has a couple of small islands (sandbars) and it held many ducks.  Mostly Northern Pintails but also a King Eider, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Mergansers and two male Spectacled Eiders!  The Spectacled Eiders were a lifer for both of us and another major target for this trip.  

 

 

 

A short distance down Cakeeater Road, we came upon a sharp-looking pair of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis)

 

 

 

We birded our way to the bend where Cakeeater Road becomes Gas Well Road and turned south onto Ikoravik Lake Road.  The birding really picked up then.  Ho-hum another couple of American Golden-Plovers.  Ho-hum another pair of Long-tailed Jaegers copulating.  Ho-hum some more skylarking Lapland Longspurs.   When we got 2/3 of the way down Ikoravik Lake Road, we saw a small pond behind a hill to our right (west).   The pond held another pair of Steller's Eiders.  We watched them through a spotting scope and then withdrew, plotting how we would approach and photograph them the next day.

 

At that point, it was approaching 7:00pm and we realized that at a certain point restaurants would close - in the 10pm or 11pm time range.  We decided to pay the Red-necked Stint circus a visit in the still-good lighting conditions.  When we arrived, we could see the boys were still at it, and a female was also present.  Competition continued unabated, and as she walked around and flew short hops, it was as if they males were saying "look at this beautiful patch of tundra my dear, wouldn't you like to lay eggs and incubate here?"   At which point the salesman might be buffeted and jostled by a rival.  

 

Eventually the she-stint flew away and the guys became less animated.

 

I really hope the Stint Soap Opera is on again next June when I go back.

 

Red-necked Stint #2 showing off his domain for the lady's inspection.

 

 

Red-necked Stint #3 - aggression display

 

 

Red-necked Stint #1 cocking his tail, trilling his song, flashing his bright red colors, and proclaiming his territory

 

 

 

After a few hours with the Stints, and throwing restaurant schedules to the wind, we packed up our gear and headed back to the King Eider Inn for a prepared supper in our kitchenette.  In the lobby, we ran into a photo tour group we had met earlier.  We told them we had a pretty good day, and they said "so did we" and that they were going out again soon with a local guide to see Polar Bears at Point Barrow!  "Wow", says I - could I possibly get the guide's contact info?   One of the tour guides said "he is coming to pick us up at 10, so why not come down and chat and make an arrangement?"

 

I thanked them profusely and gave them a tip about the Red-necked Stint Circus (along with Nigel's admonition not to share too widely), which they greatly appreciated.  

 

At 10pm, I met the local guide and made arrangements for him to take Roger and me to Point Barrow in his 4x4 pickup the next morning at 7am to look for Polar Bears.  What an unexpected opportunity!   Downright surreal, we agreed over beers.

 

The next day, June 18, was as good a day as I have ever enjoyed in the field.  Finest kind.
 

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by offshorebirder

[Zim Girl]

What a great afternoon of birding.  Lovely pictures of the Phalaropes.

[TonyQ]

A superb day of birding in a fascinating and stunning environment

[michael-ibk]

Candystore indeed - great birds (and photos)! 

[offshorebirder]

June 18 felt like Christmas morning as we waited for our Inupiat guide to arrive and take us to Point Barrow.  There was a fairly dense fog, which had us a bit concerned but we hoped it would lift soon.

 

Before our trip, all the books and online references I had read indicated that our chances of seeing a Polar Bear at Point Barrow in June were slim.   Prior to the trip, I had hoped we might see a Ringed Seal or Bearded Seal at the point.  But the near-continuous shorefast ice along the shoreline seemed to be working against us in terms of seal sightings.  

 

However, the whaling crews had killed multiple Bowhead Whales during the spring season and left the carcasses at the end of Point Barrow, to draw Polar Bears away from the village.  There was still enough meat on the whales to feed the bears for some time.

 

Just after 7, our guide arrived in his new 4x4 pickup truck.  We greeted him, loaded our gear and hopped aboard.  I will refrain from giving the guides' name online, since I suspect he doesn't have an official business license, etc.  He was a jolly fellow and full of information and stories about his youth, Inupiat culture, whaling, Polar Bears, and life in outback Alaska.  Roger and I hit it off with him immediately.

 

We drove north through town, past the NARL facility, the DEW site, and past the collection of hunters' camps with their small wooden shacks.  The fog there was a bit thinner than it had been back in town.  Then we headed out on Point Barrow - a narrow sandspit that is the most northern patch of terra firma in the USA.  

 

The point widened as we approached the end and a couple of patches of tundra appeared amid the sand dunes.   So did a Polar Bear - a large adult that began trotting out onto the sea ice as soon as it saw us.  That made me feel a little sad but we were also elated to see a Polar Bear for the first time.  What a magnificent creature!  So much more impressive and alluring in person versus the television screen.  
 

 

 

The fog varied between medium and thin at different times and made for very poor light.

 

We also saw a younger, dirtier Polar Bear feeding on a whale carcass.  Our guide said they get pretty dirty with blood and dirt and then go out to swim and rub themselves clean on snow and ice.  The younger bear did not run and stayed feeding on the whale carcass.

 

Young dirty Bear

 

 

After watching the young bear and taking some photos, we drove around the northeastern shore of the point and saw another Polar Bear which also hustled out onto the ice to put distance between us.  We also saw a sleeping Polar Bear out on the ice.  It raised its head to look us over, decided we were no threat and went back to sleep.

 

Sleeping bear

 

 

After watching the sleeping bear and one of the ice walkers a bit, we returned to the bear at the whale carcass and took some more photos.  Our guide asked if we wanted to stand outside the vehicle and take some selfie photos with the bear.   Knowing he would not offer if it were not safe, we said sure!   We each handed him our iPhones and he took some photos of us standing with the whale carcass and unconcerned Polar Bear in the background.   Crazy stuff!

 

Then we took some more photos of the bear and it decided to go for a stroll down the beach and out on the ice.  We were certain it was because it had enough to eat - not from concern over us.  This bear was much more tolerant of us than its elders.

 

Polar Bear walking and sniffing for potential danger or opportunity

 

Polar Bear pausing to look back at us

 

It was interesting to note that unlike other bears, the soles of its feet were furry and did not have bare pads.  They doubtless need the insulation on their cold winter treks and swims.  
 

 

 

There is a well-respected guide with a larger vehicle (Ford Excursion) that takes people out to Point Barrow, particularly to see and photograph Polar Bears.  His (nick)name is Vernon and he runs 71 North Tours.   

 

https://71northtours.com/

 

We saw a few common birds on Point Barrow and were amazed at the habitat and "edge of the world" feeling.  It's the edge of the world for Polar Bears too I suppose, just flipped around.

 

We were thrilled with our Point Barrow experience and asked our guide to please let us treat him to breakfast at Niġġivikput - the restaurant in the Top of the World Hotel.  He happily agreed and we enjoyed hearing more bushlore and good stories.   We all agreed that four Polar Bears before breakfast was a pretty good start to the day. 

 

After we finished a hearty breakfast we thanked our guide again and agreed to do it again next year.  As we left together, we saw Vernon of 71 North Tours in the parking lot.  He was picking up a set of clients and heading to Point Barrow.  

 

Roger and I were glad to see that the fog had mostly lifted, though it was still cloudy.  We decided to try Freshwater Lake Road first - for Snowy Owl and rare Eiders.   As we passed the entrance road to an outlying airport facility, we saw a male Snowy Owl perched on a snow mound.  At one point, he flew from one mound to another. 

 

landing 

 

perched

 

flight

 

 

After the Snowy Owl, we came upon a mating pair of Parasitic Jaegers on a low grassy mound, but they were a bit far for photos and we wanted to stay focused on our targets.   

 

This Pomarine Jaeger was more obliging

 

And we could not ignore this tame Red Phalarope feeding at very close range

 

 

Then as we were getting near the pond where we saw the Steller's Eiders the day before, I looked to our right between two mounds, and walking across the dry tundra were a pair of Steller's Eiders!  I whistled a shorebird-like call to Roger, discreetly pointed to them and made little walking moves with my fingers - aiming around the front of the mound that was about to hide us from the eiders.  

 

We crouched down very low and went into stealth mode, carrying our scopes and tripods low to the ground and keeping our backs and hoods towards the birds .  I was wearing full camouflage in a pattern matched to the tundra - almost a mobile blind.  At the far end of the mound, we could see a small elongated pond ahead, with another mound conveniently located just ahead of us.  There was no sign yet of the slow-walking eiders so we carefully pressed ahead, keeping low and not looking back.  

 

We were lucky and arrived well ahead of the eiders without spooking them - perhaps without them even realizing we were present.  They eventually paddled their way halfway down the pond towards us, and settled in against the far bank.  The drake Steller's Eider began preening - which meant he was totally at ease.  Roger and I grinned at each other and kept taking photos.

 

Male eider preening at close range

 

I knew they had twigged us when the hen eider stood up tall and looked us over, while also plotting a takeoff escape route with a series of side glances.  

 

Steller's Eider Hen

 

 

We slowly looked at our feet, held as still as possible and feigned complete disinterest in the eiders.  Fortunately they settled down and stayed a bit.   Unfortunately a light rain began to fall.

 

Male Steller's Eider facing

 

Male Steller's Eider profile

 

Eventually it seemed like they were thinking about going somewhere else - not due to us or to fright, but deciding somewhere else was better.  The male took flight and came right at us, then right past us.  

 

 

 

 

 

Not long after the Steller's Eider encounter, the rain ended and the sky started to brighten.  Typical.  We had more good birding and approached the end of Freshwater Lake Road.  As I was scanning, I saw a small brown and white mammal running back and forth near the edge of the frozen lake.  It was an Arctic Fox! 

 

I apologize for the photo quality, but the distance was great and the "heat" shimmer (temperature gradient between land and air) was fierce.

 

 

 

 

As we were watching the Arctic Fox, one, then two drake Spectacled Eiders flew in from east to west, across the end of the road, and pitched in to a location out in the tundra.  Presumably a small melted pond.  There were also multiple Phalaropes feeding nearby, two different American Golden Plovers calling - one in flight, one atop a tundra mound.  Plus Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and Pectoral Sandpipers were singing and making short display flights.   It was hard to process and keep track of all the interesting wildlife!   Just the way we like it.

 

This is a photo of me trying to keep track of the Arctic Fox, Spectacled Eiders, and several shorebird species near the end of Freshwater Lake Road.

 

The Game's Afoot south of Utqiagvik

 

 

After Freshwater Lake Road, we stopped for a quick lunch in our kitchenette at the King Eider Inn.  Reflecting on the day's sightings, we realized we saw four Polar Bears before breakfast and Arctic Fox, Snowy Owl, three Eider Species, three Jaeger species, and several nice shorebird species before lunch.  

 

After a quick lunch we drove north through town, up to Cakeeater Road and then to explore Ikoravik Lake Road.  Some Arctic Willows were blooming on the tundra - these are miniature willow trees with pinkish/purple flowers  

 

Salix arctica flowers

 

 

On Cakeeater Road we saw a drake Spectacled Eider in a small pond beside the road.  It was a strikingly handsome bird.  

 

Male Spectacled Eider

 

Ikoravik Lake road was very productive, even though it is a comparatively short road.  We encountered a Parasitic Jaeger perched atop a snow mound and it seemed to be keeping a lookout, stretching and flexing its wings every so often.

 

When a pair of Greater White-fronted Geese began circling nearby at low altitude, the Jaeger did not take kindly to the unauthorized intrusion into its airspace.  It began voicing its displeasure very strenuously.

 

Down the road a bit, we saw a fairly confiding rain-soaked Northern Pintail drake.

 

We met a group of US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists as they were coming back to their vehicle parked by the road.  The two young ladies were studying Steller's and Spectacled Eiders and their nesting habits out in the tundra.  We traded info about sightings and meltwater trends.  

 

A couple of days after we left Utqiagvik, they found North America's second-ever Lesser Whitethroat!   

 

https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/587883341

 

Needless to say, Roger and I were sorry to miss that bird.

 

After some more good birding on Ikoravik Lake Road, we decided to check out Nunavak Road.  Nunavak Road passes through nice tundra habitat southeast of town, between Freshwater Lake Road and the Chukchi Sea.  We saw all three Jaeger Species (Long-tailed, Parasitic and Pomarine) in the first half mile and often thereafter.  Then we saw a male and female Steller's Eider on a small pond a fair distance from the road.   Shortly afterwards, we saw a lone Willow Ptarmigan out on the tundra.

 

Then we came upon a small pond with Northern Pintails, Greater Scaup, and a male + female pair of Spectacled Eiders.  Somehow I did not end up taking much in the way of photos of female Spectacled Eiders - which is a shame given their subtle beauty.  

 

Spectacled Eider pair

 

 

When we reached the end of Nunavak Road we saw Nigel, whom we had met over the Red-necked Stint circus.   He said he had just seen a Yellow-billed Loon in a lede of melted water between shore and the shorefast ice that was down the shore a bit from the end of the road.  We thanked him and gave him details on the pairs of Steller's Eiders we had seen on Freshwater Lake Road.  He was particularly wanting to photograph Steller's Eiders and was grateful for the tip.  

 

We kept scoping the open lede and one farther down the shore but did not end up seeing the Yellow-billed Loon.   So it goes.

 

At that point, it was supper time so we headed back to town and ate dinner at Niġġivikput.    

 

We were still buzzing from the day and could not believe our good fortune with the great birds and mammals.  Utqiagvik had really delivered for us the past couple of days.

 

Roger wanted to go see what he could photograph at Mike's place with bird feeders and I chose to stay and back up photos to a hard drive, shower to facilitate an early start in the morning and other chores.   Roger saw some Snow Buntings and Lapland Longpurs but also a couple of Brown Lemmings that barely allowed photos with their quick furtive behavior.  I was a little sorry to have missed the lemming photo op but not too much.

 

Brown Lemming

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by offshorebirder

[Treepol]

What a fabulous day out in Alaska, almost a "white-out." How wonderful to see 4 polar bears, snowy owl, arctic fox and all the eider ducks. Loved your photos, thanks for sharing.

[Kitsafari]

wow those stellar's and spectacled eiders are just spectacular, and those phalaropes in breeding coats! and snowy owl - one that I so long want to see.

i think you're turning me into an emerald shade of green - with envy!

[Soukous]

thanks Nate, for so much detail and such lovely photos

[Zim Girl]

Another fabulous day of wildlife watching.  So many great pictures and I am very envious of the Snowy Owl sighting.

[offshorebirder]

Thanks for the kind comments and encouragement @Treepol , @Kitsafari, @Soukous and @Zim Girl.   

[TonyQ]

Another brilliant day in an excellent report 

[Atdahl]

Wow, awesome sightings.  Who knew you could see polar bears up there in June.  Seems a lot nicer than those winter churchhill trips.

[Miss Biscuit]

I loved the snowy owl and musk ox and the dingy polar bear! All beautiful photos.

I love Alaska!

[offshorebirder]

Thank you @TonyQ yes, the stars seemed to align that day despite challenging weather.

 

@Atdahl - I hope it turns out to be regular and reliable to see Polar Bears at Point Barrow in June.  I am going next June, so we shall see.  If a bear-watching industry develops, I think it could help the bears in terms of conserving them.    Perhaps for problem bears, it could make it more likely to go to "bear jail" than be killed outright.   Anyway - the old saying of "what pays, stays" might become applicable.

 

Thank you @Miss Biscuit - I agree, Alaska is wonderful.  Hooks you almost as hard as Africa, but is much more convenient from our neck of the woods.

 

[Atdahl]

It will be interesting to hear if they are still around next June.  A conservation based industry would be great.

 

So, I was reading the above comments and a bobcat stalked past my window.  Nothing like reading about wildlife and seeing it at the same time