The Deskbound Birder: Alaska - 8th June (Day 12)

Wednesday, 8 June 2016

Alaska - 8th June (Day 12)

Today was a key day in the Nome section of the trip with one of the star birds to see. We were up early and headed up the Kougarok Road to Mile Post 72 we arrived at around 06:00. This site is known as the Coffee Dome, the summit of this relatively small hill is just about the only accessible site to see Bristle-thighed Curlew on its breeding grounds. We arrived to rather over cast conditions and as I opened the car I heard a distinctive penny-whistle like wader call, I had listed to this call on numerous occasions and knew immediately that this was a Bristle-thighed Curlew, we piled out of the car and then flying high from the right side of the road over to the Coffee Dome were two birds in display flight. Absolutely fantastic and an amazing sounding call. The birds flew over and landed on the summit of Coffee Dome so we kitted up and climbed the hill to see these birds. It was a mile or so climb over fairly tussocky terrain, on the way-up we saw Willow Ptarmigan, American Golden Plover and Hudsonian Whimbrel, After a couple of hours traversing the summit of Coffee Dome and just about to give up Barry located the pair of Bristle-thighed Curlew and we enjoyed good views for around an hour before descending.

Willow Grouse - Coffee Dome, Nome

American Golden Plover - Coffee Dome, Nome

Hudsonian Whimbrel - Coffee Dome, Nome

Lapland Bunting - Coffee Dome, Nome

Looking for Bristle-thighed Curlew on Coffee Dome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female to the left) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female to the right) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female to the rear) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (male) - Coffee Dome, Nome

Bristle-thighed Curlew (female) - Coffee Dome, Nome

The road down from Coffee Dome

A few stops on the way back to Nome produced Golden-crowned Sparrow and Red Fox Sparrow while Arctic Warbler and Bluethroat were both new for the trip and both near to Salmon Lake Campground at Mile Post 39, these species are amazing occurences as breeding birds in Alaska as presumably these birds winter in Asia and migrate across the Bering Sea to reach their breeding grounds.

Golden-crowned Sparrow - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

Red Fox Sparrow - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

Arctic Warbler - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

American Robin - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

American Tree Sparrow - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

Bluethroat of red-spotted race svevica which breeds from Scandinavia east to

Alaska and NW Canada - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

Bluethroat of red-spotted race svevica which breeds from Scandinavia east to

Alaska and NW Canada - Salmon Lake Campground, Nome

Moose with calves crossing river- Kougarok Road, Nome

Canada Goose of race parvipes - Kougarok Road, Nome

After a siesta we birded Council Road once more hoping for Emperor Goose on Safety Sound but it was not to be. One of the highlights of the afternoon was spending almost an hour with a mixed flock of Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper which also contained a single, stunning summer plumaged Red-necked Stint, the first time that I have seen this species in summer plumage. The birding here was now familiar but nonetheless fantastic and we spent from around 19:00 until 02:00 in the field. The highlights of the afternoon and evening are shown below and we rounded up the day with a fantastic flock of 13 Sabine's Gull which we watched until gone one in the morning!