The Deskbound Birder: Alaska - 11th June (Day 15

Saturday 11 June 2016

Alaska - 11th June (Day 15 - Part 2)

After spending the morning on Freshwater Road (see Part 1 here) we headed to Cakeeater Road and Gas Pipe Road birding it until 01:30. On the pool along Cakeeater Road was a nice selection of waders including Baird's Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper and by now the usual and familiar Western Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper. Onto Gas Pipe Road and out onto the tundra I spent my time with four species, firstly, Spectacled Eider, Steller’s Eider and Red-throated Diver on their tundra breeding pools enjoying great views. But my highlight was undoubtedly spending time with pair of Pomarine Skua at the nest. These are, back in the UK one of my favourite species and one that I don't get the chance to see that often, at their best passing a headland in a flock in the spring. This was more a bird of my childhood when I spend many many hours seawatching at St. Catherine’s Point on the Isle of Wight, one of the highlights of the year was seeing flocks passing by the headland in early to mid-May. It was a real privilege to see them on their breeding grounds in all their splendour with spoons and menacing appearance – uber cool and to be dive bombed by them so that they were no more than 3m away was for me perhaps the highlight of my time in Alaska, a moment I shall always treasure. Today had been a fantastic days birding with some real star birds.