The Deskbound Birder: Alaska - 7th June (Day 11)

Tuesday 7 June 2016

Alaska - 7th June (Day 11)

We were up early at 04:30 and headed to Anchorage Airport for a 07:25 flight to Nome landing at 08:45. We collected our car and checked into the Hotel Aurora having booked the Hotel Polaris. We heard the Polaris was a little like the movie ‘Pyscho’ so enquired at the Hotel Aurora, the best hotel in town which was full when I originally tried to book. Fortunately, the hotel had had a couple of cancellations and we were into the Aurora somewhat relieved. After grabbing some pic-nic supplies we headed out into the field and birded the Council Road as far as to Mile 52. Birding the tundra, creeks and Safety Sound plus the higher tundra and mountains beyond Bonanza Creek. It was fantastic birding with numerous Aleutian Tern, Semipalmated Sandpiper on the tundra, Black Brant, Surfbird in summer plumage, Sanderling, Black Turnstone and for me one of the highlights of the trip, numerous summer plumage Long-tailed Skua. We spent some time birding the inlet to Safety Sound where we had great views of stunning Surfbird in summer plumage, Western Sandpiper, Black Turnstone and Semipalmated Sandpiper. At a distant, I picked up there waders on the sandbar and I puzzled as to what they were, as I walked a little closer their black marked plumage, rufous scapulars and down curved bulls identified them as Great Knot, a very rare bird on mainland Alaska. Further along the highway we spent sometime taking photos of an old steam train stuck in the mudflats before heading up hill to Mile 48 a Gyrfalcon nest on a cliff top was seen and also here were Rough-legged Buzzard, Wilson’s Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Grey-cheeked Thrush. We crashed at around 01:00 after a great afternoons birding.