Willow Grouse - Coffee Dome, Nome
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
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!
Red-necked Phalarope on the sewage pools near the harbour, Nome
Arctic Tern - Nome Harbour
Arctic Tern - Nome Harbour
Arctic Tern (1st summer) - Nome Harbour
Arctic Tern (1st summer) - Nome Harbour
Arctic Tern (1st summer) - Nome Harbour
Arctic Tern (1st summer) - Nome Harbour
Aleutian Tern - Nome Harbour
Aleutian Tern - Nome Harbour
Red-throated Diver - On the eastern outskirts of Nome
Bar-tailed Godwit of race baueri - Council Road, Nome
Bar-tailed Godwit of race baueri - Council Road, Nome
Western and Semipalmated Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Dunlin, Western and Semipalmated Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Red-necked Stint, Dunlin, Western and Semipalmated Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Red-necked Stint - Council Road, Nome
Red-necked Stint - Council Road, Nome
Red-necked Stint - Council Road, Nome
Red-necked Stint - Council Road, Nome
Western Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Western Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Western Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Western Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Semipalmated Sandpiper - Council Road, Nome
Council Road
Safety Sound
Mew Gull of race brachyrhynchus (Short-billed Gull) an adult and a worn first winter -
Council Road, Nome
Tundra Swan - Council Road, Nome
Tundra Swan - Council Road, Nome
Heading out for the Sabine's Gull
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Sabine's Gull - Council Road, Nome
Arctic Tern - Council Road, Nome
Shifting sands
Shifting Sands
Least Sandpiper eggs
Heading back to the hotel at 01:12AM
Links to the other days of the trip (click to view)