Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell

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GRAND ALASKA: NOME & GAMBELL

MAY 29–JUNE 8, 2019

Common Eider (©Kevin J. Zimmer)

LEADERS: KEVIN ZIMMER & BRIAN GIBBONS LIST COMPILED BY: KEVIN ZIMMER

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM

GRAND ALASKA: NOME & GAMBELL

MAY 29–JUNE 8, 2019

By Kevin Zimmer

Bluethroat (male), Nome, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Following a most successful Pribilofs & Anchorage Pre-trip that netted a bonanza of Eurasian vagrants and breeding seabirds on St. Paul Island, as well as Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Trumpeter Swans, Spruce Grouse, Northern Hawk Owl, and both Black- backed and American Three-toed woodpeckers out of Anchorage, we convened our full group in Anchorage and then headed north to Nome the next morning to kick off the Nome & Gambell Tour. There is probably no tour that I more eagerly look forward to (certainly no other in North America) than this one, even after more than 30 years of doing this combo (Nome + Gambell) in one incarnation or another. The promise of numerous iconic Alaskan-breeding specialties, combined with the very real potential for multiple Asiatic vagrants, not to mention some glamour mammals and spectacular scenery and tundra wildflowers, makes for an exciting birding adventure with more than a bit of a wilderness feel to it.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 The stretch of the Council Road that skirts the coastline of Norton Sound from Cape Nome to Solomon is always the most dynamic place for birding in the Nome region and never fails to deliver something good or unexpected. Our first afternoon drive provided the expected introduction to many of Nome’s tundra breeders, as well as to many of the regular spring migrants. After the usual first stop at the dredge ponds on the outskirts of town for close Red-throated Loons, Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup, Arctic Terns, and Red-necked Phalaropes, we made our way to the bridge over the Nome River mouth. There was no sign of the hoped-for Bar-tailed Godwits or Pacific Golden-Plovers, but an Emperor Goose flying right over the bridge in the company of two Brant was an unexpected treat. It also didn’t take long to determine that Aleutian Terns were more common than usual, as noisy groups of birds flew back-and-forth past the bridge, many males carrying small fish to their would-be mates as courtship enticements.

Aleutian Tern, Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Making our way toward Cape Nome and Safety Lagoon, we stopped for fare ranging from Whimbrel and Long-tailed Jaeger to more Red-throated Loons, a pair of Eastern Yellow Wagtails, nice comparisons of Common and Hoary redpolls, and a good assortment of typical willow thicket birds, among them, American Tree, Fox, and White- crowned sparrows; Gray-cheeked Thrush; and Wilson’s and Yellow warblers. Safety Lagoon and Safety Sound were quieter than usual but still yielded Tundra Swans, more than 300 Brant, Sandhill Cranes, Parasitic and Long-tailed jaegers, and a variety of ducks, highlighted by numerous dressy Common Eiders. Our biggest prize of the afternoon was a gorgeous adult male Spectacled Eider that was hanging out with a quartet of Commons just offshore from MP 26. This threatened, restricted-range species is always one of the most desired targets of any visit to Alaska’s northern tundra regions, and one that is never guaranteed.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Common Eider (male), Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

As always, the coming days in the Nome region were filled with special sightings. Gyrfalcons showed nicely, with a perched pair on a rocky outcrop above Penny River on the Teller Road one day, and another pair tending a nest with 3 downy youngsters along the Kougarok Road the next. It was another good spring for Willow Ptarmigan, with days on the Kougarok and Teller roads producing 20–30/day. Rock Ptarmigan numbers had not rebounded as noticeably from the lows of recent years, but we still managed to find 4 birds along the Teller Road. Nice studies of breeding-plumaged Bar-tailed Godwit, Red Knot, Rock Sandpiper, Wandering Tattler, Black-bellied Plovers, and both species of golden-plovers, along with Northern Shrikes, Northern Wheatears, and Golden-crowned Sparrows were among the many other special birds that enriched our days here. In and amongst the many avian highlights, we were also treated to several encounters with prehistoric-looking Muskox, ranging from gnarly lone bulls to herds with youngsters. We also enjoyed sightings of Moose, Reindeer (an introduced subspecies of Caribou), Alaskan Hare, and American Beaver among the other mammals.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Rock Ptarmigan (male), Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

As is usually the case, top honors on the lengthy list of Nome highlights were shared between our experience with the iconic Bristle-thighed Curlew and our repeated views of multiple dazzling male Bluethroats, the latter in full skylarking display mode. Since discovering the first known nesting pair of Bluethroats in the Nome area (and, by extension, the first Bluethroats in Alaska that tour groups could access by car) on June 11, 1987, we have never failed to produce these beautiful, “chat-like” Old World Flycatchers during our annual Nome visits. This year, as last, we seemed to be hitting the local Bluethroat population at the peak of their territoriality, and everyone was treated to multiple scope views of perched males, not to mention repeated aerial song bouts. The curlews also proved easier to find than usual, largely because a couple of marauding Common Ravens looking for trouble found it in the form of 3 pairs of Whimbrels keenly interested in driving the potential nest predators completely out of their area code. The racket from the mobbing Whimbrels soon attracted a couple of pairs of Bristle-thighed Curlews, resulting in nice fly-by views of birds showing their diagnostic, contrasting cinnamon-buff rump and tail, while also giving repeated diagnostic vocalizations, barely an hour into our hike. Some folks were happy to declare victory and head back to the vans, while others pushed on and were eventually rewarded with scope views of a couple of birds on the ground, as well as an even closer pass by a calling bird in flight.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Bristle-thighed Curlew, Nome, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Leaving Nome behind, we flew to Gambell, a Yupik village of 600+ residents situated on a largely gravel spit at the northwest tip of Saint Lawrence Island. No two spring visits to Alaska’s Bering Sea outposts are ever the same, mainly because the migratory pulses of breeders and Asiatic vagrants alike are dictated by weather patterns that, in these high latitudes, can be simultaneously extreme and ephemeral. This year, Brian and I were practically foaming at the mouth in anticipation, because the weather forecast prediction was for W-SW winds at 10–20 mph—seemingly ideal conditions for producing windblown Asiatic vagrants—for virtually our entire stay. The winds had started blowing out of the southwest more than 24 hours prior to our arrival, so we had high hopes of the “Siberian Express” arriving at Gambell with a full load of vagrant passengers about the same time as we did. That wishful thinking made our weather delay getting out of Nome all the more frustrating, because it was hard not to think that we were missing out on the vagrant action. Eventually, after a delay of several hours, the weather at Gambell did clear enough for Bering Air to send our plane. Arriving on the island an hour later, we made straight for the lodge, where other birding groups waiting to get out painted a picture very different from our expectations. Not only had the wind-shift failed to produce any new vagrants, but the couple of lingering ones that had been present for more than a week (most notably, a female Red-flanked Bluetail) had disappeared in the past 24–48 hours and were now assumed to have either left, or expired. Drilling down deeper into the weather forecast revealed that although the winds were coming from the desired direction, they were not originating from the Asian mainland, but were spinning off a vortex created by a stalled high-pressure system over the central Bering Sea, an area where few, if any, migrants of any kind were moving. This news was deflating to say the least!

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Once we knew that there were no vagrants to chase, it was time to get down to the routine of daily sea watches, and checks of the near and far boneyards, the boat yard, the marsh at the northeast corner of Troutman Lake, and the marshes and gravel ponds that lie beyond. Among our targets was White Wagtail, a lovely trans-Beringian migrant that has managed to colonize the shores of northwestern Alaska in small numbers. The species is easier and more reliably found at Gambell than on the mainland, and this proved to be the case again this year, when we located a pair on our first hike through the boat yard. During an afternoon break, Brian and I actually discovered a female lugens-type White Wagtail (formerly treated as a distinct species—“Black-backed Wagtail”) hanging with a typical looking male ocularis White Wagtail near the school. We alerted Brad Benter and Dave Sonneborne, two friends who were staying in the lodge on their own, and they were able to blast out and re-find the wagtail, but despite many passes through the area over the next few days, we were never able to relocate the bird.

White Wagtail ( ocularis ), Gambell, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Finding Common Ringed Plover took only slightly more searching, as we found a pair in the south end of the boat yard on our way back to the lodge from our initial sea watch. Unfortunately, not everyone was there to see it, since some folks had headed straight back to the lodge upon leaving the sea watch. Not to worry, however, because we ended up seeing 1 or 2 Common Ringeds on each of our four days at Gambell, eventually getting a most confiding male that posed for us for an extended period at the north end of the boat yard, this time with everyone present. The plover is a rare but regular migrant to Gambell and the nearby Seward Peninsula, and it has occasionally nested at Gambell. This primarily Palearctic breeder also nests regularly in remote areas of the Canadian high Arctic, but it would have to rank among the least accessible of North America’s

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 breeding birds. I can’t even remember the last time we’ve missed it on a visit to Gambell, but it’s not often that we see one or more of them every day that we’re on the island.

Common Ringed Plover, Gambell, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Sea watches from Northwest Cape (“The Point”) are always a high point of birding here, and this year was no different. The daily commute of hundreds of thousands of alcids past the Point is spectacle enough to justify the trip, but it is accentuated by the excitement that comes with never knowing what will fly by next, as exemplified by the Arctic Loon that flew past on our very first sea watch. The sheer numbers of Crested, Least, and Parakeet auklets, and Horned Puffins, were, as always, staggering, and Black-legged Kittiwakes, Glaucous Gulls, and Pelagic Cormorants moved past the Point in numbers that I would call typical. However, murre numbers were the lowest that I had ever encountered, and the same could be said of Tufted Puffins. This was coming on the heels of 2018’s big die-off of murres and other fish-eating seabirds, seemingly a consequence of starvation brought on by unusually warm marine waters and the resulting depletion of the prey base. Eider numbers, in general, were also way down, and it took several sea watches to produce a single Steller’s Eider, and to pick off 8 Spectacled Eiders for all. Loons and jaegers were also way down in numbers, and we ended up missing Yellow- billed Loon for the first time in memory. We did see a number of White-winged Scoters, and among them were a couple of Stejneger’s Scoters, the East-Asian breeding form that was just elevated to full-species status by the American Ornithologists Society (AOS). Other highlights seen from the Point included daily Slaty-backed Gulls, Northern Fulmars, and Harlequin Ducks; a couple of flocks of Red Phalaropes; and a lone Short- tailed Shearwater.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Male Stejneger’s Scoter leading a male White-winged Scoter, Northwest Cape, Gambell, AK, June 6, 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

We did see a few unexpected birds while combing the village for vagrants. A pair of Common Goldeneyes that circled the village multiple times before putting down on the northwest corner of Troutman Lake (the only part of the lake that wasn’t frozen) was a treat, as were two Double-crested Cormorants that flew over the Near Boneyard and airstrip headed south. Emperor Goose is a regular migrant past the Cape, but it has been anything but guaranteed in recent visits and is seldom seen on the ground. That made 3 birds seen on the ground south of Troutman Lake an unexpected treat, although the combination of distance and thermal shimmer made the views less than stellar. We did much better with Rock Sandpiper, a confiding pair of which turned up at the revetments south of the lake.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Rock Sandpiper, Gambell, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Our final full day on the island began with a second Dovekie search along the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain. The Dovekie is a predominantly North Atlantic breeding bird, with only a relatively tiny, relict population inhabiting the Bering Sea. Each year, there are a handful of presumed breeding pairs present on the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain at Gambell, but finding them is no slam-dunk, given that they represent a veritable “needle” amongst the alcid “haystack” of this mountain. Indeed, the daily Gambell alcid spectacle, as witnessed from a position along the base of the mountain, is usually overwhelming for first-timers, and only marginally less thrilling for me, after 30 years of visits. The skies overhead are blackened by thousands of swirling auklets (Crested, Least, and Parakeet), lending the appearance of angry swarms of bees, while the slopes below are literally covered with more of the same (including a sprinkling of Horned Puffins and Pigeon Guillemots). Individual rock slabs are festooned with auklets: comical Cresteds, with their goofy, perpetual grins; diminutive Leasts crowded cheek-to-jowl; and larger Parakeets, looking more formal and stoic, with their black-and-white “tuxedoed” appearance and more erect carriage. Throughout, the voices of the masses of birds above combine to assault the senses with a cacophony of sound—the yelping of the Crested Auklets; the harsh, buzzy chatter of the Leasts; and the musical trilling rattles of the Parakeets—made all the more voluminous each time a passing raven, Rough-legged Hawk, or Peregrine Falcon sends the panicked alcids into frenzied flight. Amid all of this chaos, we must find the Dovekies, seldom represented in any given year by more than 6– 8 individuals, and typically located at least two-thirds of the way up the mountain, and hope that they remain in view long enough for everyone to obtain satisfactory scope views.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Least Auklets, Sivuqaq Mountain, Gambell, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

This spring, the task of finding a Dovekie had been amplified by the fact that no one had yet located more than a single individual, and that bird was not hanging out at the usual spot, but rather at another spot 50–100 m away. We had searched extensively but to no avail on Day 3, but that day’s efforts came later in the morning, when many of the alcids had already left the cliffs to forage at sea. On this, likely our last attempt, we made the Dovekie search into a pre-breakfast event in order to optimize our chances. I blasted up to the base of the mountain by ATV, ahead of Brian and the rest of the group, who were checking the Far Boneyard and the NE corner marsh en route, but who maintained radio contact throughout. Unfortunately, upon my arrival at the base of the mountain, I found fog effectively obscuring the upper third or more of the slope. It was already going to be difficult enough to pin down a lone Dovekie amid the masses of small alcids covering the slopes above. Although friends whose Gambell visit had preceded ours by a week or more had given us detailed directions to THE tiny patch of mountain real estate that the ONLY Dovekie liked to occupy, those directions were now proving not so helpful, in light of the fact that various snow fields used as landmarks in their descriptions had, in fact, either melted so much in the intervening week as to no longer exist, or to have at least significantly shrunk and/or changed their shape. Now, I had to try to locate a spot with pinpoint precision that no longer fit the site as described to me, while also coping with a fickle fog bank that alternately thickened and thinned every few minutes. Fortunately, the fog finally receded upslope just as friend and WBA tour guide James Huntington drove up, looking to pin down the Dovekie for his group. James had been on site for more than a week and knew the precise spot to look—a site that, prior to his arrival, had been completely obscured in the fog. James was able to put his scope right on

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 the bird, and the ceiling cooperated by staying put, enabling everyone in both groups to obtain multiple distant but very identifiable scope views.

With the Dovekie under our belts, and nothing of note in any of the boneyards, we spent the afternoon south of the village, checking the marshes and gravel ponds south of Troutman Lake. It was here that we finally discovered a couple of Asiatic visitors in the form of 2 different Wood Sandpipers that showed up near the revetments. Both birds showed nicely, and even though several of us had already seen a Wood Sandpiper in the Pribilofs on the Pre-trip, it was nice to finally get on the vagrant scoreboard at Gambell.

Wood Sandpiper, Gambell, AK, June 6, 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

With our plane due in at 10:00 a.m. on the final morning, there was little time for anything more than an optional last sea watch at Northwest Cape, which failed to produce the hoped-for Yellow-billed Loon. This visit was perhaps the least productive visit to Gambell that we’ve ever had for Asiatic vagrants. But, as I’ve said many times, Gambell is about much more than just Siberian vagrants. There are the regular but rare or range- restricted migrants and breeders such as Dovekie, Arctic Loon, Rock Sandpiper, and Emperor Goose, not to mention the very real possibility of seeing all four species of eiders and all three species of jaegers in breeding plumage. There is something too, to be said for any place where the three most commonly seen passerines are White Wagtail, Snow Bunting, and Lapland Longspur! And, as it turned out, our poor vagrant luck at Gambell was more than balanced out by our exceptional vagrant luck at St. Paul on the Pre-trip.

A trip to Gambell is always memorable, as much for its glimpse into Bering Sea culture and the adventure of birding one of America’s few remaining frontiers as for any birds

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 seen. Just knowing that the snow-capped peaks glimmering some 40-odd miles in the distance are part of the Russian Far East and mainland Asia lends an exotic quality to being here. It will also be hard to forget Gray Whales repeatedly surfacing offshore, the strips of blackened seal and walrus drying on traditional drying racks, ATVs humming across the landscape at all hours of the night, stubbing our toes on walrus skulls while birding the boneyards, and, of course, the unique opportunities to barter for a variety of Yupik native crafts, including some exceptional ivory carvings.

Arriving back in Nome, we received news of a Ross’s Gull that had been seen at the Nome River mouth. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, the bird had left and had not been seen in the past hour. As a consolation prize, we were treated to exceptional studies of lovely Sabine’s Gulls and unusual numbers of Aleutian Terns. Farther out the Council Road, we stopped at Safety Sound and snagged a Common Sandpiper that had turned up the day before—who would have guessed that Nome would end up giving us a higher quality vagrant than Gambell? The next morning, we made a final excursion out the Kougarok Road to look for Arctic Warbler, a late arriving Beringian specialty and common breeder at Nome that had yet to show up before we had left for Gambell. When Arctic Warblers arrive on the Alaskan mainland, they typically do so in force, and such was again the case this year. We had 6 in the first 18 miles out the Kougarok and enjoyed multiple stunning views, ending our tour in fine fashion.

Common Sandpiper, Safety Sound, Nome, AK, June 7, 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

A trip to northwestern Alaska’s outposts highlights the ephemeral, transient nature of birding in the arctic and subarctic regions. Rare birds arrive without warning and leave without notice; conditions are optimal one moment and inhospitable the next. One has to admire the feathered wanderers that return again and again from more hospitable climes to fulfill their reproductive destinies in lands that can be so capriciously unpredictable

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 and unforgiving. Seemingly fragile, always restless, they strike out each spring for this land at the edge of the Bering Sea. And each spring, we wait, anticipating their arrivals, and reveling in our unexpected discoveries. It is a drama that I look forward to repeating, year after year, with undiminished anticipation.

I would like to extend special thanks to Jennifer for taking such good care of us at Gambell and for making sure that even if we were tired, or cold (or both), we would not go hungry! It was great fun birding with you all, and we hope to see you again on some future VENT trip!

ITINERARY:

5/29 - Met in Anchorage for get-acquainted dinner & orientation. 5/30 - Breakfast at 0630h, followed by late morning (1020h) flight to Nome (AS #151). Upon arrival, we checked in to the hotel, ate lunch, and then departed at 1530h on our first excursion out the Council Road to MP 26 and back, with stops at the Nome River Mouth, Hastings Creek, Cape Nome, Safety Lagoon and Safety Sound, among others; back for dinner by 1945h. 5/31 - Nome: breakfast at 0600h, followed by all day (with picnic lunch) on the Teller Road to Woolley Lagoon (MP 40) and back, returning for dinner at 1915h. 6/01 - Nome: breakfast at 0600h, followed by all day (with picnic lunch) on the Kougarok Road to MP 72.5 (“Curlew Mountain” opposite Coffee Dome) and back, including extended off-road hike for the Bristle-thighed Curlew; returning for dinner at ca. 1815h. 6/02 - Nome: breakfast at 0600h, followed by all day (with picnic lunch) on Council Road to beyond Skookum Pass and back, returning for dinner by 1900h. 6/03 - Nome to Gambell: breakfast at 0630h, followed by transfer to Bering Air to check in for our flight to Gambell. Unfortunately, due to fog at Gambell, we were on weather hold for much of the day, and ended up getting a ride back into Nome to have lunch at Milanos. We finally got the “go” sign about 1600h, arriving at Gambell at ca. 1500h. By the time we got all of our gear into the lodge and moved into our rooms, it was time for dinner. After dinner, we did our first excursion, which was a sea watch at Northwest Cape (The Point), followed by a walk back through the boatyard and Near Boneyard. 6/04 - Gambell: Coffee & mini-breakfast, followed by Pre-breakfast sea watch at Northwest Cape (The Point), from 0630h-0830h, returning for hot breakfast, followed by morning excursion to the marsh at the northeast corner of Troutman Lake, Far Boneyard, base of mountain to North Beach, and Circular Boneyard before returning to the lodge for lunch and break; late afternoon to south end of Troutman Lake and gravel ponds; optional post-dinner sea watch at Northwest Cape. 6/05 - Gambell: Coffee & mini-breakfast, followed by Pre-breakfast check of the Near Boneyard and boat yard, and a brief sea watch at Northwest Cape (The Point), from 0630h-0830h, returning for hot breakfast, followed by a post-breakfast sea watch from 0900–1100h; back for lunch and break; followed by yet another sea

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 watch from 1500h–1700h, and another thorough search of the boat yard and Near Boneyard from 1700h–1830h. 6/06 - Gambell: Coffee & mini-breakfast, followed by Pre-breakfast excursion from 0630h–0800h to the base of Sivuqaq Mountain, specifically to look for Dovekie, followed by a check of the Circular & Far Boneyards and the NE corner of Troutman Lake before returning to the lodge for hot breakfast. Post-breakfast sea watch at Northwest Cape, and check of boat yard and near bone yard 0900– 1200h, returning for lunch and break until 1500h followed by excursion to the marshes and gravel ponds south of Troutman Lake, and then another check of the NE corner marsh and the Far Boneyard. 6/07 - Gambell to Nome: Optional sea watch from Northwest Point from 0615–0730h (Brian and Steve spent that time looking for and finding Dovekie on the side of the mountain) before leaving on a 1000h flight back to Nome. Arrived in Nome by 1100h, said our goodbyes to Jennifer, then headed to the hotel for check-in, followed by time for logistics and lunch, with 1430h departure for birding along the Council Road, first to the Nome River mouth to look for a Ross’s Gull found the previous day, and then to beyond MP 28 and back, returning at 1900h. 6/08 - Nome: breakfast at 0600h, followed by optional excursion out the first 18 miles of the Kougarok Road, looking primarily for Arctic Warbler, returning to the hotel by 0930h, in time for departing participants to pack up and head to the airport in time to catch AS #152, departing Nome at 1226h for Anchorage, and connecting on to flights home.

KEY:

G = Gambell N = Nome area * = heard only

BIRDS:

Emperor Goose (Anser canagicus ) - N (1 with two Brant that flew right over us as we stood on the bridge over the Nome River Mouth on 5/30.), G (3 on the ground south of Troutman Lake on 6/6 constituted our only record from Gambell.) Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons ) - N (6 in the Kuzitrin drainage along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 1 along the Council Road on 6/2); G (1 on 6/3 from our sea watch; 4 on 6/4; and 1 hanging out with the Emperor Geese south of Troutman Lake on 6/6.) Brant (Branta bernicla ) - N (high count of 300+ along the Council Road between Nome and Solomon on 5/30; 50+ along the same stretch on 6/2); G (1 south of Troutman Lake on the ground with the Emperor Geese and Greater White-fronted Goose on 6/6.) {All brant seen on this trip were typical western nigricans , formerly called “Black Brant”.}

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii ) - N (2 along the Teller Road on 5/31; 6 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; and 1 along the Council Road on 6/7.) {Birds in this region belong to the subspecies taverneri , which is large compared to other subspecies of this recently split {from Canada Goose} species. They are confusingly like the parvipes subspecies of Canada Goose, which has not been confirmed to occur here, although many of the birds seen are suspiciously suggestive of that species.} Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus ) - N (8 along the Council Road on 5/30; 5 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 200+ along the Council Road [mostly between Safety Sound and Solomon] on 6/2; 2 along at Safety Lagoon on 6/7.)

Tundra Swans, Nome, Alaska (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata ) - N (1-4 seen daily) Gadwall (Mareca strepera ) - N (2 along the Council Road at Safety Lagoon on 5/30 were a surprise – a rarity in the Nome area.) American Wigeon (Anas americana ) - N (12 along the Council Road on 5/30; 4 along the Teller Road on 5/31; 2 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 2 along the Council Road on 6/7; and a high count of 50 along the Council Road on 6/2, mostly between Safety Sound and Solomon.) Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos ) - N (3 along the Council Road on 5/30; 2 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; and a high count of 8 along the Council Road on 6/2.) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta ) - N (Common; seen daily in good numbers along all three roads.), G (1-4 seen daily.) Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca ) - {All birds seen this year were of the widespread North American race carolinensis.}

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Greater Scaup (Aythya marila ) - N (Common; up to 30-40 seen daily, and along all three main roads.), G (2 that flew by Northwest Cape on 6/5 was our only record.) Steller’s Eider (Polysticta stelleri ) - G (1 male that flew by Northwest Cape on 6/5 was, surprisingly, our only record, despite one or more sea watches/day.) Spectacled Eider (Somateria fischeri ) - N (1 spectacular adult male just offshore at about MP 25 of the Council Road on 5/30, was loosely associated with a small group of Common Eiders.), G (1 male + a group of 7 [mostly males] that flew past us at Northwest Cape during two separate sea watches on 6/6, was a better than average showing for this species, in a year in which the numbers of other eider species was much lower than usual at Gambell.) King Eider (Somateria spectabilis ) - G (A flock of 8 that flew by us during our sea watch on 6/5, was, disturbingly, our only record – hands-down the poorest showing ever for this species at Gambell.) Common Eider (Somateria mollissima v-nigrum ) - N (Common along the coast, where we recorded counts of 25, 40 and 50 along the Council Road between Nome and Solomon on 5/30, 6/2 and 6/7 respectively.) {Males of this subspecies, v-nigrum , differ from populations in northeastern North America mainly by their bright orange [as opposed to greenish] bill.} Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus ) - N (6 at Cripple River, Teller Road on 5/31; 4 along the Nome River, Kougarok Road on 6/1; 8 along the Solomon River, Council Road on 6/2; and 6 along the Nome River, Kougarok Road on 6/8.), G (2–7 birds seen daily past Northwest Cape)

Harlequin Ducks, Cripple River, Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi ) - N (Totals of 10 and 15 seen along the coast, Council Road, on 5/30 and 6/2 respectively.), G (1 male flying with a male Stejneger’s on 6/5; 13, in groups of 7, 2, and 4 on 6/6; all past Northwest Cape.) Stejneger’s Scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri ) - G (1 male flew past Northwest Cape side- by-side with a male White-winged Scoter on 6/5, and another male flew past the Cape in the company of 4 White-winged Scoters on 6/6, both individuals confirmed by photos.) {This Siberian-breeding taxon is an uncommon to rare migrant to northwestern Alaska. It was just elevated to full-species status in the latest update to the A.O.S. North American Checklist, having been previously considered one of three subspecies of the widespread White-winged Scoter. What was called White-winged Scoter has now been split into three species: the Siberian-breeding stejnegeri (= Stejneger’s Scoter); Eurasian fusca (= Velvet Scoter) and North American deglandi (= White-winged Scoter). Most of the White-winged-type Scoters that we see flying along the coast at Nome or past the Cape/Point at Gambell are too far to distinguish the differences in bill shape and color pattern, and plumage, and are generally assumed to be North American breeding deglandi . But, occasionally, individuals will come close enough to allow positive identification, particularly with digital enhancement of telephoto images.} Black Scoter (Melanitta americana ) - N (3 along the coast, Council Road on 5/30; 5 at the MP 64-65 lake on the Kougarok Road on 6/1) {This species has recently been split from Common Scoter, M. nigra , of Europe.} Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis ) - N (Common; 6–12 seen daily, and along all three roads.), G (Fairly common; seen daily in small numbers, mostly as migrants past Northwest Cape, but also on small lakes south of Troutman Lake.) Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula ) - G (Pair [male & female] seen circling over the village and landing in the sliver of open water on Troutman Lake on 6/4 and again on 6/5. This species is a rare migrant to the island.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 18 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Common Goldeneyes (male & female), Gambell, AK, June 5, 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser ) - N (1 female along the Council Road on 5/30 was our only record. This species is an uncommon visitor and rare summer resident in the Nome region.) Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator ) - N (Common; 10-20 seen daily, along all three roads.), G (1-6 birds seen daily, mostly moving past Northwest Cape.) Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus ) - N (It was a good year for Willows, with 21 recorded along the Teller Road on 5/31, and 24 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1, with another 4 seen there on the brief, last morning excursion on 6/8.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 19 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Willow Ptarmigan (male), Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta ) - N (This species, seemingly, has yet to rebound from the last population crash of a few years ago. We saw only 4 birds, all off the Teller Road on 5/31, and we could not find them in some spots that have been reliable in the past.) Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena ) - N (2 at the MP 64-65 lake on the Kougarok Road on 6/1 were nest-building.), G (1 seen off NW Cape on a sea watch on 6/5.) Rock Pigeon (Columba livia ) - N (15 seen near the Snake River bridge on the Teller Road on 5/31; these are free-flying “pets” belonging to people living in one of the houses along the Snake.) Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis ) - N (1–5 birds seen along the Council Road between Safety Lagoon and Solomon on 5/30, 6/2 and 6/7; 1 foraging in the dump along the Kougarok Road on 6/1 and 6/8; 1 in the Kuzitrin River drainage along the Kougarok Road on 6/1.) Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola ) - N (6 seen along the Woolley Lagoon Road on 5/31, including a male that came off an active nest.) American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica ) - N (6 seen from the Teller Road on 5/31; 2 on Curlew Mountain on 6/1; and 2 at Skookum Pass on the Council Road on 6/2) Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva ) - N (10 along the Teller Road and Woolley Lagoon Road on 5/31.) Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula ) - G (1-2 birds seen daily from 6/3–6.) Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus ) - N (1-6 seen daily; found along all three major roads.), G (2-6 seen daily) Bristle-thighed Curlew (Numenius tahitiensis ) - N (2 or 3 pairs seen, with particularly good flight views of calling birds showing off their diagnostic, contrasting, buffy/cinnamon rump and tail; mostly due to the presence of Common Ravens, which

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 20 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 were being mobbed by Whimbrels and the Bristle-thigheds. We did manage to walk up on a couple of birds on the ground, for good scope views.) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus ) - N (2 between Nome and Cape Nome along the Council Road on 5/30; 2 along the Teller Road on 5/31; and 8 on Curlew Mountain, MP 72.5, the Kougarok Road on 6/1.) Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica ) - N (4 along the Teller Road (mostly along the Sinuk River) on 5/31; 1 seen by some folks along the Council Road on 6/2.)

Bar-tailed Godwit (male), Sinuk River, Nome, AK (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala ) - N (1 seen by some folks beyond Safety Sound on 6/7.) Red Knot (Calidris canutus ) - N (2 [pair] at MP 34 Teller Road on 5/31, and heard from Skookum Pass, Council Road, on 6/2.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 21 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Red Knot, Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Surfbird (Calidris virgata ) - N (A group of 6 feeding in the wrack line between Safety Sound and Solomon on 6/2, and, again, on 6/7.) (It is always a bonus to find these uncommon alpine breeders in the Nome area. Seeing them where they breed usually requires extensive hiking on the higher domes, and given their cryptic coloration and low densities, they are very seldom encountered here as breeding birds. They are most often seen as just-arriving migrants, non-breeders and/or failed breeders along the shores of Norton Sound, which is precisely how we saw them.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 22 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Surfbird, Nome, Alaska (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Sanderling (Calidris alba ) - N (1 in the wrack line between Safety Sound and Solomon on 6/2 was our only record.) (This species is an uncommon, but regular migrant in the Nome region, almost always appearing in the wrack line along the shores of Norton Sound, or, on ephemeral mudbars in the lagoon complex between Safety Lagoon and Solomon.) Dunlin (Calidris alpina ) - G (2-4 seen daily, from 6/4–6.) Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ) - N (2 [pair] seen from the quarry road off MP 34 of the Teller Road on 5/31.), G (A pair seen in the revetments south of Troutman Lake on 6/4 and again on 6/5 offered up outstanding views.) {Our Rock Sandpipers were of the subspecies tschuktschorum , which is smaller, notably darker and duller in overall appearance, and with less white in the wings and tail, than the nominate subspecies ptilocnemis that we see in the Pribilofs.} Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii ) - G (1 seen in the Boatyard by Brian and some folks on 6/4 was our only record.) Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla ) - N (1 seen by some along the Council Road on 6/2.) (This species is a rare migrant and breeder in the Nome region, with most breeding birds being concentrated in the Pilgrim and Kuzitrin river drainages, and occasional birds being found along the Nome River drainage, all along the Kougarok Road.) Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla ) - N (Common along the coast, where 20- 50 seen daily along the Council Road [mainly Nome River mouth and Safety Lagoon to Solomon] on 5/30, 6/2 and 6/7.) Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri ) - N (Seen daily, with a high of 40+ birds seen along the Teller Road on 5/31.), G (2-4 birds seen daily.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 23 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata ) - N (Seen/heard daily, and along all three major roads, with a high count of 30 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1.) Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus ) - N (10–30 seen daily, and from all three main roads.), G (4-8 birds seen daily from 6/4–7.)

Red-necked Phalarope (female), Gambell, AK, June 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius ) - N (8 seen along the Council Road between Safety Lagoon and Solomon on 6/2 were late migrants.), G (Small groups of 10- 20 birds seen moving past the shore at NW Cape on 6/3 and 6/5–7.) Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos ) - N (1 from the Safety Sound bridge and the wrack line just beyond on 6/7 was a vagrant, and a great bonus bird, particularly on the mainland.) Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius ) - N (1 along the Feather River, Teller Road, on 5/31; 2 along the Nome River, Kougarok Road, on 6/1; and 2 along the Solomon River, Council Road, on 6/2.) Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana ) - N (1 along the Sinuk River, Teller Road, on 5/31.) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola ) - G (2 found and photographed by our group on our last afternoon [6/6] were both near the revetments south of Troutman Lake.) Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus ) - G (Singles seen from sea watches off NW Cape on 6/3, 6/5, and 6/6. Jaeger numbers offshore from Gambell were lower than I have ever recorded before.) Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus ) - N (2 seen along the Council Road between Nome and Solomon on 5/30 and 6/7, and 5 seen in the same stretch on 6/2; with 2 more seen along the Teller Road on 5/31.), G (Singles seen from sea watches off NW Cape on 6/5 and 6/6.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 24 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus ) - N (3–15 seen daily, and along all three main roads, with a high count of 15 along the Teller Road on 5/31.), G (1 leader-only bird seen south of Troutman Lake, late on the evening of 6/5 by KJZ was our only record.)

Long-tailed Jaeger, Nome, AK, May 2019 (© Kevin J. Zimmer)

Dovekie (Alle alle ) - G (After much searching, we finally pulled one out of the masses of alcids on the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain on 6/6, for distant, but good/lengthy scope studies. Seen again in the same spot by Brian and Steve on 6/7.) (This species is a rare, but regular breeder here, but picking out the handful (at most) of breeding pairs from among the tens of thousands of other alcids cramming the slopes is never easy. The population seems to be declining, and this year, no one reported seeing more than a single individual.) Common Murre (Uria aalge ) - N (Seen along the Council Road at Cape Nome on 6/7.), G (Following last year’s big die-off [seemingly in response to warmer water temperatures, and a corresponding collapse of the prey base], numbers this year off NW Cape were the fewest I’ve ever seen, with only a few confirmed Commons on 6/3 and again on 6/6. Many murres moving past the Point were too distant to identify to species.) Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia ) - N (A few seen on the water from Cape Nome on 6/2.), G (Seen daily offshore from NW Cape, but in much lower numbers than I have ever seen before. Numbers started to pick up markedly on our last two days, with 100-200 birds seen each day.) Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba ) - N (2 flying past Cape Nome on 6/2.), G (Seen daily from sea watches at NW Cape, with a high count of 80 on 6/3; 100+ on the lower slopes and coastal rocks at North Beach on 6/5.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 25 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Parakeet Auklet (Aethia psittacula ) - G (Common; hundreds seen daily from Northwest Cape; 500-1000 from the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain.) Least Auklet (Aethia pusilla ) - G (Abundant; seen daily, with 10,000+ on the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain, and numbers offshore from Northwest Cape maxing out at ca. 100-200/day.) Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella ) - G (Abundant; seen daily, with offshore counts maxing at a rate of 100+/second moving past Northwest Cape in the evenings, and numbers on the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain in the mornings numbering between 5,000-10,000)

Horned Puffin (Fratercula corniculata ) - G (Seen daily from Northwest Cape, with daily counts ranging from 40–72; also, 50–150 daily on the slopes of Sivuqaq Mountain.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 26 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Tufted Puffin (Fratercula cirrhata ) - G (Another species whose numbers were the lowest that I have ever encountered. Only a couple birds seen on the 6/3 and 6/4 sea watches, with 3 on 6/5, 9 on 6/6, and 5 on 6/7.) Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla ) - N (Up to 10 birds seen along the Council Road between Nome and Safety Sound on 5/30, and again on 6/2, but there were 50+ loafing at the Nome River mouth on 6/7.), G (Common; 100–300/day from sea watches off Northwest Cape.) Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini ) - N (3 beautiful adults at the Nome River mouth on 6/7 were our only records.) Mew Gull (Larus canus brachyrhynchus ) - N (The common tundra-breeding gull in the Nome area; seen daily, in good [30–50] numbers, along all three major roads.) Herring Gull (Larus [argentatus] vegae ) - G (2-3 seen daily.) {Entirely of the Siberian race vegae , treated by some as a distinct species, and then called “Vega Gull” or “Vega Herring Gull”.} Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus ) - N (2 in the Safety Sound area on 6/2.), G (Singles, either 1 st -cycle or 2 nd -cycle birds, seen from Northwest Cape sea watches on 6/3, 6/5, and 6/7.) Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens ) - N (2 1 st -cycle birds seen between Cape Nome and Safety Sound on 6/7 were our only records, bucking a trend in recent years of increasing numbers of non-breeders of this species showing up in the Nome area.) Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus ) - G (Common; seen daily in good numbers.), N (Common; seen daily along the coast in good numbers, and inland along the larger rivers in somewhat smaller numbers.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 27 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Aleutian Tern (Onychoprion aleutica ) - N (The best year in recent memory for this species in the Nome region. We recorded 20-30 individuals on every pass by the Nome River mouth, with scattered individuals or small groups encountered elsewhere between Safety Lagoon and Solomon. Numbers at the Nome River mouth swelled after 6/7, and subsequent VENT groups recorded upwards of 75 or more in the days that followed our tour.) Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea ) - N (Common; seen daily in good numbers, both along the immediate coast, and along all major rivers inland.) Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata ) - N (4–12 seen daily, and along all three main roads, including 3 actively nesting pairs.)

Arctic Loon (Gavia arctica ) - G (1 nice fly-by seen on our first sea watch off Northwest Cape on 6/3 was, surprisingly, our only record. Actually, given the small numbers of loons moving offshore at Gambell during this visit, we were incredibly lucky to get even one Arctic. This was the first Gambell visit that I can remember, that we did not see a single Yellow-billed or Red-throated loon during our many sea watches.) Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica ) - N (Less common than usual, with 2 [pair] seen along the Kougarok Road [MP 64] on 6/1; 2 along the Council Road [including a bird on a nest at Solomon] on 6/2; and 1 along the Council Road on 6/7.), G (An unusually pathetic total of 8 birds spread over three different days [3 on 6/3, 3 on 6/5, and 2 on 6/7.] Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis ) - G (10–25 seen daily from sea watches off Northwest Cape.) Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris ) - G (1 seen off Northwest Cape on 6/5.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 28 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Pelagic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pelagicus ) - N (4 seen offshore from the Council Road, between Cape Nome and Safety Sound on 5/30.), G (20–40/day seen daily from sea watches off Northwest Cape.) Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus ) - G (A pair of birds photographed by KJZ as they flew over the Near Boneyard on 6/4, represented only the 2 nd /3 rd records of this species for the island.)

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos ) - N (1 adult at an active nest along the Kougarok Road on 6/1.) Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus ) - N (1 seen along the Teller Road on 5/31 was, oddly, our only record.) Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus ) - N (4 along the Teller Road on 5/31; 1 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1), G (1 of the nesting pair seen along the south end of the mountain by most people on 6/5, and again on 6/6.) Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus ) - N (3-4 seen along the Teller Road on 5/31; 1 seen along the Kougarok Road on the morning of 6/8.) Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus ) - N (2 [pair] seen between MP 13-14 of the Teller Road on 5/31; 2 adults with 3 nestlings at an active nest along the Kougarok Road on 6/1.) Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya ) - N (1 along the Kougarok Road at MP 25 was perched above the Gyrfalcon nest; 3 seen along the Council Road beyond Solomon on 6/2.) Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor ) - N (1 at Penny River on the Teller Road on 5/31; 1 along the Kougarok Road on 6/1.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 29 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Black-billed Magpie (Pica hudsonia ) - Seen in Anchorage as we drove to the airport on 5/30. Common Raven (Corvus corax ) - N (Common; small numbers seen daily.), G (2-4 birds seen daily, including an actively nesting pair on the side of the mountain.) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor ) - N (10-20 birds seen daily.) Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia ) - N (< 10 seen near the Snake River on the Teller Road on 5/31, and at various spots beyond Solomon along the Council Road on 6/2.) Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota ) - N (Common at the bridges over the Pilgrim and Kuzitrin rivers along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 10+ at the Sinuk River bridge, Teller Road, on 5/31.) Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis ) - N ( 6 along the Kougarok Road on our last morning on 6/8. This is typically the latest arriving of the breeding passerines, and the first wave appeared while we were on Gambell.) Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica ) - N (5 seen along the Teller Road on 5/31; 3 seen/heard along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 1 heard beyond the East Fork of the Solomon River along the Council Road on 6/2; and 1 heard along the Kougarok Road on the morning of 6/8.)

Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe ) - N (1 leader-only bird along the Council Road on 5/30 [BG]; 3 off the Teller Road [1 on the MP 34 quarry road; pair along the Woolley Lagoon road] on 5/31.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 30 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius ) - N (1 heard along the Kougarok Road on 6/1; 1 seen nicely along the Council Road, beyond Skookum Pass, on 6/2.) Gray-cheeked Thrush (Catharus minimus ) - N (Common; seen daily in good numbers along all three roads.) American Robin (Turdus migratorius ) - N (Common; seen daily in small numbers along all three roads.) Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis ) - N (2 along the Council Road on 5/30; 1 along the Teller Road on 5/31; and 1 along the Council Road on 6/2. This species has declined significantly as a breeding bird at Nome over the past 15 years.), G (1 on 6/4 and 2 on 6/6.) White Wagtail (Motacilla alba ocularis ) - G (1-2 pairs of the regular breeding subspecies ocularis seen daily, at various points between the Far Boneyard and the dump.) “Black-backed Wagtail” (Motacilla alba lugens ) - G (1 female found and photographed near the school by BG & KZ on 6/5 while we were scouting, was, unfortunately, never seen again by anyone in our group, although a few independent birders did manage to see it. This taxon, formerly treated as a distinct species, is now considered a subspecies of White Wagtail, and, indeed, the two forms regularly interbreed where they come into contact.) American Pipit (Anthus rubescens ) - N (Single individuals seen along each of the three major roads on 5/31–6/2.) {Subspecies pacificus , one of the widespread subspecies that breed in North America.} Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea ) - N (10-30 seen daily, along all three main roads.), G (5-8 seen daily in the boneyards and boatyard.) {For the 34 years that I have been birding Nome, it has been my experience that “redpolls”

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 31 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 (collectively) are among the most abundant of passerine birds present in June, and that Hoary Redpolls greatly outnumber Commons in all habitats (particularly tundra) except for the areas with the tallest thickets of willow and alder (e.g. Cape Nome and portions of the Pilgrim, Kuzitrin and Solomon river drainages). A typical breakdown of redpoll phenotypes on our annual June trips is about 70- 75% Hoaries, 10-15% Commons, and 10+% intermediates that probably represent intergrades or hybrids. For the third consecutive year, such was not the case. Redpolls of all types have been less common/conspicuous during our visits of the past few years, and the proportion of Commons to Hoaries has been increasing. See note below under “Hoary Redpoll”.}

Hoary Redpoll (Acanthis hornemanni ) - N (3–10 seen daily, along all three main roads.) {Census work conducted in the 1970s–1990s has shown that, collectively, “redpolls” are the most abundant breeding passerine across the entire Seward Peninsula. Over much of the past 33 years, we typically record in excess of 150- 200 daily, but that number has dropped dramatically over the past 5 years. It was widely expected that the two redpoll species would be lumped in the last supplement to the AOS checklist, but that didn’t happen. Until a formal lump happens, we can say positively that both “species” were recorded at Nome. However, the reason for the recent apparent scarcity of all redpolls, and for the dramatic swing in the differential counts of the two phenotypes is a mystery. It seems likely that the drastically warming climate may have allowed the more southerly breeding Common Redpolls to expand their breeding range northward, although that still doesn’t explain the marked decline of the local Hoary Redpoll population.}

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 32 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus ) - N (Common; seen daily in small numbers along all three main roads.), G (Common; seen daily in small numbers of 10–20 birds.)

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis ) - N (1 female seen along the beach beyond Safety Sound on 5/30 was in an odd location; 4 along the quarry road at MP 34 of the Teller Road on 5/31, and 3 on Skookum Pass, Council Road on 6/2 were all in typical alpine breeding sites.) American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea ) - N (Common; seen daily in small numbers along all three roads.) Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca zaboria ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in good numbers along all three roads.) {Subspecies zaboria ; one of the “Red Fox Sparrow” types.} White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in good numbers along all three roads.) Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in good numbers along all three roads.) Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in small numbers along the Kougarok and Teller roads, and in good numbers along the Council Road, where we recorded 25+ on both 5/30 and again on 6/2.) Northern Waterthrush (Parkesia noveboracensis ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in good numbers along all three roads.) Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in small numbers along all three roads.)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 33 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019 Yellow Warbler (Setophaga petechia ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in good numbers along all three roads.) Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata ) - N ( 1-2 birds seen/heard along Penny River, Teller Road on 5/31; along the Pilgrim River drainage, Kougarok Road on 6/1; and along the Solomon River, Council Road on 6/2.) Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla ) - N (Common; seen/heard daily in small numbers along all three roads.)

Total = 117 species

Favorite Birds of the Trip (as voted by the group)

1. Bluethroat 2. Gyrfalcon & Dovekie (tied) 3. Bristle-thighed Curlew 4. Spectacled Eider, Crested Auklet & Common Sandpiper (tied)

MAMMALS:

Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryi ) - G, N (The “Lowbush Grizzly”!) American Beaver (Castor canadenis ) - N Tundra Vole (Microtus oeconomus ) - G Alaskan Hare (Lepus othus ) - N Spotted Seal (Phoca largha ) - N, G Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela erminea ) - N Moose (Alces alces ) - N Caribou (Reindeer) (Rangifer tarandus ) - N Muskox (Ovibos moschatus ) - N Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus ) - G

Total = 10 species

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 34 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 35 Grand Alaska: Nome & Gambell, 2019