Alaska’s Nome Area Wildlife Viewing Guide Exploring the Nome Roadways Alaska’s Nome Area Wildlife Viewing Guide Exploring the Nome Roadways Writers Anne Sutton and Sue Steinacher, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Technical Contributors Peter Bente, Tony Gorn, Jim Menard, and Kate Persons; ADF&G Charlie Lean, Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation Gay Sheffield, Marine Advisory Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks Project Managers and Editors Anne Sutton, Peter Bente, and Beth Peluso; ADF&G Design, Layout, and Maps Graphic Design/Map Design/Layout: Kim Mincer, Bureau of Land Management GIS Maps: Sally Timp, ADF&G Publisher ADF&G/Division of Wildlife Conservation Wildlife Viewing Program P.O. Box 115526 Juneau, AK 99811 (907) 465-5157 (p) (907)465-6142 (f) [email protected] Arctic and Western Regional Office P.O. Box 1148 Nome, AK 99762 (907) 443-2271 © 2012 by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game All rights reserved. ISBN 1-933375-10-8 Front cover photo: ©Tom Kohler - muskox Back cover photos: ©Tom Kohler - moose, seal, and bluethroat ©Sue Steinacher - monkshood and ice fishing ©Riley Woodford - bear tracks. CONTENTS Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 How to use this book ..................................................................................... 2 Section I: Overview Wildlife viewing tips .............................................................................................. 3 Safety around wildlife ........................................................................................... 4 Seasons of the Seward Peninsula ........................................................................ 8 Annual wildlife and subsistence calendar ........................................................... 10 Section II: Wildlife Habitats Coastal waters and beaches ................................................................................. 12 Estuaries and lagoons ........................................................................................... 15 River valleys ........................................................................................................... 17 Wet tundra and ponds .......................................................................................... 19 Tundra meadows ................................................................................................... 21 Side slopes ............................................................................................................. 23 Dwarf tundra ......................................................................................................... 25 Rocky outcrops and inland cliffs ........................................................................... 27 Boreal forest .......................................................................................................... 29 Human-modified .................................................................................................... 31 Section III: Wildlife Facts Land mammals ...................................................................................................... 34 Marine mammals ................................................................................................... 48 Birds ....................................................................................................................... 54 Fish ......................................................................................................................... 73 Section IV: Milepost to the Nome Area Roadways Road safety ............................................................................................................ 80 Teller Road ............................................................................................................. 82 Kougarok Road ...................................................................................................... 100 Council Road .......................................................................................................... 120 Nome walking tour................................................................................................ 144 Bird List .............................................................................................................. 149 Planning your visit and other resources ................................................ 152 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................ 153 Photography credits....................................................................................... 154 INTRODUCTION elcome to the Seward Peninsula and a rare opportunity to explore the Wwildlife, landscapes, and lifestyles of Alaska’s Arctic by road. Though gravel and maintained only seasonally, three main byways lead out of Nome and cover more than 250 miles of wild- lands. Here rocky surf-battered headlands share coastline with long sandy beaches, and coastal breezes ripple sheltered lagoons. Clear water streams tumble from glacially-carved mountains, rolling carpets of tundra harbor wildflowers and tiny berries, and precious few trees block the view. At various times during the last Ice Age, this land was part of A herd of reindeer finds it easier to travel by road than the Bering Land Bridge (also across the tussock tundra. called Beringia)—a roughly 1,000 mile wide swath of land that joined Siberia and mainland Alaska. Today’s peninsula juts into the Bering Sea just below the Arctic Circle and the Chukchi Sea. Few people live in this remote location (Nome, pop. 3,600, is the region’s largest community) but the discovery of gold near the turn of the last century fueled a brief but frenzied development that led to the construction of now defunct railroads and still-traveled roads. Alaska’s Nome Area Wildlife Viewing Guide will introduce you to the area’s three major roads and the wildlife that you may see in summer: muskox or moose munching in willow thickets, brown bear roaming mountain slopes, curlews nesting in tundra, songbirds flitting in boreal forest, whales coursing through ocean waters, and salmon and grayling slip- ping over gravel streambeds. The people who live here are also an integral part of the landscape. Like visitors, they take pleasure in observing wildlife, but they also value having healthy, flavorful wild game and fish on the table and a fur ruff to protect against A fur ruff on a young girl’s parka winter’s bitter winds. protects against winter’s chill. INTRODUCTION 1 This guidebook points out possible wildlife viewing locations by milepost for each gravel road along with birding hot spots within walking distance in and around Nome. You will also find animal and habitat descriptions and a glimpse at the type of year-round animal and human activities that few visitors ever see. Whether you are discovering the Seward Peninsula for the first time or know its crannies well, you may find this guidebook and a trip along the roadways will spark new ways of seeing and appreciating the interconnections of wildlife, people, and the land. How to use this guidebook his book is organized by habitat, species, and roadway location. TBefore you begin driving, familiarize yourself with the sections listed below. This will help you find information more easily in the field. Be sure to review the safety precautions and take appropriate safety equipment with you. You will find binoculars and a good field guide to birds to be useful companions to this guidebook. I. Overview includes wildlife viewing and safety tips, a description of the Arctic seasons, and a calendar of wildlife and subsistence activities. II. Wildlife Habitats describes the ten most common habitat types encountered along the road system and the animals and birds typically found there. If you familiarize yourself with this section, you’ll have an idea of what to look for at any point along the way. III. Wildlife Facts provides background on the life history and—in several cases—the management history of some of the more view- able mammals and fish. IV. Milepost to Roads lists a number of locations along the three main roads and the wildlife most likely to be seen there. It is impossible to pinpoint specific viewing opportunities, however, as wildlife ranges freely across broad expanses of land. Be aware that most outlying roads are closed in winter. This section also includes background information on road-accessible communities and cultural and historic sites, as well as a Nome walking tour for birders. 2 Alaska’s Nome Area Wildlife Viewing Guide OVERVIEW Wildlife Viewing Tips Stop at river crossings and vantage points that offer broad views of various habitat types and scan the surrounding area. Even a short walk may open up new opportunities to see wildlife or signs of wildlife, such as a grizzly crossing a distant slope or tufts of qiviut—the soft underlayer of wool on muskox—caught in willow branches. Look with binoculars or a spotting scope to improve your chances of finding wildlife. Polarized sunglasses that cut glare will enhance fish and other wildlife viewing in and around water and make for safer driving in the low-angled sun. Listen whenever you stop and turn off your vehicle’s engine. You will begin to discover the sounds and signs of birds and smaller animals surrounding you. If you do get out, pull the key so the door alarm doesn’t sound and close the door gently or you may send nearby wildlife fleeing. Travel when the light