Birding reports are listed in reverse order, most recent first.
26 May 2010–Bird migration is winding down…
Although the intensity of spring migration activity has peaked, the diversity of birds in the Tanana Valley is still impressive. Some of the week’s highlights include a Black-bellied Plover and a Whimbrel at Tanana Lakes Recreation Area, a Long-tailed Duck at the float plane pond, and a Great Gray Owl near Rosie Creek Farm. Large numbers of Sandhill Cranes are still present at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge—other birds being seen at Creamer’s Field include: Canada Geese, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal and Northern Shoveler. A lone Snow Goose was hanging out at the front ponds this week; probably the same bird was using Wander Lake on the Wedgewood Resort Wildlife Sanctuary recently. Other Snow Geese were reported this past week—three were seen flying to Smith Lake and two were flying over the float pond; both sightings were from Saturday, May 22nd. These white, medium-sized geese, breed on the North Slope and are uncommon spring migrants in the interior. Other noteworthy birds at Creamer’s Field include a Hudsonian Godwit and a European Starling.
Most, if not all, of our interior warbler species are being seen and heard in the area this week—many Townsend’s, Blackpoll, Yellow and Wilson’s Warblers are adding their songs with those of the Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers. And, I can’t forget to mention the loud, yet skulky Northern Waterthrushes are also singing up a storm attracting their mates and defending their territories. Some of the last songbird migrants to arrive, the Olive-sided and Alder Flycatchers have yet to turn up. If you happen to hear a bird call that sounds a lot like “quick, three beers”, you’ll know an Olive-sided Flycatcher is close by. The average arrival date for Alder Flycatchers on Creamer’s Refuge is about June 4th—they are coming from as far away as Argentina after all! Listen for their call, which sounds a lot like “free-beer”. The thrushes arrived back into the area in full-force last week, filling the woods with their flute-like songs. The Swainson’s Thrush song goes up in pitch, while the Gray-cheeked Thrush has a downward-spiraling song. Their close cousin, the Hermit Thrush, has a song that is a melodious, fluty warble, mostly on one pitch, that usually starts with a clear whistled note. Juvenile Gray Jays are being fed by their parents right now, duckling Mallards have been seen swimming around in local lakes and ponds and Common Redpolls are already on their second nests. The nesting season is well underway for many songbirds in the interior.
Airport Ponds/Float Plane Ponds: Notable waterfowl sightings from the front airport ponds include: Common Goldeneye and Canvasback, Bonaparte’s Gulls and nesting Red-necked Grebes. Shorebirds include Long-billed Dowitchers, Pectoral and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope. Multiple singing Yellow Warblers are using the willows surrounding the ponds.
The float plane pond was hopping this week, many peep species were seen this week, the most numerous being Semipalmated and Baird’s Sandpipers, with a few Pectoral Sandpipers. A Stilt Sandpiper was mixed in with the peeps. Territorial Semipalmated Plovers will greet you as you bird the shoreline. A raft of White-winged Scoters was mixed in with the usual dabbling and diving ducks on the pond. Savannah Sparrows and swallows abound here, as do occasional large flocks of American Pipits.
Tanana Lakes: Highlights from a trip to Tanana Lakes on Saturday, May 22nd yielded a lone Black-bellied Plover and Whimbrel, two Blue-winged Teal, Artic Terns and the usual dabbling and diving ducks. Singing Blackpoll Warblers were heard along the foot path, while a Northern Harrier was seen working the flats. Osprey and Bald Eagles, as well as many gulls can be seen here.
Lakeview Terrace: A quick trip here over the weekend yielded a huge raft of Mew and Herring Gulls with a few Glaucous-winged Gulls mixed in, as well as White-winged Scoters, American Wigeon and Mallards. The gravel pit directly to the south of the lake yielded Surf Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers and a lone Common Loon.
Smith Lake: Notable sightings from this past week include large numbers of Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Bufflehead, and Red-necked Grebes. Rusty Blackbirds, Bohemian Waxwings, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow and Townsend’s Warblers are just a few of the notable songbirds being seen and heard here. This is a great place to get a look at a Wilson’s Snipe, usually found perched atop a spruce tree.
Please contribute your reports by calling or writing in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to all who contributed their sightings to this report; this will be the last one for this year.
19 May 2010–Here come our long-distance migrants!!
Last week I was lamenting the lull in bird migration; what a difference a few days can make! It’s a great time to be a birder in the interior—waterfowl are at their peak diversity, and have been joined by many shorebirds and songbirds. With this lovely weather of late, it’s great to be outside and see many of these species before they head to their breeding grounds.
Sandhill Cranes are still a constant presence at Creamer’s Field, with a few Canada Geese mixed in. American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal and Mew Gulls are still regular visitors to the front ponds. Exciting sightings on the refuge this week include several American Golden-Plovers and a few American Pipits; both species were using the recently burned fields by the Alaska Bird Observatory’s banding station. The American Golden-Plover is not only a spectacular-looking bird; it also makes one of the longest migratory journeys of any shorebird. It breeds on the high Arctic tundra of Alaska and Canada and winters in the grasslands of central and southern South America. Wander Lake at the Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary (located adjacent to Creamer’s Field) hosted many Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitchers this week. A Belted Kingfisher also frequents the lake. A pair of Trumpeter Swans is using the pond along Ballaine Road, near Goldstream Creek this past week.
This past weekend brought a wave of long-distance migrants to Creamer’s and the surrounding areas. Noteworthy warbler arrivals include: Orange-crowned, Townsend’s, Blackpoll and Wilson’s Warblers, and Northern Waterthrush. Swainson’s Thrush numbers are growing and their beautiful songs are joining those of the Hermit Thrush; we’re still awaiting the arrival of the Gray-cheeked Thrush. A walk around the refuge fields will yield multiple sightings of Savannah, White-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrows. Shorebirds here include a lone Solitary Sandpiper, a few Lesser Yellowlegs and multiple Rusty Blackbirds near any available water. If you’re lucky, you might spot or hear the winnowing Wilson’s Snipe. A Northern Harrier and an American Kestrel were seen using the fields near the banding station recently. Hammond’s Flycatchers are quite numerous on the refuge this year—if you need to learn their call, now is a good time to take a good listen! The refuge is now hosting many pairs of Tree Swallows, as well as a few pairs of Violet-green Swallows—many pairs are investigating nest boxes along the trails. It’s a great place to make the comparison between the two species. Cliff Swallows arrived this past week with a first of the year sighting reported on May 15th.
Common Redpolls have produced their first young of the year and are now on round-two of nesting. Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees and woodpeckers are paired up and nesting. American Robins and Dark-eyed Juncos have begun building their nests and are laying eggs. On May 13th, a pair of Brown Creepers was seen and heard near the Large Animal Research Station on Yankovich Road. Keep your ears peeled for their high-pitched song “Trees, trees, beautiful trees”. Two Northern Wheatears were seen flying near the top of Murphy Dome on May 17th—these birds represent the first sightings of the year for this species; Northern Wheatears winter in east Africa and fly across Asia to Alaska to breed in high elevation tundra and scree.
Airport Ponds: Notable waterfowl sightings here this past week include two male Blue-winged Teal (an uncommon interior species), Gadwall (another uncommon interior species), Green-winged Teal, Common Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, and Canvasback. Red-necked Grebes were joined by Lesser Yellowlegs, one Long-billed Dowitcher and multiple Bonaparte’s and Mew Gulls. Tree Swallows can also be found gleaning insects from the water.
Float Plane Ponds: The pond has been hopping and is a great place to take a scope to check out the waterfowl and shorebirds. Species of note here include: a male Ruddy Duck (an uncommon interior species), Ring-necked Duck, Redhead, Canvasback, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Horned and Red-necked Grebe and Bonaparte’s Gull. Shorebirds here include: Pectoral, Baird’s and Semipalmated Sandpipers, American Golden and Semipalmated Plovers, and Hudsonian Godwits. An uncommon Killdeer was both seen and heard calling on Saturday, May 15th. A shorebird you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. They get their name from their call—a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, a common sound heard in the lower 48 and Canada but not here in the interior! Songbird sightings here include Tree Swallows, Savannah Sparrows, and an uncommon European Starling on May 16th—it flew up from the grass and landed on a plane and allowed close, if brief, views before it flew off. An American Kestrel was also seen here this past week.
Smith Lake: This is another great place to check out waterfowl. Notable sighting this past week include: a large raft of Ring-necked Ducks, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Buffleheads, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail and Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, and Bonaparte’s Gulls. A drake Blue-winged Teal was seen here early in the week. Shorebirds seen here include: Wilson’s Snipe, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitchers and Pectoral Sandpipers. Large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings have been active here. Other songbirds seen and heard include: loads of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Lincoln’s Sparrows and Rusty Blackbirds. The walk to Smith Lake from UAF via the trails will yield Townsend’s Warblers in the coniferous forests.
Tanana Lakes: Species seen here this week include: yet another male Blue-winged Teal, Long-billed Dowitchers, Semipalmated Plovers and Sandpipers, a first of season Common Loon, a first of season Surf Scoter, Scaup species and Arctic Tern.
Please contribute to these reports by calling or writing your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). A big thanks to all that contributed their sightings to this report.
12 May 2010–Shorebirds are on the move…
Canada Geese and duck numbers seemed to have declined at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge this past week. Many of these species have moved on to their breeding grounds and have begun nesting. Sandhill Cranes can still be seen regularly on the front fields. Besides a few Canada Geese, waterfowl such as Northern Pintail, Mallard, American Wigeon and a few Green-winged Teal are still present in the front ponds. Other highlights on the refuge this week include the constant call of the Lesser Yellowlegs and the occasional winnow of the Wilson’s Snipe. The sight of a few Violet-green and Tree Swallows wheeling about, and singing White-crowned and Savannah Sparrows may greet you if you take a walk on one of field trails. If you walk near seasonal wetlands, you might hear groups of Rusty Blackbirds or the bubbly drawn-out song of the Lincoln’s Sparrow. A walk along the Boreal Forest trail might produce a Ruby-crowned Kinglet or Boreal Chickadee. Believe it or not, the first Common Redpoll young of the year are out and about. Several were caught at the Alaska Bird Observatory’s banding station at Creamer’s Field this week.
Songbird migration seems to have stalled a bit this week. Many of the “short-distance” migrants, such as American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Yellow-rumped Warbler, have arrived (most ahead of schedule); we’re now awaiting the arrival of the “long-distance” migrants—birds returning from their wintering grounds in Central and South America. The next few weeks should produce long-traveling species such as Gray-cheeked Thrush and Blackpoll Warbler.
The locally uncommon Golden-crowned Sparrows are making a showing here in town of late—four were reported over the past week. This striking sparrow is unmistakable, and if you’re lucky enough to hear it sing, you won’t forget its song. Some folks think it says “I’m so tired” or “Oh dear me”. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Golden-crowned Sparrow remains one of our more poorly known native passerines. A first of year arrival Belted Kingfisher has been reported at Cripple Creek (near intersection of Chena Pump and Old Chena Ridge Road) since last week.
Cushman Ponds/Tanana Lakes: A flock of 40+ Lapland Longspurs was seen here on May 4th, the only report of such a large flock here in town.
Peat Ponds (located at the intersection of Goldstream and Murphy Dome Roads): Red-winged Blackbirds have made their way to here. This is a great spot to see this uncommon interior blackbird species. The ponds are still mostly frozen, but birds are still using them. Species seen over the past week include: Horned Grebe, Bonaparte’s Gull, Lesser Yellowlegs, Bufflehead, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Ring-neck Duck, Green-winged Teal and Mallard.
Airport Ponds/Float Plane Pond: The Arctic Audubon Waterfowl Field Trip on May 8th produced the first of the season Red-necked Phalarope on the front ponds at the Airport. The airport also produced another first of the season Arctic Tern; four were spotted here on May 9th. Other species of note from this area include: Red-necked Grebe, Canvasback, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Bufflehead and Lesser Scaup.
The float plane pond also had a lot of activity this week, species of note include: Horned and Red-necked Grebe, Bonaparte’s Gulls, Lesser Yellowlegs, many Canvasback with several pairs of Redhead, both Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Scaup species, Green-winged Teal, and the first Semipalmated Plover of the season. Finally there was a group of seven or so Baird’s Sandpipers (another first of the season) utilizing the shoreline.
Smith Lake: The lake is fully free of ice and is very low. Trumpeter Swan, Red-necked and Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, Northern Shoveler, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup and Mallard have all been reported from the lake this week. Mew and Bonaparte’s Gulls were also seen, as were Lesser Yellowlegs. Other shorebirds here include: a first of the year sighting of Pectoral Sandpiper and Spotted Sandpiper. A Wilson’s Snipe was also seen foraging along the shoreline. Songbirds include American Robin, Rusty Blackbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Bohemian Waxwings and Ruby-crowned Kinglets galore. The skeeters are getting bad here, so be warned!
Please contribute to these reports by calling or writing in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to all who contributed their sightings for this report.
5 May 2010–Bird songs fill the air!
The woods are alive with bird song! Green-up is happening and the birds have responded. Now’s a great time to get out those bird CDs (or your ipod!) and start re-learning songs and calls before the big wave of birds hits! There’s a lot to see and hear and it’s not just birds—wood frogs are beginning to call and butterflies and other winged critters have begun to emerge! Waterfowl diversity seems to have reached its peak, with some shorebirds arriving as well as a bunch of different songbird species over the weekend.
Both Canada Geese and Greater White-fronted Geese can still be found at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. A few Trumpeter Swans are still being seen regularly, as are Sandhill Cranes and many duck species including: Mallard, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Bufflehead and Green-winged Teal. Northern Shovelers arrived into town this week, with several reported at Creamer’s Field. Gulls are growing in number—more and more Mew and Herring Gulls are being spotted about town. Exciting news on the gull front—Bonaparte’s Gulls arrived into the area over the weekend with sightings at Smith Lake and the Peat Ponds (located at the intersection of Sheep Creek and Murphy Dome Roads). The Peat Ponds also produced the first Red-necked Grebe; one was seen here over the weekend.
Shorebirds are starting to make their way into our area. The first Wilson’s Snipe (see photo) was reported from 3.8-mile Chena Hot Springs Road on April 28th; and more have been heard winnowing in the area. Winnowing is the hollow, low whistled sound used by the male to defend his territory and attract a mate. It is not a vocal sound, it’s air flowing over the outstretched tail feathers with each wing beat. The outer tail feathers are greatly modified to produce the sound and are thin and curved. Other shorebirds reported in the area include Lesser Yellowlegs frequenting Kessel Pond on Creamer’s Refuge and a group of Dowitchers (probably Long-billed) flying past the refuge on April 27th. Noteworthy raptor sightings include a pair of Merlins that has been seen regularly on Jones Road in the Goldstream Valley and an American Kestrel was heard near Ester. An employee at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center photographed a Great Gray Owl along the building’s driveway over the weekend.
White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Lincoln’s and Savannah Sparrows were heard singing for the first time this past week. American Tree and Fox Sparrows can also be heard. The beautiful flute-like songs of Swainson’s and Hermit Thrushes can be heard spiraling away in the forests, accompanying those of the Varied Thrush. A Western Wood-Pewee was heard on the trails of the west ridge of UAF’s campus on Monday, May 3rd—it joins the list of species that have been arriving weeks ahead of schedule into town. More warbler species should be arriving into town, including Orange-crowned, Townsend’s and Wilson’s Warblers. Keep your ears open for their lovely songs.
Tanana Lakes: Much of the lake remains frozen, but there was quite a bit of bird action there this week including: many Canvasbacks, Barrow’s and Common Goldeneyes, Northern Pintails, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, two Trumpeter Swans and quite a few Bonaparte’s Gulls. Also one Lesser Yellowlegs and some Mew and Herring Gulls were seen.
Airport Ponds: The west pond of the airport is about 20% ice-covered, but the east side is ice-free and was hopping with birds. Notable sightings include: the first sightings of Horned Grebe, Lesser Yellowlegs and a few Mew Gulls and many Bonaparte’s Gulls. American Robin, Dark-eyed Juncos and Tree Swallows include the songbirds seen here. Duck species seen include: American Wigeon, Canvasback, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Mallard and a first of year sighting of Ring-necked Duck. A Eurasian Wigeon was mixed in with ducks here; this is an uncommon species so go to the airport to check it out! The sloughs behind the airport vary from 20%-100% open, and the species seen here include: Ring-necked Duck, Canvasback, Scaup sp, Common Goldeneye, Mallard and Northern Pintail. The float plane pond is still frozen.
Smith Lake: The lake is open and the birds have responded. Here you can find: Horned and Red-necked Grebe, Bonaparte’s and Mew Gulls and Lesser Yellowlegs. Duck species include: Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Canvasback and Scaup species. Songbirds seen and heard here include Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Rusty Blackbirds.
Down the ‘Rich: A trip to Delta over the weekend produced a few first of the year sightings including an Orange-crowned Warbler and a Belted Kingfisher. Other noteworthy sightings include over 1800 Sandhill Cranes and a Peregrine Falcon.
Tok area: An exciting migration occurred here on Sunday, May 2nd when 35,000 Sandhill Cranes were counted in 90 minutes!
Please contribute to these reports by calling or writing in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to all who contributed their sightings to this report and to Kyle Campbell for allowing the use of his photograph.
29 April 2010–Songbirds are on the move!
It’s already feeling like summer around here—the upcoming forecast predicts highs of 65F and overnight lows in the 40s. The constant sunny skies have practically eradicated the snow and ice and greenup is soon around the corner. It’s not even May and it feels like summer! Birds have definitely been on the move this week. So, now’s a great time to get out and do some birding!
The big bird news this week is the migration of songbirds; many birds are making the most of these weather conditions. American Robins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Dark-eyed Juncos and Ruby-crowned Kinglets can be heard singing away in their respective habitats. Their nests can’t be too far behind! This week was a first for sightings of Northern Flickers, Fox Sparrows, Rusty Blackbirds, and Hammond’s Flycatchers. A Townsend’s Solitaire was heard singing on a ridge south of Angel Rocks on 25 April. One of the most amazing reports was that of a male Yellow Warbler, both seen and heard singing on Lancaster Drive this past weekend—a full 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Black-capped Chickadees have begun investigating nest boxes this past week, so if you have one, be sure to monitor it for an upcoming nest! More sparrow and warbler species should arrive over the next few weeks.
Waterfowl are still arriving into the area, particularly at Creamer’s Field much to the delight of the 5th graders that have been visiting during Birdwatch. Trumpeter Swans are still being seen on a regular basis, as are Greater White-fronted and Canada Geese with more arriving every day. The lone Snow Goose that was frequenting the front ponds last week seems to have left. Northern Shovelers and Green-winged Teal have joined the mix this week and the Sandhill Crane numbers are growing. Other sightings from the front viewing area at Creamer’s Field this week include an American Kestrel and the arrival of swallows—another harbinger of spring. The first swallow was spotted on Thursday, 22 April and by Saturday, 24 April a pair of swallows was seen circling the fields and alighting on fenceposts. A Violet-green Swallow was using the fields behind the Alaska Bird Observatory’s (ABO) offices on 27 April. More will surely make their way here in time for International Migratory Bird Day; festivities will be held at the Creamer’s Field on Saturday, 1 May 2010.
Raptors are still making a showing here in Fairbanks as well as the surrounding areas. Merlins have been reported in the area, as have Sharp-shinned Hawks and Osprey. This past weekend both a Peregrine Falcon a Gyrfalcon were seen near the Cripple Creek area. The buteos (Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks) are still being reported from the Delta region.
The first report of shorebirds includes a sighting of 5 Lesser Yellowlegs to Creamer’s Field during the evening of 26 April. Many shorebirds have yet to make an appearance in the area; hopefully the dry conditions won’t deter them from the area. Expect to see a Wilson’s Snipe or a Solitary Sandpiper soon. You can more learn about some shorebirds and other waterbirds at ABO’s Birds of the Boreal Series. The third talk of the series takes place on Wednesday, 5 May and will feature Wetland birds. Go to www.alaskabird.org to learn more.
Airport Ponds: The East pond of the airport is about 20% open. Birds seen here include 2 Mallard pairs, a Northern Pintail, a pair of American Wigeon, an American Robin and four male Rusty Blackbirds moving along the shoreline. The sloughs behind the airport vary from 10-50% open; 2 Dark-eyed Juncos were singing here. The Float ponds are still completely frozen, but a Dark-eyed Junco and a Yellow-rumped Warbler were singing.
Smith Lake: The lake is less than 1% open, but the pond along Sheep Creek is 100% open and full of bird activity. Several Rusty Blackbirds and American Robins, as well as a pair of Mallards were seen here while Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Dark-eyed Juncos were heard singing.
Tok and environs: Tok is reporting many of the same species as being seen and heard here in Fairbanks: American Robin, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Tree Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, and Common Redpolls; the exceptions being the 65+ Lapland Longspurs seen near the Musher’s Hall and a Mountain Bluebird at MP 24 of the Taylor Highway! A lone Tree Swallow was seen perched on a telephone wire in Tok and groups of 70-150 Sandhill Cranes overhead. Species of note near Tanacross include: 500+ Trumpeter Swans seen migrating, as well as 100 Mallards and 3 American Wigeon. Ruffed Grouse are heard drumming there as well.
Please contribute to these reports by calling in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to all who contributed their sightings for this report.
21 April 2010–Memorable spring for people and migrants!
What a spring!! The warm air in combination with greater than 16 hours of daylight make for great conditions for humans and birds alike. With temperatures near or over 60F, ponds, lakes and rivers will soon be open, snow and winter will be a distant memory. Migrants are definitely taking advantage of this weather—many species made their way into the area during the past week.
Canada Geese have arrived into the area in big numbers. As of Tuesday, April 20th there were 650 Canada Geese at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge—just in time for the 5th grade Birdwatch, which started on Wednesday, April 22. Greater White-fronted Geese are also making a showing; the first arrived at Creamer’s on April 14th and as of April 20th, their numbers have grown to over 40! Other waterfowl have arrived into town this past week and are being seen at Creamer’s Field on a regular basis. These waterfowl include: a lone Snow Goose, Mallards, Northern Pintails, Canvasback, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal. Trumpeter Swans are also using the front ponds; take advantage of seeing these majestic birds before they disperse to their breeding areas. The waterfowl will increase as more ponds and open water become available, so stay tuned.
Gulls have begun their migration into the area with the first sighting of a Mew Gull on April 8th. On April 14th, 3 Herring Gulls were spotted at Creamer’s Field and a large flock of ~40 Herring Gulls was seen here during the evening of April 16th. Raptors, especially buteos (large, soaring raptors) are making a showing here in the Tanana Valley and elsewhere in Alaska. The Gunsight Mountain Hawkwatch, located along the GlenAllen Highway is having a stellar spring season. On Sunday, April 18th, they had 62 Harlan’s (dark form of Red-tailed Hawk) in 15 minutes, 86 in one hour, and 108 in another hour. According to counter Paul Fritz, a total of 451 hawks were counted that day, including:
Peregrine Falcon -1
Golden Eagle-6
Bald Eagle-7
Northern Goshawk-4
Sharp-shinned Hawk-12
Northern Harrier -39
Light Rough-legged-38
Dark Rough-legged-23
Light Harlan’s Hawk-29
Dark Harlan’s Hawk-321
If you have a free weekend, go check out this Hawk Watch site! Regular counters will be at a pull-off between MP 118-122 every weekend from late March through early May (and some weekdays too).
Other raptors being seen or heard in the area include a Great Gray Owl near the airport on April 13th and a Great Horned Owl was seen at UAF across from Wood Center on Friday, April 16th. An Osprey was spotted on April 3rd over Salchaket Slough, and a Peregrine Falcon was seen on the Salcha River on Monday, April 19th. A dark phase Red-tailed (or Harlan’s Hawk) was seen soaring over the pasture on the north side of the road at 3-mile CHSR on April 13th. A Northern Goshawk was seen perched near the farmhouse on Creamer’s Refuge on Friday, April 16th. Bald Eagles are being seen on a regular basis, mostly within the environs of the Chena River, a favorite haunt for hunting ducks.
For some, the true harbinger of spring is the sighting of the first Sandhill Crane of the season. The first pair arrived into town on Sunday, April 18th to the 10-mile CHSR area; the following day, a lone crane was seen flying and heard calling over Creamer’s Refuge, to the delight of many. As of 20 April, five cranes were using the front ponds. These numbers will surely grow as the weeks go by.
On the songbird front, I’m happy to say that many new migrants have arrived into the Fairbanks area this week, including: Lapland Longspurs, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, American Robins, Varied Thrush, Dark-eyed Junco and American Tree Sparrows. And, not only have these new migrants just arrived, many are already singing! The ABO banding station at Creamer’s Field is up and ready to go—our nets open for the first time on Monday, 26 April. It should be an interesting spring season! Our resident birds have also busy. Northern Shrikes are becoming more visible and vocal and chickadees are checking out nest boxes. Common Redpolls are pairing up and are nest building and incubating their first clutches of eggs!
Airport/Float Plane Ponds: The airport ponds and sloughs are still frozen, with very small areas of surface melt. Two Black-billed Magpies were seen on the road past the dike toward the Tanana River on Tuesday, April 20.
Smith Lake: The lake is still frozen, with very little melt water. The larger pond along Sheep Creek is 75% open. On Tuesday, April 20th there were two Harlan’s Hawks circling high above the Sheep Creek/Sheep Creek Extension intersection.
Down the ‘Rich: Delta and its environs are the place to be—birds are everywhere. If you’re keen to see raptors, geese, ducks or swans, this is the place to be! A trip, sponsored by Arctic Audubon Society, to Delta on Saturday, April 18 yielded diverse sightings. Northern Harriers and bunches of buteos–both Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks along Sawmill Creek and Barley Road. A small pond on a farm at the intersection of Sawmill Creek and Rapeseed Roads held many ducks over the weekend, including Mallards, Northern Pintails, Canvasback and Northern Shovelers. The hawks noticed them for sure! In addition, there’s one field where swans and geese tend to congregate in the late afternoon/ early evening. This field is located along Barley Way and west of Spruce Road. An astounding mix of swans (both Trumpeter and Tundra) as well as thousands of Canada Geese and a few Greater White-fronted Geese, along with Northern Harriers hunting in the barley, makes this a worthwhile stop.
Nearby Clearwater Lake held ~100 swans, too many Canada Geese to count, and seven Greater White-fronted and five Snow Geese (including one blue phase). Waterfowl included a Barrow’s Goldeneye, three Common Goldeneyes, two Mallards and several Northern Pintails. Ten Herring Gulls and an adult and an immature Bald Eagle were seen this weekend. Songbird species seen or heard in the area include: Black-billed Magpies, Varied Thrush and Lapland Longspurs.
A bit south of Delta, on Sunday, April 18th in the woods near the Richardson Highway MP 237 (Donnelly Creek), a Ruby-crowned Kinglet was heard singing and a Black-billed Magpie was seen. North of Delta, a Mew Gull was flying over the Tanana River at MP 313, and a Rough-legged Hawk was at a bluff by the Tanana, MP 330. Two Bald Eagles were seen along the Richardson Highway between MP 311 and 305 were reported from the same day.
Tok: Fifty buteos were seen on Sunday, April 18th between MP 1295 & 1289.5 on the Alaska Highway. Most were seen at MP 1289.5, the Midway Lake turnout. Of the 50 buteos seen, the following were identified: Harlan’s 14, Red-tails 12. Looking north from Midway Lake turnout, the hawks were flying beyond the distant ridge, traveling from East to West along the Ladue River drainage. We expect the hawks are probably following the Ladue into AK from Canada. Also noted was a female Northern Harrier, two Bald Eagles, 15 Bohemian Waxwings and a pair Lapland Longspurs, a male and a female. Between MP 1265-1249 six more Harlan’s Hawk, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Golden Eagle, a Bald Eagle, and a male Northern Harrier and twoGray Jays. Also being reported from the east end of the state, were many Dark-eyed Juncos, as well as singing Varied Thrush around Tok and two Fox Sparrows were seen at Moon Lake.
In the following week, be on the lookout for more migrant songbird species—Yellow-rumped Warblers and Hammond’s Flycatchers should be here soon! Also, waterfowl numbers will continue to rise—Scaup and Northern Shovelers will be here before you know it! Get outside and see those migrants!! Please contribute to these reports by calling or writing in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to all who contributed their sightings for this report.
14 April 2010–Spring is here in the Interior of Alaska!
Spring has sprung in the interior—the days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting warmer and the Canada Geese have arrived at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. In fact, the geese arrived a bit earlier than normal this year. The first pair of birds was spotted on the Refuge on Monday 29 March, more than a week earlier than the average arrival date of 9 April. This pair arrived on the Refuge before the fields were plowed and the grain was spread. It’s not too surprising given that this is the third lowest total winter snowfall through the end of March (1930-present; Alaska Climate Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute). By that week’s end, the geese numbers had grown and they were joined by five Trumpeter Swans in the front fields. The geese numbers continue to climb. As of 13 April, the count was up to 228, including a leucistic (very pale) Canada Goose seen and photographed on 12 April by Barbara Logan.
This year has been interesting for Snow Bunting sightings; these large sparrows are usually the first spring arrivals to the Tanana Valley. Leaving their wintering grounds in the Great Plains of the lower 48, the males usually arrive in the Interior in mid-March, with the females arriving a month later. Snow Buntings are sexually dimorphic—meaning the males have a different plumage from the females. Both sexes are white below and have black and white wings and tail. Males have a black back and white head, while females are streaky rufous and gray on the back and head. The contrast between the white central wings patch and black wing tips create a striking flash while in flight. During spring in Interior, they are often spotted near agricultural fields (e.g. the Large Animal Research Station, UAF Experimental Farm, along CHSR, and at Creamer’s Field) and other open areas. This year has been a bit different—a Snow Bunting was documented at a birdfeeder in the Cripple Creek area during the month of January and staying around for a few weeks. On 13 February, 10-12 buntings were calling from the tops of spruce trees at 10-mile CHSR. These sightings raise the question—did some Snow Buntings not leave Fairbanks for the winter or are these just super-early spring arrivals to the area? On 14 March, 16 male Snow Buntings were seen foraging in a field adjacent to the Tsesyu gas station in Cantwell. On the following day, 30 buntings were reported near Tok (MP 1280-1250 on the Alaska Highway). On 18 March, 15 Snow Buntings were seen at 6-mile of New Murphy Dome Road and from 6-8 April, a flock of 8-10 buntings was foraging in the fields behind the Alaska Bird Observatory’s offices. It’s possible that buntings are continuing on to their breeding grounds in the rocky scree at the tops of local mountains or farther north in rocky areas surrounded by tundra. Also ahead of schedule by over a week are Lapland Longspurs—several birds were seen near the Musher’s Hall in Tok and along the Tok-Cutoff as reported on 6 April. Their average arrival date into the Tanana Valley is 14 April.
Raptors are also starting to make their way to the Tanana Valley. Bald Eagles have been seen, mostly around the Chena River, since mid-February. Three Golden Eagles were spotted on 15 March near Tok. The first Red-tailed Hawks of the season were seen on 30 March flying over Gilmore Trail, while the first Rough-legged Hawk was spotted on 11 April, along the Steese Highway near the Fox General Store. The first Northern Harrier was reported scoping out the west fields of Creamer’s Refuge on 13 April. It seems that more accipiters are wintering here in the Interior as there have been many sightings of Northern Goshawk and even a January sighting of Sharp-shinned Hawk. Listening for and seeing many of our resident owl species, such as Northern Hawk, Great Horned, Great Gray and Boreal Owls kept many folks entertained while waiting for the migrants to arrive into town.
Black-billed Magpies, Common Ravens and Gray Jays are in the process of building their nests, so be on the lookout for any breeding behaviors. Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers have been seen and heard around Fairbanks this past winter. Flocks of Bohemian Waxwings and Common Redpolls seem to be on the rise. Several early sightings of American Robins during February and March also beg the question of whether these birds over-wintered or are just very early arrivals! On 4 April, an American Robin was seen along Gold Hill Road. This bird was most-likely an early migrant. Resident woodpeckers are still around in full force—lots of drumming and calling is indicative of breeding. Soon, they’ll be more secretive and your birdfeeders will seem eerily quiet! Of course, I have to mention the sighting of the Red-breasted Sapsucker at 2807 Riverview Drive here in Fairbanks on 30-31 March. This was the third sighting for the Interior, so it had many birders quite excited. Let’s hope the bird was able to find its way back to southeast Alaska, the normal breeding range for this species.
Airport Ponds: The sloughs, ponds and float ponds are all frozen. Despite heavy winds, a Mallard pair landed in a ditch containing water near the Post Office road.
Smith Lake: The Lake is still frozen, but starting to look rotten in places and ice over some lily pads had melted out. The pond along Sheep Creek had some surface melt water. Birds of note here include an adult Bald Eagle, a pair of Mallards and two flyover Canada Geese.
Down the ‘Rich: On 10 April, two light-phased Rough-legged Hawks (one flying, one perched) were seen near Delta. 1 Red-tailed Hawk (Delta Fields) and one Great Gray Owl was found on the road to Quartz Lake (just north of powerline cut). On 11 April, one Red-tailed Hawk and two groups of Trumpeter Swans (4 + 7) were seen flying over Quartz Lake. Twenty Canada Geese flying near the lake.
A trip to Delta Junction over this past weekend yielded three Rough-legged Hawks despite windy conditions. All of Barley Way was passable. Clearwater Lake had the most action. There were several hundred Canada Geese, 20 Trumpeter Swans, 6 Mallards, 4 Common Goldeneyes, 2 Barrow’s Goldeneyes, 2 Common Mergansers, 1 Herring Gull and a far-away goose was probably a dark Snow Goose. Not a single bird was on the river at Rika’s Roadhouse, but had an adult Bald Eagle just past Shaw Creek.
During the next week should see the arrival of more waterfowl including Greater White-fronted Geese and more swans as well as Mallards and Northern Pintails. For all the songbird aficionados, maybe we’ll get lucky and spot an early Dark-eyed Junco, Ruby-crowned Kinglet or American Tree Sparrow! Please contribute to these reports by calling in your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159 or www.alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding hotline (451-9213). Thanks to numerous folks for their contributions to this report.
