ABO Spring 2006 Birding Reports

Birding Report – May 24, 2006 - Final Report Spring 2006

“Birds of Two Summers” Abound

The Fairbanks area is a great place to view the world champion of migration, the Arctic tern. Their annual migrations between Antarctica and their circumpolar breeding grounds cover 20,000 miles and allow them to experience more daylight than any other species. Arctic terns are distinguished from gulls by their long forked tail, black cap, bright red bill and short red legs. They often forage by flying and hovering over water, and then descend in steps to eventually grab small fish or invertebrates at or below the surface. Good places to observe Arctic terns in interior Alaska include South Cushman Pond, Summit Lake, and the upper Gulkana River.

Local Birdathon teams and other birders reported some excellent sightings this past week, including a red knot and Baird’s sandpiper alongside a 36^th Street pond, red-throated loons at Lakeview Terrace, and a black-billed magpie at the corner of Chena Pump and Chena Ridge roads.

Creamer’s Refuge: Several uncommon shorebirds have been seen here this past week, including upland sandpiper, greater yellowlegs, stilt sandpiper, four buff-breasted sandpipers, and approximately 50 American golden-plovers. The first alder flycatcher was heard on Wednesday, approximately two weeks ahead of its usual arrival. Other new sightings include Blue-winged teal, snow goose, northern goshawk, blackpoll warbler, and yellow warbler. Bohemian waxwings have been seen daily near the Alaska Bird Observatory.

South Cushman Area: Four stilt sandpipers were found at South Cushman Pond on Wednesday, along with long-billed dowitchers, greater yellowlegs, white-winged scoters, ring-necked ducks, long-tailed ducks, canvasbacks, and common goldeneyes. Birds seen here earlier in the week include horned grebe, red-necked grebe, northern shoveler, green-winged teal, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, semipalmated sandpipers, American golden-plovers, Arctic terns, Bonaparte’s gulls, yellow-shafted flicker, horned larks, red-winged blackbird, and rusty blackbird. Long-tailed ducks, surf and white-winged scoters, red-necked phalaropes, and a ring-billed gull were observed at nearby Lakeview Terrace. A Pacific loon, whimbrel, glaucous-winged gull, subadult ring-billed gull, and pair of red-throated loons were seen in ponds near the Athletic Club.

Airport Ponds: Recent sightings at the float-plane pond include red-throated loons, dunlin, a stilt sandpiper, 45 snow geese, and a flock of at least 150 semipalmated sandpipers. Birds seen or heard at the ponds in front of the terminal and around the south side of the runway include red-necked grebe, American wigeon, bufflehead, lesser scaup, bald eagle, dunlin, whimbrel, pectoral sandpiper, lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte’s gull, Arctic tern, violet-green swallow, northern waterthrush, and yellow warbler.

Smith Lake: A Say’s phoebe was discovered along the trail to the lake in the Potato Field. At the lake, birders have recently reported red-necked grebe, ring-necked duck, surf scoter, bufflehead, solitary sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, Bonaparte’s gull, mew gull, Arctic tern, Bohemian waxwing, rusty blackbird, Savannah sparrow, and Lincoln’s sparrow.

Down the ‘Rich: Bolio Lake and many of the Denali Highway ponds were still frozen as of Sunday. Watch for Harlequin ducks and American dippers at the Gulkana River bridge in Paxson and in the Tangle River and Rock Creek along the Denali Highway. Goldfen eagles are nesting near mile 7 of the Denali Highway, long-tailed jaegers have returned to mile14, and both rock and willow ptarmigan have been displaying along the bottom of Whistle Ridge. Gray-crowned rosy-finches were seen around mile 36 this past week. Both trumpeter and tundra swans are nesting near Maclaren Lodge, which is a good place to learn about recent bird sightings.

The Alaska Bird Observatory thanks the following for providing scouting reports and photos for these articles: Judy and Frank Williams, Luke DeCicco, Nicholas Hajdukovich, Ted Swem, Larry Mostella, Andrea Swingley, Beth Wood, and Neill Cowles. Please report your bird sightings to the Alaska Bird Observatory (451-7159; birds@alaskabird.org) or the Arctic Audubon Society Birding Hotline (451-9213).

Birding Report – May 18, 2006

This has been an exceptional spring for hearing the songs of ruby-crowned kinglets, Hammond’s flycatchers, hermit thrush, yellow-rumped warblers, and dark-eyed juncos. As with most songbirds, one will often hear these cryptic birds before locating them with your binoculars. Learning to recognize their songs will tremendously enhance your birding experience. Start with a “Bird Songs of Alaska” CD (available at several local shops) and then make a point of tracking down birds you hear singing. Another excellent starting point is to participate in the Arctic Audubon Society’s annual “Birding by Ear” workshop this Saturday.

The Savannah sparrow is easily identified by its song this time of year. The male’s buzzy song begins with several short, staccato notes, followed by several longer notes of different pitches. Savannah sparrows can also be distinguished from other small brown birds by their yellow eyebrow. They prefer open habitat, such as the farm fields at Creamer’s Refuge.

Some new arrivals in Fairbanks this past week include spotted sandpiper, Baird’s sandpiper, belted kingfisher, bank swallow, orange-crowned warbler, and red-winged blackbird. A pair of gadwall was seen on the Chena River, and a barn swallow was sighted over Second Avenue. Here’s a look at what else has been seen around the valley:

Creamer’s Refuge: Almost 50 American golden-plovers were in the farm fields on Thursday. Kessel Pond along the Farm Road Trail is a good place to observe sandhill cranes, greater white-fronted geese, ducks and shorebirds. A Eurasian wigeon and several whimbrels were seen at the Crane Pond recently, and red-necked phalaropes were spotted on the Seasonal Pond. Wilson’s warblers arrived Wednesday; Swainson’s thrush and violet-green swallows arrived late last week.

South Cushman Pond: Bird activity is really picking up here, but watch out for speeding gravel trucks and evening rowdies. Some recent sightings include tundra swan, surf scoter, white-winged scoter, gadwall, ring-necked duck, redhead, least sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper, long-billed dowitcher, semipalmated plover, American golden-plover, Arctic tern, glaucous gull, and Lapland longspur. Bald eagles are on their nest past the pond near the Intertie. A Eurasian wigeon was seen at nearby Lakeview Terrace on Tuesday.

Airport Ponds: The ice is out! Species seen at the ponds near the terminal and around the south side of the runway include common loon, red-necked grebe, horned grebe, surf scoter, northern shoveler, canvasback, redhead, green-winged teal, greater scaup, lesser scaup, Barrow’s goldeneye, ruddy duck, pectoral sandpiper, red-necked phalarope, solitary sandpiper, long-billed dowitcher, Wilson’s snipe, and Bohemian waxwing. Three male ruddy ducks, eight snow geese, surf scoters, white-winged scoters, and a common loon were observed at the floatplane pond off the east ramp.

Smith Lake: This week’s highlights include red-necked grebe, ring-necked duck, lesser scaup, American wigeon, northern pintail, lesser yellowlegs, mew gull, Bonaparte’s gull, and ruby-crowned kinglet.

Down the ‘Rich: Quartz Lake is still frozen but the ice is fading fast from nearby Lost Lake. Species seen at the latter on Tuesday include common loon, Eurasian wigeon, long-tailed duck, common goldeneye, redhead, ring-necked duck, lesser scaup, northern goshawk, and spruce grouse. Northern hawk owls are being seen regularly along Tanana Loop Extension past Big Delta. Meadows Road on Fort Greely is open to birders again. A sharp-tailed grouse and a pair of sharp-shinned hawks were seen here Tuesday. Bolio Lake is still mostly frozen but Big Lake has lots of open water occupied by waterfowl. The east side of the Denali Highway is open and willow ptarmigan are displaying all along it. A pair of golden eagles was seen around Mile 6 and several rock ptarmigan were observed on Monday.

Birding Report – May 11, 2006

The diversity of migratory species passing through Fairbanks should reach its peak over the next two weeks. This coincides with the annual Farthest North Birdathon, a combination fundraiser-spring migration celebration that involves “counting birds for a cause.” Participants can join guided walks in Fairbanks or form their own team and count birds anywhere in Alaska. Money is raised by collecting pledges based on how many species you can find, or by making a simple donation. To register and pick up a counter’s packet, visit the Alaska Bird Observatory at Wedgewood Resort. Call 451-7150 or visit www.alaskabird.org for information.

Some of the more interesting sightings the past week include a Swainson’s hawk at the UAF agricultural fields, several ruddy ducks at Creamer’s Refuge, a great gray owl at the T-Field at UAF, and a hybrid American-Eurasian Wigeon on the Chena River. A killdeer was sighted at Creamer’s Refuge last weekend. This very vocal plover is named for its “kill-deer” alarm call and is well known for its broken-wing act when one approaches its nest or chicks. Like other plovers, killdeer have a run-stop gait but are easily distinguished by the two black bands on their white breast. The species was once imperiled due to market hunting but has rebounded and adapted well to human-altered habitats including golf courses, gravel roads, lawns, and pastures. At least one killdeer is spotted every year in Fairbanks, usually at Creamer’s Refuge or South Cushman Pond.

Creamer’s Refuge - This is still the most reliable place in town to see sandhill cranes. New arrivals this week include lesser scaup, Bonaparte’s gull, Townsend’s warbler, Savannah sparrow, golden-crowned sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, and a big flock of Lapland longspurs. A northern goshawk was seen near the Seasonal Pond, and Bohemian waxwings are still trilling near Wedgewood Resort.

South Cushman Pond - Birders spotted the following species here this week: horned grebe, redhead, canvasback, wigeon, mallard, pintail, common goldeneye, bufflehead, northern shoveler, green-winged teal, lesser yellowlegs, Hudsonian godwit, semiplamated plover, long-billed dowitcher, semipalmated sandpiper, fox sparrow, and yellow warbler. A glaucous gull was seen amidst the mew and herring gulls at the landfill.

Smith Lake - Bird activity is picking up here, despite a shortage of open water. Species seen recently include Wilson’s snipe, lesser yellowlegs, Bonaparte’s gull, mew gull, rusty blackbird, Lincoln’s sparrow, and ruby-crowned kinglet.

Airport Ponds – The ponds in front of the terminal, around the south end of the runway, and at the float plane zone off of the east ramp are always worth a visit. This week’s sightings include bufflehead, mallard, green-winged teal, American wigeon, bald eagle, Bonaparte’s gull, Arctic tern, short-eared owl, gray jay, and American robin.

Down the Parks – The Denali Park road is open to private vehicles as far as the Teklanika rest stop for one more week. This is a great place to see Alaska’s state bird, the willow ptarmigan. Other birds viewed from the park road this past week include golden eagles, northern harrier, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, spruce grouse, black-billed magpie, and American tree sparrow. Grizzly bears, caribou, and Dall sheep also made an appearance.

Birding Report – May 3, 2006

The ice is starting to melt on area ponds, and ducks are starting to congregate in the open water. These include canvasbacks, a species that dives for plant material and benthic invertebrates. Canvasbacks breed throughout interior Alaska in ponds, sloughs, and deep-water marshes. The male has a striking, chestnut-red head, black chest, white back, and a red eye. These ducks have a long, sloping bill, giving them a profile unlike any other interior Alaska duck. Learning to recognize the wedge shape of their heads will help you identify canvasbacks in even the worst light conditions. It will also help you distinguish them from the similarly colored redhead duck, a close relative that is known to hybridize with canvasbacks.

South Cushman Pond (aka Tanana Lakes): Located at the end of S. Cushman Road, this is a top spot for viewing spring migrants. On Wednesday birders sighted northern pintails, American wigeons, mallards, green-winged teal, northern shovelers, canvasbacks, scaup, common goldeneyes, bufflehead, a single Bonaparte’s gull, mew gulls, and lesser yellowlegs.

Smith Lake: This lake north of the UAF campus can be accessed from Sheep Creek Road or the West Ridge ski trails. It is still mostly frozen but some ducks, several lesser yellowlegs, and a Wilson’s snipe were spotted here this week.

Airport Ponds: The two ponds near the airport terminal were still frozen mid-week but had attracted small numbers of lesser yellowlegs, rusty blackbirds, and a Wilson’s snipe. Greater scaup, common goldeneye, canvasbacks, mallards, and lesser yellowlegs were seen in the fields and slough along the road south of the runway on Tuesday.

Creamer’s Refuge: A few geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes are lingering in the front fields, while bufflehead and a pair of Barrow’s goldeneye are swimming in the Seasonal Pond. Solitary sandpipers, lesser yellowlegs, and pectoral sandpipers started arriving here early in the week. Bohemian waxwings are being seen and heard daily in the forest near Wedgewood Resort.

‘Down the Rich: Several sharp-tailed grouse were spotted along Rapeseed Way, just past the end of Sawmill Creek Road in the Delta Ag Fields. New arrivals in the area include Savannah sparrow and white-crowned sparrow. Shorebird and songbird migration though here should really pick up over the next week, as should waterfowl arrivals at Lost Lake and Quartz Lake. Access to Bolio Lake is closed due to military exercises.

Birding Report - April 27, 2006

With local ponds still mostly frozen, the best birding action is at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge off of College Road. Many birds are concentrated in the front field near the parking lot and along the road to the big dairy barn. Hundreds of Canada geese, plus greater white-fronted geese, trumpeter swans, tundra swans, northern pintails, and mallards are enjoying grain purposely spread on the field to keep large birds away from local airports. Sandhill cranes began arriving at Creamer’s last weekend and should increase in numbers throughout next week.

This has been a great week for sightings of raptors at the refuge, including northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, peregrine falcons, and a northern hawk owl. Most spectacular are hunting forays by bald eagles, which send the geese and ducks into circling clouds of noisy chaos.

Songbirds are slowly trickling into town. These include American robins, varied thrush, ruby-crowned kinglets, yellow-rumped warblers, American tree sparrows, and dark-eyed juncos. Tree swallows were spotted in the Delta barley fields over the last several days, along with hundreds of swans, geese, and cranes. On Sunday, a large number of short-eared owls were also seen over the fields.

This is traditionally a great time of year to view waterfowl on Clearwater Lake near Delta, but the new spring subsistence hunt has severely dampened birding for folks floating the Clearwater River. Another strike against birders is the closure of Meadows Road on Fort Greely due to military training exercises. This area should open back up starting in mid-May.

While many birds are still en route to their nesting grounds in Alaska, most of our hardy resident birds have already started courtship and breeding activities. Woodpeckers have been drumming on trees for weeks, and local owls are already on eggs. A flock of white-winged crossbills passed by the Alaska Bird Observatory on Sunday, with males singing loudly from the tops of nearby spruce trees.

Male grouse and ptarmigan are now busy vying for females through a variety of dancing, drumming, and other displays. These include the ruffed grouse, a bird popular among hunters in interior Alaska. Good places to look and listen for these birds are along any trail in mixed-forest habitat. A male ruffed grouse attracts females by “drumming” from a log or stump. With his tail braced, the grouse forcefully rotates his wings forward and back, starting with a few slow beats that gradually increase in speed for 8 to 10 seconds. The compression of air during each wing beat creates a vacuum, which in turn creates a loud thumping noise that some liken to a generator starting. Once a female arrives, the male performs a “strutting” display by walking forward with his tail fanned and ruff feathers flared, hissing, shaking his head and dragging his wings. If a female buys this routine, she’ll soon lay 9 to 14 eggs in a bowl-like depression in dead leaves or vegetation, typically at the base of a tree or stump.

Birding Report – April 19, 2006

If the slow arrival of waterfowl at Creamer’s Refuge has you yawning, then head down the Richardson Highway this week to catch the peak of raptor migration. Birders counted 236 raptors in or over the agricultural fields southeast of Delta Junction in a seven-hour period last weekend. Most of these were rough-legged hawks and Harlan’s red-tailed hawks, but a handful of northern harriers, bald and golden eagles, and an American kestrel were seen. A number of northern shrikes and northern hawk owls were also spotted, along with an astounding flock of snow buntings composed of more than 2,000 birds. The best viewing is along Sawmill Creek and Spruce Roads, 13-19 miles out the Alaska Highway. Barley Way was still impassable due to snowdrifts last weekend, so you’ll likely need to backtrack to the highway to cover both roads. Many raptors can be found perched on telephone poles or hunting low over the fields in the morning and early evening; the rest of the day they will be moving in small numbers or large “kettles” high overhead. If you time it right, you may catch some impressive numbers of swans migrating over or resting in the fields.

Distinguishing rough-legged hawks from Harlan’s hawks can present a challenge, so study your field guide before you go. Harlan’s hawks are one of five races of red-tailed hawk and are the predominant—some say only—race of red-tailed hawk you will find in most of Alaska. Like rough-legged hawks, Harlan’s occur in light, dark and intermediate “morphs.” Most of the Harlan’s hawks counted last weekend were dark birds with light gray or pale red tails.

Other birds seen around Delta recently include ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, American tree sparrows, dark-eyed juncos, and three mountain bluebirds. If you’re in the area, a side trip to Clearwater Lake is usually worth the effort. The road in was a little slimy last weekend but still passable. Waterfowl are gathering there in good numbers and raptors can often be seen cruising the surrounding marshes. On your way home, take Tanana Loop Extension off of Jack Warren Road to look for hawk owls, and scout the road into Quartz Lake for great gray owls and spruce grouse.

Migrant birds are slowly but surely arriving in the Fairbanks area. The first arrivals were snow buntings on March 22; the first dark-eyed junco was seen on April 4, the first Canada geese touched down at Creamer’s Refuge on April 6, and the first trumpeter swans showed up on April 10. A flock of snow buntings and a single Lapland longspur lingered at the refuge for almost two weeks but appear to have moved on. Other recent arrivals include greater white-fronted geese, Harlan’s and rough-legged hawks, American kestrels, northern harriers, herring gulls, varied thrush, and tree sparrows. Two mountain bluebirds were spotted along Goldstream Road on Sunday.

Northern hawk owls are being seen all over the valley right now. Look for one of these long-tailed, diurnal owls near the Creamer’s Refuge Visitor Center, Ann’s Greenhouse, the new roundabout on the UAF campus, and the intersection of Farmer’s Loop and the Steese Highway.

Call the Arctic Audubon Society Birding Hotline at 451-9213 to report or learn about local bird sightings.

Alaska Bird Observatory

ABO's Birding Resources - Tanana Valley Spring 2006 Birding Reports