Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Beringia > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Saturday, May 10 at 12:48 AM ET The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Wattled Cranes,©BirdQuest

09 May Re: Nome - recent sightings May 6, 7, 8 [Jim Dory ] 9 May New Shishmaref Arrivals [Ken Stenek ] 9 May New Shishmaref Arrivals [Ken Stenek ] 09 May Nome - recent sightings May 6, 7, 8 ["pjbente" ] 08 May Flocks of geese ...are back! ["Andrew Boyscout" ] 07 May re: Migratory Bird Day May 10, 2008 ["michael_rahe" ] 04 May Warm weather in Chevak ["Andrew Boyscout" ] 03 May Snowy Owl ["Andrew Boyscout" ] 24 Apr Latest Kenai Flats Numbers ["todd_eskelin" ] 23 Apr Shoveler and Pacific Plover ["Andrew Boyscout" ] 22 Apr Bird Sightings in Western Alaska ["Andrew Boyscout" ] 22 Apr Seagulls have arrived in Shishmaref ["Ken Stenek" ] 16 Mar re: new to Nome ["michael_rahe" ] 11 Mar gone [alice sullivan ] 20 Feb David Sibley on House Sparrows ["Ken Stenek" ] 02 Feb To my surprise there are still House Sparrows in Shishmaref! ["kstenek" ] 23 Jan House Sparrows on the Seward Peninsula [Ken Stenek ] 8 Jan CBC [alice sullivan ] 1 Dec snow owls [alice sullivan ] 11 Nov Re: Nome Trip 2008 - Gambell [Phil Davis ] 10 Nov Nome Trip 2008 ["morrisw1105" ] 03 Oct Gambell: FLOCK of Little Buntings, Thayer's, Goodbyes! [Paul Lehman ] 01 Oct Gambell: Sedge Warbler follow-up, other news [Paul Lehman ] 01 Oct Gambell: SEDGE WARBLER--new for North America! [Paul Lehman ] 27 Sep Gambell: miscellanea, seabird migration [Paul Lehman ] 25 Sep Shemya: Eyebrowed Thrush, Gray-streaked Flycatcher, others ["rtrotter56" ] 24 Sep Gambell: Eyebrowed Thrush, Pechora #3, TWO Bullock's Orioles! [Paul Lehman ] 23 Sep fall trip [alice sullivan ] 23 Sep Gambell: Nearctic fallout (incl. another Bullock's Oriole!) [Paul Lehman ] 23 Sep Gambell: Siberian Accentor #3, Dusky Warb. #4, Little B. #5&6 [Paul Lehman ] 21 Sep Gambell: OVENBIRD!, Little Bunting, white Gyr [Paul Lehman ] 20 Sep Gambell: Pechora Pipit, 'flava' Horned Lark, Varied Thrush [Paul Lehman ] 19 Sep Nome - 4 fork-tailed storm petrals [Nome Convention and Visitor's Bureau ] 18 Sep Gambell: Little Bunting #4, "inland" storm-petrel [Paul Lehman ] 16 Sep Gambell Bunting Madness!!! [Paul Lehman ] 15 Sep Gambell: YELLOW-BROWED BUNTING--First for North America!!!! [Paul Lehman ] 14 Sep Gambell: Siberian Accentor, Oriole continues, R-b Nut [Paul Lehman ] 13 Sep Gambell: BULLOCK'S ORIOLE! [Paul Lehman ] 13 Sep Gambell: Little Bunting, Merlin, storm-petrel spectacle [Paul Lehman ] 13 Sep FW: [AK Birding] Richard Hoyer report - Saint Paul Island migration update ["Hart, Karla J (DFG)" ] 11 Sep Gambell: 3rd WILLOW WARBLER, COMMON ROSEFINCH, Nearctic fallout [Paul Lehman ] 09 Sep Gambell: misc mainland stuff [Paul Lehman ] 06 Sep FW: [AK Birding] RBA Gavin Bieber: Saint Paul Island, The Pribilofs, AK. Sep. 5, 2007 ["Hart, Karla J (DFG)" ] 04 Sep Gambell: SIBERIAN ACCENTOR, Northern Waterthrush [Paul Lehman ] 04 Sep Gambell: ANOTHER WILLOW Warbler and Dusky Warbler! [Paul Lehman ] 01 Sep Gambell: Dusky Warbler #2, Little Bunting #2 [Paul Lehman ] 30 Aug Gambell: LITTLE BUNTING, Sand-Plover glut [Paul Lehman ] 30 Aug FW: [AK Birding] RBA from Gavin Bieber: Saint Paul Island, Aug 29, 2007 ["Hart, Karla J (DFG)" ] 28 Aug Three Peregrins on Sledge Island ["beringsue" ] 27 Aug Gambell: DUSKY and WILLOW Warblers [Paul Lehman ] 26 Aug Gambell: WILLOW WARBLER!!!, Asian shorebirds [Paul Lehman ] 23 Aug Gambell: Pechora Pipit [Paul Lehman ] Subject: Re: Nome - recent sightings May 6, 7, 8 From: Jim Dory <jim.dory AT gmail.com> Date: Fri, 09 May 2008 21:43:20 -0800 And May 8 I saw a flock of about ~25 Canadian geese fly over Nome. May 9: 2 pair of pintail ducks and half a dozen Canadian geese on Centercreek Rd. They're showing up. /jd pjbente wrote: > > May 6 - White-fronted Goose - flock of 7 > May 7 - Sandhill Crane - flock of ~30 > May 8 - White-crowned Sparrow - 1 singing > Fox Sparrow - 2 feeding > American Robin - 1 feeding > Sandhill Crane - flock of 75 following coast > Tree Swallow - 1 perched on wire > Willow Ptarmigan - 1 vocals in eve > Common Raven - (possible) hatching at one local nest > > __._,_ Subject: New Shishmaref Arrivals From: Ken Stenek <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 09:28:48 -0800 Finally got some new faces to look at and it was pretty exciting to me. Started off chasing around a Varied Thrush, which I was able to photo posted it to my new web site (see below) and found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as well (thanks to Thede for confirming my id). We also have confirmed Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos, which are nice to see. I have heard reports of Sandhill Cranes flying over as well as Canada Geese, which I cannot confirm because I am not sure if they are Cackling Geese or true Canada Geese. The snow is finally melting, so it is deep and soft making it very tough to get around. We still have some Snow Buntings, Glaucous Gulls, and I would assume the Glaucous-winged Gull that Nick Hadjukovich and Luke DeCicco helped me find last weekend (thanks guys). And of course a few Common Ravens and our House Sparrows. Was a long winter hearing about all the different birds down in ANC and Southeast all winter long and me with just my McKay's... If anyone gets the inkling to come up and bird this Spring/Summer/Fall I would love to take you out! Ken Stenek Shishmaref Check out my new "Birds of Shishmaref" page at http://shishmaref.bssd.org/birdsofshishmaref/ . This is a newer and much fresher version of the page many of you visited on my science class site. Subject: New Shishmaref Arrivals From: Ken Stenek <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Fri, 9 May 2008 09:28:48 -0800 Finally got some new faces to look at and it was pretty exciting to me. Started off chasing around a Varied Thrush, which I was able to photo posted it to my new web site (see below) and found a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as well (thanks to Thede for confirming my id). We also have confirmed Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos, which are nice to see. I have heard reports of Sandhill Cranes flying over as well as Canada Geese, which I cannot confirm because I am not sure if they are Cackling Geese or true Canada Geese. The snow is finally melting, so it is deep and soft making it very tough to get around. We still have some Snow Buntings, Glaucous Gulls, and I would assume the Glaucous-winged Gull that Nick Hadjukovich and Luke DeCicco helped me find last weekend (thanks guys). And of course a few Common Ravens and our House Sparrows. Was a long winter hearing about all the different birds down in ANC and Southeast all winter long and me with just my McKay's... If anyone gets the inkling to come up and bird this Spring/Summer/Fall I would love to take you out! Ken Stenek Shishmaref Check out my new "Birds of Shishmaref" page at http://shishmaref.bssd.org/birdsofshishmaref/ . This is a newer and much fresher version of the page many of you visited on my science class site. Subject: Nome - recent sightings May 6, 7, 8 From: "pjbente" <peter_bente AT fishgame.state.ak.us> Date: Fri, 09 May 2008 17:13:56 -0000 May 6 - White-fronted Goose - flock of 7 May 7 - Sandhill Crane - flock of ~30 May 8 - White-crowned Sparrow - 1 singing Fox Sparrow - 2 feeding American Robin - 1 feeding Sandhill Crane - flock of 75 following coast Tree Swallow - 1 perched on wire Willow Ptarmigan - 1 vocals in eve Common Raven - (possible) hatching at one local nest Subject: Flocks of geese ...are back! From: "Andrew Boyscout" <andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 00:05:05 -0000 Flocks of Whitefront, cacklers, lesser canadians, black brants, sandhill cranes, are everywhere. I just saw my first swan just now about half mile south of my house. I have not seen the emporer geese yet. And all these are seen from my window in Chevak, Alaska. Andrew Boyscout Chevak Alaska Bird Tours 907-858-7926 andrewboyscout AT chevakbirdtours.com Subject: re: Migratory Bird Day May 10, 2008 From: "michael_rahe" <michael_rahe AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 07 May 2008 05:29:09 -0000 I recently found out that on May 10, 2008, the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve Visitor Center is hosting a field trip celebrating Internatinal Bird Migration Day at 7:00 a.m. Address is 214 East Front Street, Nome, AK (Bering Straits Building). Mike Subject: Warm weather in Chevak From: "Andrew Boyscout" <andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 04 May 2008 22:11:58 -0000 We saw two flocks of geese from a distance yesterday. Did not identify from a distance. Saw seven whitefront geese today flying north over Chevak. Another flock flying north on the east side of Chevak. The warm weather is moving the birds. Andrew Boyscout Chevak Alaska Bird Tours 907-858-7926 andrewboyscout AT chevakbirdtours.com Subject: Snowy Owl From: "Andrew Boyscout" <andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 03 May 2008 03:17:17 -0000 Yesterday, I saw a snowy owl 10 miles south east of Chevak and two red foxes. And a flock of Ptarmigans. Today, I saw another snowy owl 3 miles northeast of Chevak. It has been cold , but has warmed up some to 25-30 degrees. Have not seem the geese and the ducks and the Plovers since after the big warm south winds. Andrew Boyscout Chevak Alaska Bird Tours 907-858-7926 andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com Subject: Latest Kenai Flats Numbers From: "todd_eskelin" <t.eskelin AT acsalaska.net> Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:27:20 -0000 4/24/08 Kenai River Flats Snow Goose 8 Canada Goose 280 White-fronted Goose 215 Northern Pintail 1450 Mallard 600 American Wigeon 75 Eurasian Wigeon 2 Northern Shoveler 8 Lesser Scaup 3 Greater Scaup 5 Common Merganser 2 Red-breasted Merganser 1 Common Goldeneye 125 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Greater Yellowlegs 2 Bonapartes Gull 15 Sandhill Crane 30 Subject: Shoveler and Pacific Plover From: "Andrew Boyscout" <andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:20:35 -0000 Yesterday, we sighted a couple shovelers and a couple Pacific Golden Plovers. More Cackling geese sighted today. 37 degrees today. Heatwave after a cold winter. Andrew Subject: Bird Sightings in Western Alaska From: "Andrew Boyscout" <andrewboyscout AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:14:58 -0000 Yesterday, after the south winds, April 20, there was a sighting of Cackling geese on the north East side of Chevak. A sighting of ducks,(need to identify whaTKIND). I sighted a Gloden Plover today on the west side of Chevak, two hundred feet from my house. It usually comes to the west side every year so far. I sighted two ducks, (I'll identify tommorrow). The birds are back. Spring is here. The snow is melting fast. And one of the sand piper family. Did not identify. I'm just learning the english names. Subject: Seagulls have arrived in Shishmaref From: "Ken Stenek" <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:01:18 -0000 After this last Friday's strong southerly winds blew the ice out from the shorefast ice forming a fairly large lead, seagulls made their way back. My father-in-law first told me he saw gulls on Saturday and then one of my students went out to the lead today with his father and said he saw quite a few out by the lead. I hope to get these identified probably glaucous gulls but maybe some other specie(s) too. Finally something to look at other than buntings, ravens and our house sparrows. Ken Stenek Shishmaref School Subject: re: new to Nome From: "michael_rahe" <michael_rahe AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:25:05 -0000 hello there, I recently came to Nome (first time to Alaska) for a few weeks for work. I am looking for a local birder with information where the spots to bird. Thanks in advance. Mike michael_rahe AT yahoo.com Subject: gone From: alice sullivan <sullyinnome AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:20:31 -0700 (PDT) At this time of year there are usually several Emails from "outside" birders requesting info. about the Nome birding scene. I leave tomorrow on an extended trip to Europe and won't return until the end of April. Could some of the other local Nome birders respond to any questions? I'll be thinking of you while in sunny Italy. Alice Sullivan --------------------------------- Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Subject: David Sibley on House Sparrows From: "Ken Stenek" <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:15:19 -0000 David Sibley wrote up an interesting blog yesterday and posted it on his web site at: http://sibleyguides.blogspot.com/ about the House Sparrows in Shishmaref. Brad Benter of DF&G informed me that when he was in Shishmaref early September he thought he saw and heard one as well but couldn't find it and dismissed it because he was with some non- birders. I have been told by some locals that there are a "bunch" of House Sparrows towards the Serpentine River (7-18 miles south of town). When I have the opportunity and the weather clears, I plan on working my way there and see if I cannot identify a group of House Sparrows. There is plenty of tufts of grass with seed poking up through the snow to feed birds. Publicly I want to say that the birding COMMUNITY is for the most part an interesting and very neat group of people from top to bottom. This weekend, Paul Lehman was helped me identify 5 different species from my photos that I did not have identified earlier, David Sibley worked with me on my Redpolls, Dan Gibson, Ed Clark, and Thede Tobish have helped me several times. When these individuals help young birders like myself, it goes so far to help educate and gain more interest about this fascinating Class of organisms. So thank you to all those that help others and myself with identifications! Subject: To my surprise there are still House Sparrows in Shishmaref! From: "kstenek" <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:52:16 -0000 I've been seeing and students have been telling me that there were little brown birds under the school. I finally was able to get photos of them this afternoon in somewhat poor light but they are definitely House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Possibly some of the same individuals I photographed in October and posted about last week. Some debate if these came across the Strait or from the lower 48 but either way they are listed as casual on the Alaska Birds list. Ken Stenek Shishmaref School Check out my "Birds of Shishmaref" page at: http://shishmaref.bssd.org/ken/?page_id=26 Subject: House Sparrows on the Seward Peninsula From: Ken Stenek <kstenek AT shh.bssd.org> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:36:34 -0900 I wanted to spread the word we had several House Sparrows in Shishmaref this last October 2007. I would have got it on the Rare Birds Listserv since they are listed as casual to Alaska, had I knew what I had pictures of. Talking with Ed Clark and Thede Tobish, these probably came across the Bering Strait. There were about 5 birds that I ever saw at any one time and hopefully will not be back. Also if anyone is willing to help me check some photos to see if the group of McKay's and Snow Buntings here have hybrids among them, I would greatly appreciate the help. Ken Stenek kstenek AT shh.bssd.org Shishmaref, Alaska Please check out my "Birds of Shishmaref" page http://shishmaref.bssd.org/ken/?page_id=26 Subject: CBC From: alice sullivan <sullyinnome AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:09:28 -0800 (PST) On January 1st. five intrepid Beringia Birders participated in the CBC. Our observation time ran from 1:p.m. to 3:45p.m.. Four took the all vehicle route from Front St. in downtown Nome to the Snake River bridge, to the wastewater outlet in the harbor area, on to Ft. Davis and some miles on the Kougarok road-a total of 25 miles. The observers were: Alice Sullivan, Nancy McGuire, and Hank and Gale Hagemeyer. Our total count was: 347 Ravens. We saw no other species. There was one feeder observer in the Icy View area-Peter Bente.He observed at the feeders from 10:45p.m. to 12:05 p.m. He recorded 20 Snow Buntings and 16 McKay's Buntings. Additional sightings for the driving group were: a herd of about 100 reindeer and a herd of about 20 Musk Ox. Mushers out running dogs that day also saw Chickadees and Willow Ptarmigan. They were not within the count circle however. --------------------------------- Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage. Subject: snow owls From: alice sullivan <sullyinnome AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 21:35:24 -0800 (PST) Just before this rain and wind storm hit-about Wed. of last week there were several reported sightings of Snow Owls(s) East of Nome. One was sighted just beyond Farley's camp. A second sighting and a third were in the Dexter area. Finally, a sighting on the Council road between Ft. Davis and Nome. I will be curious to see if there are any more sightings now that the storm has blown it itself out. Alice --------------------------------- Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make Yahoo! your homepage. Subject: Re: Nome Trip 2008 - Gambell From: Phil Davis <pdavis AT ix.netcom.com> Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:33:51 -0500 Hi Riley: In general, the only time that I'm aware that birders have flown out to Gambell for just one day is to chase a specific "stakeout" target bird. Air fare to Gambell runs around $300-350 for a round trip. The morning flight (on Bering Air) is scheduled to depart Nome at 9 am and arrive at Gambell around 10:15 am. The afternoon flight back is schedule to depart Gambell around 4 pm and arrive at Nome around 5 pm. Note that I used the word "scheduled." This is western Alaska and the Bering Sea, so weather can turn on a dime. I have been fogged at Gambell for three days before and having to delay a day at Nome or Gambell is not terribly unusual at that time of the year. http://www.beringair.com/ You would need to take your own food and you would probably want to try and rent an ATV when you got there since you have so little time (around $75 for a day). By the 12th of June, most of the usual migrants have passed, but the resident seabirds will still be present. Sorry, if I seem to be dousing some water on your ambitions, but having made a lot of trips to Gambell over the years, I think I have a sense for the pitfalls in trying to do a one-day trip to there in June. Also, regarding Nome (and even Gambell), you probably want to get a copy of the ABA Guide to Alaska. It covers the area adn target species pretty well ... http://www.americanbirding.org/pubs/siteguides/ak.html Hope this helps ... Best of luck! Phil At 05:19 11/11/2007, Riley Morris wrote: >Hello! My wife and I are in the process of putting together our first >birding trip to Nome together. Our dates in Nome will most likely be >June 12-23 as we are traveling with friends who can provide us with >lodging at a relative's home in Nome. My own desire is to spend the >entire trip birding but I must be a polite guest and spend time with >our hosts who are not as avid birders. So I have two questions: > >1. What are some of the must see spots for birding around Nome? (Gulls, >loons, shorebirds, Gyrfalcon, BT Curlew, and Bluethroat are all high on >our desired list.) >2. Is it feasible to fly out to Gambell to bird for a day without >spending a fortune? > >I'm sure I'll have more questions as the trip approaches but it's never >too early to get some things figured out. Thanks for your time. ================================== Phil Davis Davidsonville, Maryland USA mailto:PDavis AT ix.netcom.com ================================== Subject: Nome Trip 2008 From: "morrisw1105" <rileyandheather AT netzero.com> Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:00:29 -0000 Hello! My wife and I are in the process of putting together our first birding trip to Nome together. Our dates in Nome will most likely be June 12-23 as we are traveling with friends who can provide us with lodging at a relative's home in Nome. My own desire is to spend the entire trip birding but I must be a polite guest and spend time with our hosts who are not as avid birders. So I have two questions: 1. What are some of the must see spots for birding around Nome? (Gulls, loons, shorebirds, Gyrfalcon, BT Curlew, and Bluethroat are all high on our desired list.) 2. Is it feasible to fly out to Gambell to bird for a day without spending a fortune? I'm sure I'll have more questions as the trip approaches but it's never too early to get some things figured out. Thanks for your time. Riley Morris Durango, CO Subject: Gambell: FLOCK of Little Buntings, Thayer's, Goodbyes! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:26:06 -0400 I depart Gambell in a couple hours, so this should be my last posting from here this year (unless some "mega" flies over me while I get on the plane!). The Sedge Warbler here at Gambell on 30 September was not seen the next day, so a one-day bird. But on 1 October we found a new Little Bunting--in Old Town--the SEVENTH of this fall here. Excellent photo of it posted on surfbirds.com. And late this morning--3 October--as I entered the Far Boneyard, I was greeted by a FLOCK of THREE Little Buntings!! So that makes TEN! A bit silly, really..... Also during the last couple days we've had two new, separate individual Bramblings show up, bringing the current village total back up to three birds, and the seasonal total to nine. Yesterday I had an adult THAYER'S Gull, casual in the Bering Sea, and my fourth here in fall over the years. Looking at large gulls here can be a bit of a pain in early fall due to some of the sub-adults being in worn, ugly condition, and due to the presence of a disturbing number of hybrid looking creatures of various combinations. This morning's final seawatch had a flock of 17 Spectacled Eiders, a harbinger of things to come later, as the local residents say that thousands of Spectacleds pass by every autumn during late October and November. Still about 50,000 Short-tailed Shearwaters offshore, a couple each Slaty-backed Gulls and Red-necked Grebes. Also still lingering is an above-normal-for-October 28 Pacific Golden-Plovers. And there's been a new, gray-brown Gyrfalcon, single Golden-crowned and Savannah Sparrows, and the EYEBROWED Thrush is still present and setting some sort of record for staying such a long time. Temps are now in the upper 30s, reaching the low 40s some days, and the mountains over in Russia have snow on them. So time for me to migrate south as well--except for the fact that I wonder (as I do every year...) what I'll be missing here over the next couple weeks, especially given how this year has been going! At least the folks at St Paul and Shemya will stay on their respective rocks until mid-month. If anyone is interested in an electronic copy of my Gambell fall report for this year--once I finish compiling it in November--let me know. Also, I annually update the large paper I wrote on the fall birdlife at Gambell and on St Lawrence Island overall, and which was published (with data through 2004) in "Western Birds" magazine a couple years ago. So, also during November, I'll update that paper through the 2007 season, and I am happy to e-mail a copy to anyone who would like it. Just let me know. Trees, here I come! --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Sedge Warbler follow-up, other news From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:44:28 -0400 It is still pre-dawn on 1 October, but I thought I'd add a little more info on the yesterday's SEDGE WARBLER and add some other miscellaneous news from the past few days. If there was any confusion due to the date/time stamp of my earlier posting, the Sedge Warbler was found here on 30 September (not 1 October) and it was in the Near Boneyard. The known eastern limit of its breeding range appears to be about the Yenisey River in Russia, a long way's away. The streaks you can see on the breast in one of the photos posted on surfbirds.com ("North America Stop Press" section), as well as the distinct white tertial edges, etc, are indicative of an immature, but it should also be said that the one photo makes these streaks seem a bit bolder than they looked in the field (actually seemed a bit finer and sparser in reality). Gary also has a beautiful shot of the long-staying Eyebrowed Thrush a couple photos earlier in the queue on surfbirds.com Currently--and thankfully--we have a light NW breeze, so maybe we can eek out one more good bird today before the winds returns N and NE and pick up again, which is the forecast for much of the rest of the week. Gary leaves tomorrow, Tuesday. I leave late Weds. Should get home to Cape May on Friday. In other recent news, the aforementioned Eyebrowed Thrush was still present yesterday, as was the last of the 5 Bramblings, and on 29 Sept I refound the Far Boneyard BULLOCK'S Oriole over a mile to the south, along the side of the mountain, eating berries. A Varied Thrush on 29 Sep was the second fall record here, ever, but also the second this fall, and there have been additional Am. Tree and White-cr Sparrows (a new record seasonal total of 20 of the latter), D-e Junco, we saw the WHITE Gyrfalcon again, 4 continuing Snowy Owls, tied my late date for Red-throated Pipit, and the "last" Lappies were on the 29th. Morning seawatching has been fun, with 10 Spectacled Eiders, Steller's Eider, a 25-30 September six-day total of 230 Yellow-billed Loons passing the Point (all alternate adults), a total of 4 Arctic Loons, late Sabine's Gulls, more Ancient Murrelets, a few lingering Fork-tld Storm-Petrels, and a large increase in King Eiders. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: SEDGE WARBLER--new for North America! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 01 Oct 2007 02:43:07 -0400 After what seemed like forever of 20-30 mph NE and N winds here at Gambell we've had two days of LIGHT NE and N winds (!), and after getting only a few minor new odds and ends, early this evening we found what we (and others who have seen the photos) believe to be a SEDGE WARBLER (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), the first record for North America. This species breeds through much of Europe and western Russia, north to the upper taiga belt, but east only to about 80 degrees East at best, at about the same longitude as northern India. So this bird was not on anyone's radar screen as a potential vagrant to North America--at least I don't think it was! (This species breeds only as far east as Wood Warbler [Phylloscopus sibilatrix], which has occurred twice in Alaska, as well as in Japan, but Sedge nests farther to the north than Wood.) We have posted several of Gary Rosenberg's photos of the bird on surfbirds.com, and are interested in feedback from any folks with experience with the genus, or who have any references that would suggest that 80 degrees East is not the eastern limit of Sedge's breeding range. I gather the species winters in sub-Saharan Africa. The bird was tough to get good looks at, and the sun was going down, so some of the photos are blurry, but they still do a pretty good job showing what the bird looked like. (The video I took was brief and does not add anything to Gary's photos.) I'll post another e-mail tomorrow with any more news on the bird, plus the miscellaneous other news from here the last few days. A few highlights: white Gyrfalcon, 10 Spectacled Eiders, Varied Thrush, about 150 Yellow-billed Loons, etc. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: miscellanea, seabird migration From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:28:56 -0400 It is late September and perhaps time for a brief description of the interesting seabird migration here at Gambell at this time of year (especially Yellow-billed Loons), but first some miscellaneous miscellanea: On 25 September, the OVENBIRD that had been AWOL several days reappeared in the Far Boneyard, where the BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was still present as of 26 September. The EYEBROWED THRUSH was also still there the 26th, as was now a flock of 5 BRAMBLINGS (bringing the season total for them up to 7). So a nice mix of species there in one boneyard--too bad they were almost all just "continuing" birds. Also dribs and drabs of more mainland sparrows, with the season total now of 9 American Trees virtually doubling the number of all previous fall records, the 16 Golden-crowneds tying the seasonal high, ditto the 18 White-crowneds, 5 Dark-eyed Juncos being a new season record, new late or nearly late dates for Yellow and Wilson's warblers, etc. Also a new WHITE Gyrfalcon, 4 Snowy Owls, several more Red-throated and japonicus pipits, 4 Slaty-backed Gulls (more numerous earlier in the fall). The last couple days, and for the forseeable future we have been "plagued" by NE (to N) winds. The current storm-track bringing in a series of strong lows through the southern Bering Sea has resulted in strong westerly winds through the Aleutians and Pribilofs, with a major fallout of Asian passerines at Shemya and St Paul several days ago. But up here in the northern Bering Sea we are on the north side of these lows, so get the wrap-around easterly and northeasterly winds, unfortunately. Seawatching in late September is always pretty interesting here. There is a remarkably consistent (date-wise) push of Yellow-billed Loons every year centered within just 2-3 days of 26 September. This year I had 64 Yellow-billeds pass in just two hours on 25 Sept, with 24 more yesterday morning. With NE/N winds today and tomorrow, we'll likely get a bunch more. My past totals for this week-long period have been as high as 225 birds. Surprising were 31 Ancient Murrelets yesterday morning, a new one-day high count for this visitor from the Aleutians/southern Bering. New all-time late dates were set the past few days for adult Sabine's Gull, Arctic Tern, and adult Parasitic Jaeger. Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels continue in numbers. There have been 3 Arctic Loons the past couple days, more than I usually see, which is surprising given how regular that species is in spring. (Maybe they come later in fall, after I have departed?) Five Red-necked Grebes (more than usual). Large waves and churned-up surf a couple days ago brought 5000 Red Phalaropes in to feed in the surf zone right off the beach. And lastly, there has been a notable increase in the numbers of various auklets and murres (since their numbers dropped off earlier in the month) heading back north (probably to preferred feeding areas). Single adult (presumably the male) Thick-billed Murres can be seen with large juveniles in tow in scattered duos close to shore, the adults and juveniles regularly calling back and forth to each other. Increasing numbers of basic-plumaged Common Murres are flying north. I used to think that following the near disappearance of the tens of thousands of nesting alternate-plumaged Commons by mid-Sept that this late Sept resurgence, which involve almost all birds in basic plumage, are mostly the "same" ones, having finished their molt perhaps in some protected waters south of the island and which are now returning to productive feeding grounds to the north. But I was recently corrected by a seabird biologist who told me that most of these late-season basic-plumaged murres are one-year olds which wait for the adults to finish breeding and then show up to "prospect" breeding sites, etc., for future years. --Paul Lehman Subject: Shemya: Eyebrowed Thrush, Gray-streaked Flycatcher, others From: "rtrotter56" <rtrotter56 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:00:58 -0000 Just arrived back on Shemya yesterday, 9/24, and Mike Schwitters let me know that a fallout was taking place as we spoke. Saw 17 Eyebrowed Thrush, may have been up to 20. Seven Gray-streaked flycatchers, 2 Siberian Rubythroat, 3 Rustic Bunting and then ran out of daylight. Mike's numbers may be even higher as I just had a short time to look after work. Bob Trotter Shemya Subject: Gambell: Eyebrowed Thrush, Pechora #3, TWO Bullock's Orioles! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 22:26:00 -0400 Today, Sept 24, was another day of east winds (20-25 mph), with scattered showers. So what new do we get? PECHORA PIPIT in the Far Boneyard and adjacent marsh in the AM (I got brief video), the third Pechora here this fall. And in the late afternoon we find a newly arrived, tired-looking EYEBROWED THRUSH (Gary got a couple very nice photos; he is posting a selection of his photos here at surfbirds.com). This thrush is a pretty regular spring vagrant to western Alaska, but it is far, far rarer in fall, with only a handful such records ever; this is the second fall record at Gambell. On the oriole front, things got a lot more strange. Yesterday I wrote that the new Bullock's started out in the Old Town area, hurdling about to and fro; then later turned up a fair distance away in the Far Boneyard where it settled in for the rest of the day and was very confiding, even seeming to follow us around at times! This morning, back in Old Town there is again a Bullock's acting very flighty. Then we're back at the Far Boneyard and the bird there is still there and as tame and confiding as ever. Hmmmm. Back to Old Town, and that bird is still there and is now starting to settle down just a wee bit. TWO BIRDS!! Both have now been extensively video'd and photo'd, and while both are pretty similar looking female-types, the Old Town bird has a wee bit more orange tint to the head and throat than the Far Boneyard bird does. So this makes THREE Bullock's Orioles here this fall. Can somebody PLEASE send me another species of oriole!! In other news, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels continue to behave in strange ways, with a bird this afternoon flying amongst the roosting gulls at the bottom end of Troutman Lake! Also, 3 Red-throated and 3 japonicus pipits, 7 White-crowned Sparrows, new Red and Sooty Fox Sparrows, my latest-ever Green-winged Teal (snore....), Yellow and Wilson's Warblers, and continuing Bramblings. --Paul Lehman Subject: fall trip From: alice sullivan <sullyinnome AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:02:22 -0700 (PDT) Beringia Birders, of Nome, had what we hope will be an annual fall trip down to Safety Sound. We left Nome early in the morning and were driving into the sun so we headed straight to the "Train to Nowhere" (not to be confused with the Bridge to Nowhere) and birded our way back to Nome. There were large flocks of hhundreds of Tundra Swans and Pintails. Some small flocks of Canada Geese were viewed as were small flocks of Mergansers and Brant. A few American Wigeons were mixed in with the Pintails and about ten Green-winged Teal. A few Pelagic Cormorants were seen. The highlight of the trip was a very gracious Northern Hawk Owl. It was perched on one of the Iditarod trail markers very close to the road. Apparently, this was the closest to a forest it could find on the sandspit road. It posed for us for several minutes and pictures and video were taken. Two members of the group are 85% sure they saw a Yellow billed Loon. The wildlife highlight was at Safety Sound Bridge. We stopped to view seagulls when we noticed a group of about five seals swimming and diving among the gulls. Several times one or another of the seals would pop up closer to us and give us the eyeball. Our last viewing was of flocks of McKays Buntings moving up to their winter quarters in Nome. A great way to end the birding season here. Alice Sullivan --------------------------------- Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. Subject: Gambell: Nearctic fallout (incl. another Bullock's Oriole!) From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:01:15 -0400 We had ESE winds overnight turning E at 20-30 mph on September 23, and during the morning had one of the more impressive fallouts of mainland oddities I've had here. Following seawatching (highlights were increasing numbers of eiders and loons, adult Sabine's, several Harbor Porpoise [which I'd seen here only a couple times before]) I was walking back through "Old Town" and flushed up an oriole, which very soon became the second BULLOCK'S of the season and third overall here. That started the mini-rush of goodies that by afternoon (these mainland surges often peter out already by lunchtime) included: BULLOCK'S ORIOLE: female-plumaged bird started off in Old Town, then went way over to the Far Boneyard, where it settled in for the day and was extensively photo'd and video'd--only the second Bullock's so documented in Alaska. So, this now make THREE Bullock's that I've seen here. Can I please trade in two of them for a Baltimore and a future draft pick to be named later?!! AMERICAN REDSTART: immature male in Near Boneyard, also extensively photo'd. Second here this fall; there are now four fall records at Gambell, the only records to date for the Bering Sea region. AMERICAN ROBIN: OK, I know you are all chuckling over this one, but this is only the fifth fall record here. They are truly a very rare bird offshore. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH: a new bird; the third this fall. LINCOLN'S SPARROW: the third this fall and seventh in fall overall here. Plus 3 American Tree Sparrows, 2 Red Fox, 1 Sooty Fox, 5 White-crowneds, 3 Golden-crowneds, 3 Savannahs, continuing Yellow Warbler (getting quite late), and....oh yes, the continuing Siberian Accentor and 3 Bramblings. Plus a getting-late-for-this-latitude Peregrine Falcon. Interestingly, St. Paul Island also had a hit of Nearctic birds today as well. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Siberian Accentor #3, Dusky Warb. #4, Little B. #5&6 From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:33:12 -0400 Sorry this is all starting to sound a bit like a broken record, and perhaps getting a bit ho-hum, but today, Sept 22, we had a Siberian Accentor in the Far Boneyard (which Gary got stunning photos of, which he'll post on Surfbirds and perhaps eBird; the third here this fall), a badly behaving Dusky Warbler in the Far and Circular boneyards in the AM only (the fourth for the fall), TWO Little Buntings (one continuing from the 20th, the other new: a bright one mostly in Old Town and a slightly duller one in the Near Boneyard) (the fifth and sixth of this fall!), plus throw in 3 Bramblings for good measure (2 in Far Boneyard, 1 in Old Town). Otherwise, single Yellow (getting late), Wilson's, and Orange-crowned Warblers, Bluethroat, Red-throated Pipit, 5 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, and 7 Ancient Murrelets. An adult Parasitic Jaeger yesterday evening was the latest ever by a couple days here for that age-class. Farther south at St Paul, also today, was a Pechora Pipit and Siberian Accentor, and either yesterday or the day before at Adak was a Garganey. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: OVENBIRD!, Little Bunting, white Gyr From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 22:28:37 -0400 AM on September 20 had north winds 15-20 mph, which is good for seawatching, and sure enough, we had an amazing 22 (!) Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels (only four records here before this year), 9 Yellow-billed Loons, a resurgence of thousands of auklets, 300,000 Short-tailed Shearwaters, Red-necked Grebe, and adult Sabine's Gull. Later in the day a WHITE Gyrfalcon flew by. I see a couple Gyrs every fall here, and a white bird about once every other year. In the later afternoon Gary and I had a LITTLE BUNTING in the Near Boneyard/Old Town area; it had been three days since I had seen the previous Little Bunting in about the same general area, so we are not sure if it is a new bird (would be Little Bunting #5 for this fall if so) or continuing Little Bunting #4. Also three new japonicus American Pipits, Red-throated Pipit, and couple more Orange-cr Warblers. Today, September 21, started with light SSW winds, picking up and going S/SSE as the day went on. The real prize was the OVENBIRD we found in the Far Boneyard in the late morning. This species is casual anywhere in Alaska (closest breeding sites are in extreme se. Yukon and ne. BC). Presumably this is the first record for the Bering Sea region; closest record I am aware of is from Fairbanks. We got excellent photos and video. Also seen this AM were the second Red-breasted Nuthatch of this fall, a Dark-eyed Junco, and "Red" Fox, American Tree, and Savannah Sparrows. But in the PM the landbirds slowed and all we added was a new record-late-date for Bluethroat. Plus a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. Forecast is for extended winds out of the south and southeast. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Pechora Pipit, 'flava' Horned Lark, Varied Thrush From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:50:08 -0400 Today, September 19th, started out with 10-15 mph E and ENE winds (and some light rain). So what do I find but a PECHORA PIPIT in the Far Boneyard, the second here this fall and the surprising 11th in autumn since just 2003. It was the ONLY migrant then in the Far Boneyard. Soon thereafter I kicked up a "flava" Horned Lark out in the gravelly grass to the north; this is the Asian race with a yellow face and throat; and all fall records here to date ID'd to subspecies have been this race. Hmmm, so much for east winds....! Well, by afternoon at least I had added an American Tree Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, and finished the day with a VARIED THRUSH, the FIRST fall record for Gambell and only the second such record for St. Lawrence Island (there's a small number of spring records here). Short-tailed Shearwaters are picking up and are now in the several 100,000's, 3 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels continue, as does a tying-a-record-late-date Arctic Tern, 1-2 Ancient Murrelets, Steller's Eider, and a lingering Gray-tailed Tattler. As we enter the last third of September, most of the regular migrant landbirds have finished for the season (presumably). Other than the resident Common Ravens, numbers of Snow Buntings, and both redpolls, it is now down to just a handful of Lapland Longspurs. Anything else is interesting! Be they wanderers from Asia or the North American mainland, or late. So today's 5 individuals of the 5 "extra" species listed above was OK for today. Shorebirds are down to mostly just Pacific Golden-Plovers (e.g., 10 today) and a few Long-billed Dowitchers. The Rock Sandpipers and Pectorals and Sharp-taileds seem to have quit a bit early this year. --Paul Lehman Subject: Nome - 4 fork-tailed storm petrals From: Nome Convention and Visitor's Bureau <tourinfo AT ci.nome.ak.us> Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:05:35 -0800 Reported to the Nome Visitors Center: On Saturday September 15th at 11:00 AM, Jean Rioux spotted 4 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel near the mouth of the Nome River at Fort Davis. Subject: Gambell: Little Bunting #4, "inland" storm-petrel From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:47:27 -0400 First off, some old news: at the end of Bunting Mania Day, Sept 15, the weather turned very nice, with a beautiful evening of calm winds and mild temps. I figured there would be major migrant defections that night; and sure enough, the next day EVERYTHING was gone!! The highlight on Sept 16 was definitely the bizarre sight that evening of a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel flying in and out among the houses in the "Old Town" section of Gambell!! While it was raining at the time, there was no fog and the winds were light. After a while, it headed back to the ocean. On Sept 17, I started off quickly with LITTLE BUNTING #4 for the season, this bird in "Old Town" and recognizably duller than the bird a few days earlier over in the Far Boneyard. That was followed quickly by a Yellow-rumped (Myrtle), Yellow, and Wilson's Warblers. Ah, things were looking good for the day! Then I sprained my ankle...... Spent the rest of the day and this morning nursing it mostly back to health and catching up on needed paperwork. There was also another major storm last night and this morning, with 40 mph east winds and horizontal rain. When it started to abate in the early afternoon there was a wonderful feeding frenzy in the surf zone along the beach near the Point, with several thousand birds feeding on what must be a masses of zooplankton thrown up by the high surf. Most birds were kittiwakes (including lots of gorgeous fresh juveniles), plus waves of juvenile Red Phalaropes (totaling 400), a late juv Arctic Tern, and 8 Sabine's Gulls (4 of which were adults, setting a new late date for that age). Also record late today was a Bluethroat. Farther to the south, recent highlights at St Paul include North America's fourth Yellow-browed Warbler, their first-ever Little Bunting, a Siberian Accentor, and as many as 6 Sky Larks. The two Marsh Sandpipers at Adak just keep going..and going...and going... And there was a Siberian Rubythroat at Shemya. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell Bunting Madness!!! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:45:26 -0400 OK, so I go back to the Far Boneyard here at Gambell after a very quick, meager "dinner" and very quickly re-find the LITTLE BUNTING we had had there two days ago but had missed ever since (even though it was now back in the same spot we had it much of the time on Thursday). After well over an hour of tromping around the boneayrd I find a late Arctic Warbler (yes, it WAS a typical Arctic) and finally re-find the YELLOW-BROWED BUNTING (actually, local resident "Hansen" re-finds it). I do not re-find the Siberian Accentor nor the Brambling from earlier in the day. Then I walk over to the nearby "Circular Boneyard," which hasn't produced too much (yet) this fall and fairly quickly find a PALLAS'S BUNTING!!!!! This is the 6th Alaska and North American record, and hot on the heels of a bird we had here at Gambell last year in late September. After several flushes and relatively brief views on the ground, the bird flushes way over to the lower mountain-side, where I re-find it and show it in flight only to local resident and "seasonal birder" Chris Koonooka. The bird then flies in to......you guessed it.....the Far Boneyard, where I am never able to relocate it. So, if you are keeping score, on 15 September 2007 the Far Boneyard at Gambell hosted a Yellow-browed Bunting, a Pallas's Bunting, a Little Bunting, a Siberian Accentor, and a Brambling. (and a late Arctic Warbler, bunch of sparrows, and several Orange-crowneds). After that, Hansen took me down south of Troutman Lake to finish the day and we had a flock of 17 Emperor Geese, another Orange-crowned, and my latest-ever (by a day) Bluethroat. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: YELLOW-BROWED BUNTING--First for North America!!!! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:41:21 -0400 Today, September 15, the three of us remaining at Gambell had a YELLOW-BROWED BUNTING (Emberiza chrysophrys) in the Far Boneyard. When I first flushed the bird I saw the typical slim, small size and shape and white outer tail feathers of an Asian bunting. The rump area was a fairly bright reddish brown, so I assumed I had found my long-awaited first fall record of Rustic Bunting for Gambell. After two more quick flushes I finally saw the bird on the ground for a couple seconds and announced that in fact it was North America's first Yellow-browed Bunting. Dave's interest level picked up! Panic ensued, and all three of us (Dave Sonneborn, Paul Mayer, and I) then spent the next two hours making sure the bird was properly documented with a bunch of good digital photos and video. I'll try and post some of the photos when Dave and Paul M. (who just departed the island) download their photos and e-mail me a selection. Also in the Far Boneyard today was the contiuing SIBERIAN ACCENTOR from yesterday, and it was joined today by a BRAMBLING. Almost no other new migrants were found today--just the continuing misc. Alaska mainland sparrows, Gray-ch Thrush, and flock of O-c Warblers. Also seen this AM were a couple Sandhill Cranes (very rare in fall), another Red-necked Grebe, and a couple Ancient Murrelets. For a nice depiction of Yellow-browed Bunting see the "Birds of Europe" field guide (Mullarney et al.), page 367, bottom right. Our bird is quite spiffy looking and bright, and it looks a bit closer to the adult male than to the adult female/immature male pictured, though the cheeks are not as black as shown for the adult male. Yesterday was SW winds and scattered rain showers. Last night and today have been light W winds (7-10 mph), pt cloudy, and a few scattered showers and around 50-52 degrees. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Siberian Accentor, Oriole continues, R-b Nut From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:52:51 -0400 Today, Sept 14, with SW and S winds, we found the second SIBERIAN ACCENTOR of this fall in the late afternoon in the Far Boneyard. This is now the 12th Accentor here at Gambell, all in fall, since 1999. Yesterday's BULLOCK'S ORIOLE continued today and was seen even to roost in the skin-boats (in "Old Town"). A Red-breasted Nuthatch, less than annual here in fall, was briefly seen before heading up the mountain and disappearing. A great photographic opportunity was presented by a juvenile Wandering Tattler (my latest ever here by over a week) hanging out side-by-side with a juvenile Gray-tailed Tattler (which regularly stay this late). An adult Long-tailed Jaeger was one day shy of record-late for here, and a couple continuing juvenile Arctic Terns are getting late. The Orange-crowned Warblers have found eachother and are now a flock of three. Speaking of a group of three, there are now just three of us birders here, and the other two leave tomorrow. I'll be alone for a few days and then Gary Rosenberg will join me for two-weeks, for most of the home stretch. Temps are now pretty consistently in the very high 40s. Rumor of another major storm moving in to the Bering Sea at the beginning of next week... --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: BULLOCK'S ORIOLE! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 22:12:51 -0400 This afternoon (9/13) a female-type BULLOCK'S ORIOLE appeared in the "Old Town" section of Gambell and played hide and seek for the next couple of hours. Aaron Lang got excellent photos of it, and I took video. This is the first Bullock's to be physically documented in Alaska, ever. Heck, might as well come from the northern Bering Sea....! I had a female-type Bullock's here also on 3 Oct 2004, but my video camera had gone on the fritz a couple days earlier, so I was unable to photo it and the species remained on the state's "unsubstantiated" list, until now. This species occurs no farther north than southern British Columbia. Also seen this afternoon was a flock of 10 Greater White-fronted Geese (only the second time I've seen this species here in fall), Gray-tailed Tattler, several Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a 3rd American Tree Sparrow, and several Gray-cheeked Thrushes. Farther south, at St Paul, a Red-flanked Bluetail was found today. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Little Bunting, Merlin, storm-petrel spectacle From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:15:22 -0400 Today, Sept 13, the winds shifted from ESE to WSW and we found a LITTLE BUNTING in the Far Boneyard, already the THIRD Little Bunting here this fall, and the 13th overall in fall here since 1993. Video'd. Also this morning was a much rarer bird at Gambell: a MERLIN! This is actually the first fall record ever here, and there are only a couple spring records. This bird looked like a typical North American individual, whereas at least one of the spring records likely involved an Asian bird. This species is strictly casual on all of the offshore Alaska islands, which seems surprising given this species' ability to easily cross large water barriers. On Sept 12-13 we were treated to a true spectacle not seen by anyone here before: the remnant pieces of a dead Minke whale floating along shore and the resultant slick and small pieces of flaking detritus attracted up to 6 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels to come to feed within 3 feet (I am NOT exaggerating!) of the beach, even flying over the gravel at times, for long periods of time, affording incredible photographic opportunities and stunning views. Other news the past couple days includes a second Swainson's Thrush and second Dark-eyed Junco, 3 more Orange-crowneds and a Yellow Warbler, the latter making for the 7th North American warbler species here so far this fall (my seasonal record here is 8, I think), a single Arctic and a couple more Yellow-billed Loons, another Kittlitz's and 2 more Ancient Murrelets, 5 late-ish Arctic Terns, including the latest ever adults here (by 3 days), an all-time record 10 Sooty Fox Sparrows already for the season, a record-high 7 Rough-legged Hawks all together, the second Red-necked Grebe of the fall, a second American Tree Sparrow, and a near-record one-day total of 1300 Snow Buntings. The remaining 3 White Wagtails finally seem to have departed two days ago. Paul Lehman Subject: FW: [AK Birding] Richard Hoyer report - Saint Paul Island migration update From: "Hart, Karla J (DFG)" <karla.hart AT alaska.gov> Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:06:34 -0800 Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2007 11:27 PM To: Saint Paul Island Birding News Subject: [AK Birding] Saint Paul Island migration update Wednesday, September 12 Dear Birders, After the remains of Typhoon Fitow passed on Monday, we've had strong winds that continued from the southeast, then south, and then today from the southwest. So finally we've had some obvious arrivals. Today's highlights were a male BRAMBLING at Hutchinson Hill and two ALEUTIAN TERNS (and adult with a juvenile) at Webster Lake (very late for Alaska and a very rare migrant here at all). Yesterday there was a RED-THROATED PIPIT above the town cliffs, creating some excitement, but it didn't stick around. The only other passerine from the west was a japonicus AMERICAN PIPIT that's been present for about 5 days, but the past two days we've had several more rubescens-type AMERICAN PIPITS arrive. We still have the same American passerine vagrants, but in slightly lower numbers, with Fox, Golden-crowned and Savannah Sparrows, Dark-eyed Junco, and Yellow Warbler today; we've had two Orange-crowned Warblers up until yesterday. Shorebirds are constantly changing. We had the LITTLE STINT up until two days ago, and one RED-NECKED STINT continues. Both WANDERING and GRAY-TAILED TATTLERS are around, but in fewer numbers than a week ago. Coming and going still are LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and PECTORAL and SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPERS, the latter still about 15-20 each day. RUDDY TURNSTONES are still present in good numbers; we estimate around 200-300 each day. Today we had 38 PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS, including a late adult. A variegatus WHIMBREL was inland today. The same juvenile BAR-TAILED GODWIT continues on Salt Lagoon each day. The storm brought us hundreds of RED PHALAROPES (and a few RED-NECKED as well), ARCTIC TERNS (up to 10), and SABINE'S GULLS (up to 4). Continuing are a few SLATY-BACKED and HERRING GULLS, and at least one GLAUCOUS GULL. Waterfowl arrived in the wake of this storm too, with increased numbers of NORTHERN PINTAIL and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and today a NORTHERN SHOVELER was new. Finally, it appears that the Brown Hawk-Owl (or Northern Boobook) is really history. We've checked the crab traps daily and it has now been 10 days since we last saw it. For a nice collection of the photos, as well as a fun account of the discovery, see Jake Mohlmann and John Yerger's website below. http://www.adventurebirding.com/bhow See Birdwest for a more complete and orderly bird list as Gavin Bieber posts the official weekly update each Friday. Good Birding, Rich --- Richard C. Hoyer Tucson, AZ Senior Field Leader, WINGS, Inc. http://www.wingsbirds.com --- Subject: Gambell: 3rd WILLOW WARBLER, COMMON ROSEFINCH, Nearctic fallout From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:16:58 -0400 During September 10-11 a strong, intensifying storm set up shop in the central Bering Sea, resulting in strong (20-40 mph) ESE winds here at Gambell the past two days, and with moderate wind-driven rain late yesterday and throughout last night. The result has been a great mix of birds, headlined by.... The THIRD WILLOW WARBLER of the season, found today (9/11) along the slopes of Sevuokuk Mountain, at first being chased by an Orange-crowned. Photo'd. That was the soon followed by the discovery of a COMMON ROSEFINCH in the Far Boneyard, also photo'd and enjoyed my most/all. Seawatching yesterday produced an unprecedented SIX Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, which nearly doubles the number of individuals ever seen here for this very rare visitor from the south. Also Spectacled Eider, Yellow-billed Loon, Ancient Murrelet, and, best of all, a Northern Shoveler (only the third fall record here---yes, I know you are all totally thrilled!). The Nearctic mainland onslaught started yesterday (9/10) with a SWAINSON'S Thrush (only previous falll records here were in 2004), Hermit Thrush (averages one or two per fall), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (also averages a couple per fall), single Orange-crowned and Wilson's Warblers, 7 Red-throated Pipits, and a true plethora of sparrows: 6 "Sooty" Fox Sparrows (a new one-day record for this reverse-migrant from sw Alaska), 1 "Red" Fox Sparrow, 1 Dark-eyed (Slate-col) Junco (casual), 6 Golden-cr, 5 White-cr., and 4 Savannahs. And today we have already added a BLACKPOLL WARBLER (only second fall record ever, the first was in late Aug 1992), Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler (casual), Lincoln's Sparrow (casual, 2nd this fall) American Tree Sparrow, 2 more Hermit Thrushes. The 7 species of sparrows here today sets a new one-day record, I believe. The Yellow-rumped Warbler came in off the ocean and landed in the open gravel right next to us while we were seawatching, stayed for a few seconds, and disappeared forever. The Lincoln's Sparrow was present for only a minute. Makes one wonder how many things we miss!! Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: misc mainland stuff From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 09 Sep 2007 22:47:23 -0400 No good Asian birds here now for a few days (since the one-day Accentor) but a couple very good mainland North America species were found: a multi-day, very lost AMERICAN REDSTART, the third fall record here and for the Bering Sea region overall, and the second "Western" Flycatcher for this fall (Pacific-slope is the overwhelming, odds-on favorite). Finally a Spectacled Eider showed up, 1-2 Wilson's Snipe (very rare out here), the first fall record ever of Common Goldeneye (2), and a push of the more regular wandering mainland AK warblers and sparrows: 2 Orange-crowned and a Wilson's Warbler; 3 "Sooty" Fox, 3 Golden-crowned, White-crowned, and 2 Savannah Sparrows. Also, Steller's Eider, 2 more Ancient Murrelets, Gray-tailed Tattler, 3 Eurasian Wigeon. Still several White Wagtails around and 6+ Red-throated and 5+ japonicus Am. Pipits. I gather the Brown Hawk Owl at St. Paul Is is apparently gone. Recent news from there includes Little Stint and Swainson's Thrush. Best birds at the moment are at Adak: 2 Marsh Sandpipers and a juvenile-appearing Oriental Greenfinch. Shemya has an upswing in shorebirds, including a Common Sandpiper, plus a very-rare-in-the-Aleutians Northern Wheatear. --Paul Lehman Subject: FW: [AK Birding] RBA Gavin Bieber: Saint Paul Island, The Pribilofs, AK. Sep. 5, 2007 From: "Hart, Karla J (DFG)" <karla.hart AT alaska.gov> Date: Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:35:57 -0800 Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 9:59 AM To: AK Birding Listserve RBA * Alaska * St. Paul Island, Pribilofs * September 5, 2007 * AKSPI 0509.07 Hello Birders, this is the St. Paul Island rare bird alert for the week of August 30-September 5, 2007 sponsored by St. Paul Island Tour. The following sequence of sightings is in taxonomic order; an asterisk denotes a species of less than annual occurrence or one of particular note. Birds Mentioned: Mallard American Widgeon White-winged Scoter Pacific Loon Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Short-tailed Shearwater Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Glaucous Gull Slaty-backed Gull Black-headed Gull Pacific Golden-Plover Bar-tailed Godwit GRAY-TAILED TATTLER RED KNOT* Sanderling RUFF* Pectoral Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Western Sandpiper RED-NECKED STINT* LITTLE STINT* Long-billed Dowitcher Bald Eagle ***BROWN HAWK-OWL*** BELTED KINGFISHER** Northern Wheatear GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH* SWAINSON'S THRUSH** American Pipit Eastern Yellow-Wagtail Yellow Warbler Wilson's Warbler Savannah Sparrow CHIPPING SPARROW** Fox Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco WATERFOWL a single White-winged Scoter was found on English Bay on the 31st. Five Mallards were seen on Pumphouse Lake on the 4th. A male American Wigeon was located at Tonki Point on the 3rd and has continued through the 5th. SEABIRDS & GULLS Two Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel were found feeding at East Landing on the 3rd. Dwindling numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters were seen through the week. A Pacific Loon was seen off northeast point on the 1st, and a Common Loon was seen on the 2nd. Single Red-necked Grebes recorded on the 1st and 2nd. The Black-headed Gull continues on Big Lake. Small numbers of both Glaucous and Slaty-backed Gulls continue to be seen on the island. SHOREBIRDS The first RED KNOT and Sanderling of the season were discovered on Lukanin Beach by Tonki Point on the 3rd. Another 3 Sanderlings were found on North Beach by Marunich on the 4th. A LITTLE STINT was discovered on Zapadni Beach on the 5th. A RED-NECKED STINT was discovered on the 2nd at Pumphouse Lake, and two more birds were located in the Zapadni area, dividing their time between the slough and the beach, on the 3rd continuing through 5th. RUFF was recorded at Pumphouse Lake on the 30th. Large numbers of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers continued this week, along with smaller numbers of Pectoral Sandpipers. A Bar-tailed Godwit was located on Salt Lagoon on the 2nd continuing through the 5th. Pacific Golden-Plovers and GRAY-TAILED TATTLERS continue to be seen in small numbers. Small flocks of Long-billed Dowitchers can be found around the island, as well as small numbers of Western Sandpipers. PASSERINES & LANDBIRDS The fall survey officially began this week and was kicked off by the rediscovery of the BROWN HAWK-OWL, found in the north section of crab pots. The owl was subsequently seen again on the 2nd, and on the 3rd delighted a group of gung ho birders from Gambell who chartered a plane to come take a peek at our owl from the far east. Another interesting find was the discovery of a female BELTED KINGFISHER in the harbor on the 3rd which continued through the 4th. Fall migration was in full swing this week with large numbers of North American passerines, most noticeably the 2nd record for SWAINSON'S THRUSH, and the 2nd and 3rd record of CHIPPING SPARROW for the Pribilofs, both were discovered in the vicinity of Polovina Hill, the sparrows were found on the 4th and the thrush was found on the 5th. Other exciting finds included a White-crowned Sparrow found in Kaminista Quarry on the 4th, and two birds seen there on the 5th, Dark-eyed Junco was also found in the quarry on the 5th, GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH was discovered at Reef on the 4th, Northern Wheatear was found in the quarry on the 30th, and Yellow Warbler was found on the road to Zapadni on the 5th. Eastern Yellow-Wagtail was recorded on the 1st and 5th, American Pipit was recorded on the 31st and 5th, while Wilson's Warbler was recorded on the 1st, 2nd, and 5th. Golden-crowned, Fox, and Savannah Sparrows were recorded multiple times throughout the week at various locations around the island. The sub-adult Bald Eagle continues to seen around the island. Regularly occurring species now present on the island: Northern Pintail Green-winged (and Common) Teal Harlequin Duck Long-tailed Duck Northern Fulmar Red-faced Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Wandering Tattler Ruddy Turnstone Rock Sandpiper (ssp. ptilocnemis) Red-necked Phalarope Glaucous-winged Gull Black-legged Kittiwake Red-legged Kittiwake Common Murre Thick-billed Murre Parakeet Auklet Horned Puffin Tufted Puffin Common Raven Winter Wren (ssp. alascensis) Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (ssp. umbrina) For tour information or to make travel arrangements visit our website http://www.alaskabirding.com or call 1-877-424-5637. This is Dylan Radin (dylard AT hotmail.com), Jake Mohlmann and Rich Hoyer, the 2007 St. Paul Island Tour guides, wishing you good birding. Gavin Bieber Kingbird77 AT hotmail.com Tucson, AZ www.wingsbirds.com Subject: Gambell: SIBERIAN ACCENTOR, Northern Waterthrush From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:44:59 -0400 September 4 is the start of a few days of forecasted cooler weather (mid-40s) with North to East winds. But we found a SIBERIAN ACCENTOR today in the Far Boneyard and up the adjacent slope of Sevuokuk Mountian. This is the 11th Accentor here in fall since 1999! Also in the same area this morning were a Northern Waterthrush (only fourth fall record for the island, casual anywhere offshore here, and on the late side) and a Lincoln's Sparrow (5th fall record here). Also a Kittlitz's Murrelet, dark-morph Fulmar, Baird's Sandpiper, a couple continuing White Wagtails and Red-throated and japonicus pipits. Short-tailed Shearwater numbers are slowly building just offshore, with about 125,000 today. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: ANOTHER WILLOW Warbler and Dusky Warbler! From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 03:04:04 -0400 September 3 was an eventful day for many of us at Gambell, as 12 crazy folks (me included) chartered a plane and flew to St. Paul Island (flight took less than two hours) and saw the continuing BROWN HAWK OWL! Upon our return I walked out in to the Near Boneyard and found a WILLOW WARBLER, now the third record for North America, and hot on the heels of the second one, which was here a week ago. All birders now here at Gambell (about 20-25 of us, mostly as part of three tour groups) saw the bird, and while following it around we found what is presumably a new DUSKY Warbler, also in the Near Boneyard--the third Dusky here this fall already. Yesterday we had fly-by total of 46 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, a new high count for here, plus rare-but-annual "Sooty" Fox Sparrow and Wilson's Warbler. Continuing Black Guillemot and 2 Lesser Sand-Plovers as well. Red-throated Pipits numbered 8+ today. Bluethroat. Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Dusky Warbler #2, Little Bunting #2 From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2007 22:40:24 -0400 Today, September 1, we got a bit of an influx of landbirds (mostly Arctic Warblers), including a new DUSKY WARBLER (Far Boneyard) and a new LITTLE BUNTING (side of Troutman Lake). The previous Little Bunting stayed 2 days. Also today a Black Guillemot at the Point (rare this early in the season), Red-necked Grebe (scarce but annual), Steller's Eiders, more nice Pom Jaeger flights, 2 new juv Gray-tailed Tattlers, 5 japonicus Am. Pipits, several more Red-throated Pipits. Mostly sunny and very mild (upper 50's) today, with light, variable winds. I had failed to mention earlier that folks doing a bit of birding in the Safety Sound area near Nome on their way out here to Gambell the past week have turned up Arctic Loon (MM 29), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Red-throated Pipit, and a couple Gyrfalcons. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: LITTLE BUNTING, Sand-Plover glut From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:48:31 -0400 The past three days here at Gambell have seen very few passerine migrants, but today we (I have now been joined by my Wings tour group) found a LITTLE BUNTING in the Far Boneyard. This is now the ELEVENTH Little Bunting I've had at Gambell in fall since 1999. During the past three days we've had 5 juvenile Lesser Sand-Plovers, including three birds together on the 28th. Also 5 more Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 5 Red-throated Pipits, 7 Snowy Owls together, 2 or 3 of the 5 White Wagtails were watched heading back to Russia this morning, a couple more Steller's Eiders, and an adult Western Sandpiper yesterday which amazingly is the first adult ever here in fall (after mid-August); juveniles are common. Several more Slaty-backed Gulls, another dark-morph Fulmar, 119 Pomarine Jaegers this morning. A few Humpback Whales have joined the many Grays, totaling about 20 whales altogether off the Point. Several juvenile auklets have been found crash-landed around town. Paul Lehman Subject: FW: [AK Birding] RBA from Gavin Bieber: Saint Paul Island, Aug 29, 2007 From: "Hart, Karla J (DFG)" <karla.hart AT alaska.gov> Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:15:54 -0800 From: AKBirding AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:AKBirding AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gavin Bieber Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 7:20 AM To: AK Birding Listserve Subject: [AK Birding] RBA: Saint Paul Island, Aug 29, 2007 RBA * Alaska * St. Paul Island, Pribilofs * August 29, 2007 * AKSPI 2908.07 Hello Birders, this is the St. Paul Island rare bird alert for the week of August 23-29, 2007 sponsored by St. Paul Island Tour. The following sequence of sightings is in taxonomic order; an asterisk denotes a species of less than annual occurrence or one of particular note. Birds Mentioned: Mallard Greater Scaup Short-tailed Shearwater Pomarine Jaeger Parasitic Jaeger Glaucous Gull Slaty-backed Gull Black-headed Gull Artic Tern Pacific Golden Plover GRAY-TAILED TATTLER LESSER YELLOWLEGS RUFF* Pectoral Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Western Sandpiper RED-NECKED STINT* Long-billed Dowitcher Bald Eagle ***BROWN HAWK OWL*** Northern Wheatear American Pipit Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Golden-crowned Sparrow WATERFOWL Two Mallards were found on Icehouse Lake on the 29th. One female Greater Scaup was seen on Webster Lake on the 23rd. SEABIRDS & GULLS Sabine's Gulls continue to migrate past the island in small numbers with a high count of 4 on the 23rd. Three different Slaty-backed Gulls continue to be seen around the island. One or two Glaucous Gulls continue to be found around the island. The Black-headed Gull continued on Big Lake through the 25th. Short-tailed Shearwaters continue to be seen in very large numbers around the island, and both Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers were reported this week. Two Artic Terns were discovered flying over Big Lake on the 25th. The first Ancient Murrelet seen in over three weeks was found lulling in the waves off Zapadni Point. Auklet numbers are down even more this week, with not a single Crested Auklet recorded this week, while Parakeet and Least Auklets have become very scarce. SHOREBIRDS a true SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER fallout occured this week, with high day counts of 30 individuals, mostly juveniles. Similarly large numbers of Western Sandpipers were found around the island this week. A single RED-NECKED STINT was recorded on the 24th at Antone Slough. Our first Long-billed Dowitchers of the season were found at Pumphouse Lake on the 28th, a flock of 6 birds. Three and then two juvenile RUFFS continued at Pumphouse Lake through the 26th. Pectoral Sandpipers were recorded on Pumphouse Lake on the 23rd and 24th. GRAY-TAILED TATTLERS continue to be found on Salt Lagoon and other various locations around the island. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was discovered on Pumphouse Lake on the 26th. Pacific Golden Plovers can be found all around the island this week in large numbers. PASSERINES & LANDBIRDS The highlight of this season and any other season on Saint Paul this side of the milllennia was the discovery of a BROWN HAWK OWL(Ninox scutulata ssp. japonicus) in the crab pots near town on the 27th. This constitutes the first sighting of this species in the Western Hemisphere, this is a species which has a normal range that extends north only to northern Manchuria, the most extreme southeast corner of Russia, and Japan. A truly astonishing bird which caught us all by suprise, reminiscent of a small accipter as it darted between crab pots. The image of the those bright yellow eyes starring at us from the darkness of the crab pots will not soon leave our memories. We unfortunately had no birders on the island to enjoy the discovery, but we were able to document the bird with pictures for all to enjoy. The bird has not been refound since the iniitial sighting on the 27th but we will continue to keep tabs on crab pots. The American Pipit was refound at the Kaminista crab pots on the 24th. The season's first Northern Wheatear was discovered on the road between Marunich and the airport on the 28th. Savannah Sparrows have been found multiple occasions this week. One Golden-crowned Sparrow was discovered on Reef Road on the 23rd and two birds were found there on the 24th. The single Bald Eagle on the island continues to be seen this week. Anm excursion over to nearby Walrus Island by the Fish & Wildlife Service on the 29th brought back reports of Fox Sparrow, Northern Wheatear, Savannah Sparrow, Yellow/Wilson's Warbler, and a probable Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Regularly occurring species now present on the island: Northern Pintail Green-winged (and Common) Teal Harlequin Duck Long-tailed Duck Northern Fulmar Red-faced Cormorant Pelagic Cormorant Semipalmated Plover Wandering Tattler Ruddy Turnstone Rock Sandpiper (ssp. ptilocnemis) Red-necked Phalarope Glaucous-winged Gull Black-legged Kittiwake Red-legged Kittiwake Pigeon Guillemot Common Murre Thick-billed Murre Ancient Murrelet Parakeet Auklet Least Auklet Horned Puffin Tufted Puffin Common Raven Winter Wren (ssp. alascensis) Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch (ssp. umbrina) For tour information or to make travel arrangements visit our website http://www.alaskabirding.com or call 1-877-424-5637. This is Dylan Radin (dylard AT hotmail.com ), Jake Mohlmann and Keenan Casteel, the 2007 St. Paul Island Tour guides, wishing you good birding. Gavin Bieber Kingbird77 AT hotmail.com Tucson, AZ www.wingsbirds.com __________________________________________________________ Explore the seven wonders of the world http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=7+wonders+world&mkt=en-US&form=QBRE [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Three Peregrins on Sledge Island From: "beringsue" <susan_steinacher AT fishgame.state.ak.us> Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 01:49:07 -0000 My entry is not as exciting as Paul's updates from Gambell, but I did want to report a sighting of three Peregrine Falcons at the north end of Sledge Island August 26. All appeared similar in size and coloration. Peter Bente reviewed my photos and made the following comments: "Peregrine falcon with diagnostic malar stripe and other hatch-year characteristics: broad dark markings on breast, white-tipped tail, pale grayish flesh-color on foot and cere that is often found in 1st-year birds. Tawny head suggests Tundra peregrine falcon (F. p. tundrius) but overall dark coloration of the body argues against the F. p. t. subspecies." It was glassy calm and hot at Sledge. Surely this can't be late August in the Bering Straits! Subject: Gambell: DUSKY and WILLOW Warblers From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:13:11 -0400 Today, Monday the 27th, is solid, medium-height overcast, with SW winds at 10-15 mph--good weather for Asian landbirds. We (Barbara Carlson and I) easily refound the WILLOW Warbler today in exactly the same spot where we left it yesterday, and an hour later, in the Far Boneyard, we found a DUSKY Warbler, the ninth fall record here since 1997, and which represents perhaps half the total of North American records. Also there are several "scarce" shorebirds around: the first couple juv Sharp-tailed Sandpipers of the season arrived, another juv Gray-tailed Tattler, 2 juv Sanderlings, and a juv Baird's Sandpiper. --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: WILLOW WARBLER!!!, Asian shorebirds From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 23:19:34 -0400 Well, I guess they keep coming! Today my friend Barbara Carlson arrived, so now there are two of us birding here, and soon thereafter we had two juvenile Gray-tailed Tattlers, and then I flushed a warbler that was greenish-gray above. Thinking I was about to show her her lifer (adult) Arctic Warbler, we walked up and I was stunned to see that the bird was a WILLOW WARBLER, the second record for North America! The first record we found here at Gambell also in late August--in 2002-- and we got our best photos and video of that bird on EXACTLY THE SAME DATE--26 August--and only about 200 yards away from where I took lots of video of today's bird!! The site is near the bottom end of Troutman Lake, in scattered patches of Arctic Sage/Wormwood along the road and lake side. Otherwise, yesterday and today there are actually very FEW landbird migrants around. Yesterday I video'd 2 Ancient Murrelets swimming around the Point (a rare bur annual visitor from the south), and on August 24 at the "culvert" area at the bottom end of the lake I video'd a juvenile Common Ringed Plover standing next to a juvenile Lesser Sand-Plover!! --Paul Lehman Subject: Gambell: Pechora Pipit From: Paul Lehman <lehman.paul1 AT verizon.net> Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2007 21:28:36 -0400 In the early afternoon on 23 August a PECHORA PIPIT turned up at the edge of Gambell's Far Boneyard, exactly where four of the previous nine Pechoras have been found. The total of 10 Pechoras here in fall, all since 2003, is pretty surprising! Perhaps we just plain overlooked them in the past and passed them off as poorly seen, silent, skulking Red-throated Pipits. Big mistake! Anyway, this bird is actually fairly cooperative as Pechoras go (they are real skulkers!). NO sign of the Brown Shrike since yesterday afternoon. In all, it was present about an hour. In contrast, the wayward Purple Finch is still present today for Day #3. Also today was an Orange-crowned Warbler, the most regular mainland warbler stray out here in fall. (Wilson's and Yellow are the other two annual North American warbler fall visitors.) Two more hudsonicus Whimbrels, the two juvenile Red-necked Stints continue, and a Wandering Tattler turned up (scarce; there are actually substantially more Gray-tailed Tattlers here in fall). In other news, there are at least 4 White Wagtails around (1 adult, 3 juveniles), several pairs of Snowy Owls bred within 10 miles of the village this year, which is unusual, and the locally rare-breeding Rough-legged Hawk pair did raise two young. There are 8-10 Hoary Redpolls hanging around. Lastly, I didn't mention yesterday that the Chipping Sparrow spent some time hanging around with a family group of Red-throated Pipits (1 ad., 2 juvs.). Probably the first time that combination has occurred together! --Paul Lehman