June 05, 2018. Las Vegas to Anchorage. More Photos.

We left home at 7 AM and arrived in Anchorage at 7 PM (8 PM Alaska time) and spent about 6 of the 12 hours in the air. We had three, more-or-less, 2-hour flights, and as we in America have become accustomed, none was much fun. Crowed planes, tiny seats, screaming kids -- the whole works.

Regardless, we are in Anchorage and have already been seeing birds. There is a Red-necked Grebe, a White-winged Scoter, Mallard ladies with duck-lets, and an Osprey carrying a fish. We also saw Bald Eagle and Northwestern Crows in Juneau during our longest layover.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

June 06, 2018. Anchorage. More Photos.

This was a free day in Anchorage, and we used it well. We used Uber to get to Westchester Lagoon, a pond and marsh area. The lagoon was full of fun birds, and then walked miles and miles along the coast on the Anchorage Coastal Trail. The first few miles of the trail ran along mud flats where we were treated to lots of marsh birds, Arctic Terns, Cackling Geese, Lesser Sandhill Cranes, and Hudsonian Godwits. The Godwits are very rare, so seeing five in two groups was a rare treat.

The rest of our hike, the remaining miles, was in the forest atop headlands overlooking the sea. Here, we were treated to Bank Swallows nesting in the cliff face, Common Redpolls, Swainson's Thrushes out in the trail, Alder Flycatchers, and several species of warblers.

At the end of the day, we Ubered back to the hotel. Our legs and feet are tired, so tomorrow is going to be an easier day.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

June 07, 2018. Anchorage. More Photos.

This morning we walked across the street to Connors Lake Park and had a delightful morning chasing birds. We saw more Alder Flycatchers, American Robins, a lady Pacific Loon on a nest (and her mate fishing nearby), and some Lincoln Sparrows who were singing wrong (well, not like Las Vegas Lincoln Sparrows).

In the afternoon, we took the city bus to downtown Anchorage to visit REI for some last-minute repair material (hip belt buckle and shoe-goo) and to visit Oomingmak - the Original Alaskan Qiviut Handknits Store. Oomingmak is the Alaskan cooperative that has brought "exquisite Qiviut items to you as a unique northern gift since 1969." A guy named Andrew gave us a tremendous introduction to all things musk ox.

In the evening, we met our tour leaders and the rest of the gang for dinner and an introduction to the expedition.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

Birding Trip Days 1-3. Pribilof Islands.

June 08, 2018. Birding Trip Day 1. Pribilof Islands. More Photos.

After some airline drama that wasted several hours in the Anchorage Airport, we flew in a tiny, 14-seat twin-prop airplane to the village of St. Paul on the Pribilof Islands out in the middle of the Bering Sea. We arrived in time to check into the hotel and run to the fish cannery for dinner (we ate all meals at the cannery worker's cafeteria).

After dinner, we went outside, walked across the parking lot to the shore, and started seeing amazing birds. A trio of Horned Puffins was just sitting on a cliff, Least Auklets flew in to sit nearby, and Red-faced Cormorants sat out in front of the crowd. A pair of Pribilof Pacific Wrens worked the nooks and crannies of the cliff, and Snow Buntings and Pribilof Gray-crowned Rosy Finches flew about. A couple of Arctic Foxes ducked in and out of the rocks looking for scraps.

After an amazing introduction to the Pribilof Islands shoreline, we headed a short way inland to a rock quarry where we found an Oriental Cuckoo who had flown off-course and stranded here and was waiting to die. Even so, it was a very rare bird. Night in St. Paul.

June 09, 2018. Birding Trip Day 2. Pribilof Islands. More Photos.

On our second day on the island, we fell into the standard routine. Up early for breakfast, out birding some interesting spot looking for some interesting birds, back in for lunch, out birding some interesting spot looking for some interesting birds, back in for dinner, out birding some interesting spot looking for more interesting birds, back in for bed (which, with the long days of summer, was late).

In the morning, we visited cliffs where lots of Alcids were nesting, or at least thinking about nesting at this time of year. Again, we had puffins, murrelets, kittiwakes, more Red-faced Cormorants, a Northern Fulmar, and even two wayward Bank Swallows.

In addition to the fun birds, Saint Paul Island hosts the world's largest colony of Northern Fur Seals and fairly tame Arctic Foxes, and we saw some of both species.

Night in St. Paul.

June 10, 2018. Birding Trip Day 3. Pribilof Islands. More photos.

On our last day, we visited another set of cliffs with lots of nesting Alcids, and we returned to a rocky shoreline to look for a very rare shorebird that we'd missed yesterday. This time we spotted it: Terek Sandpiper -- such a thrill. In that area, we also saw two rare gulls and many of the other local specialties.

In Northern Fur Seal society, 600-pound males fight to control territory and the right to mate with any female that comes into their territory. These males rule their part of the beach. However, an Arctic Fox walked out on the sand and seemed to nip at the toes of the "beach master.". When the behemoth struggled to turn and attack the pest, the fox just moved a few quick steps to safety. This went on for some time and was a treat to watch.

After a day of birding this wonderful place, we piled back onto our twin turboprop for an evening flight back to Anchorage.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

Birding Trip Day 4-7. Nome.

June 11, 2018. Birding Trip Day 4. Nome. More photos.

From Anchorage, we caught a not-too-early early flight to Nome on a regularly scheduled Alaska Airlines 737. Compared to the turboprop, this was luxury travel. We arrived in Nome in time for lunch at Subway (northern-most franchise in North America with a view of the Bering Sea).

Nome has three roads: west along the coast, north inland, and east along the coast. Today we drove west looking for "bush birds" and other Alaska specialties. The day did not disappoint, and in a place where Snow Buntings are trash-birds in town, you know we had a good day. The blue sky was a bonus even if a frigid wind kept some of the birds down. Musk Ox, with their long, shaggy fur, were not in the least concerned about the winds and even sought relief from the sun by lounging on the remaining patches of snow.

Night in Nome (Aurora Inn).

June 12, 2018. Birding Trip Day 5. Nome. More photos.

On our second day in Nome, we took the road east along the coast. Much of this area is sandy barrier islands with open Arctic Ocean to the south and enormous tidal marshes fed by rivers and backed by high, snowy mountains to the north. Except for the mountains, this is much like the Cape Hatteras seashore area.

The shoreline and marshes held shorebirds, gulls, loons, waterfowl, and Arctic Terns. We saw Bar-tailed Godwit, Long-tailed Ducks, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and even Arctic Ground Squirrels! We stopped for a picnic lunch where Sandhill Cranes lunched nearby.

The end of the road turns north into a broad river valley with rolling hills leading to higher mountains. Here, along a willow-lined river, we found a Gyrfalcon on a nest, and did we ever get the evil-eye. We also saw a pair of Willow Ptarmigans defending their nest from an Arctic Fox. We stopped to watch, and our presence seemed to convince the fox to move on. We were happy to help save the nest -- at least for today.

Night in Nome (Aurora Inn).

June 13, 2018. Birding Trip Day 6. Nome. More photos.

Today we took the road north into the interior of Alaska where we had another amazing day with mostly great weather. We drove over a snowy mountain range where spring had barely arrived, crossed a major river valley, and drove up onto the next mountain range. Along the way, we saw Musk Ox, Snowshoe Hare, Arctic Ground Squirrel, Northern Shrike, Rusty Blackbird, Siberian Bluethroat, Arctic Warbler, and familiar birds from home like Semipalmated Plover and American Robin.

We spent much of the day hiking in the tundra looking for Bristle-thighed Curlew, but we didn't see any. We did see Whimbrel (including a nest), American Golden Plover, Rock Ptarmigan, and Lapland Longspur (including a nest).

This was a wonderful day hiking in high, arctic tundra that confirmed memories of walking in wet tundra (it is hard) and brought back long-silent memories of my Alaska trip in 1978.

Night in Nome (Aurora Inn).

June 14, 2018. Birding Trip Day 7. Nome to Anchorage. More photos.

We did an early morning birding run 57 miles east along the coast to look for White Wagtails and Northern Wheatear -- we found both! We also saw three male Rock Ptarmigan working out who was king of the hill; we saw a male Golden Eagle with a Snowshoe Hare set the kill down on a hillside so his mate could come, pick it up, and carry it back to the nest; and we saw a small herd of Musk Ox crossing the road so close that we had to stop and let them pass.

After our early morning excitement, we took a mid-day flight back to Anchorage. Liz and some of her new friends went into downtown to find socks and more yarn (Liz is going through it too fast) while I went birding near the hotel with some of the guys.

Early dinner by our standards and early to bed. This 24-hour light is hard to get used to.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

Birding Trip Days 8 to 11: Denali Area.

June 15, 2018. Birding Trip Day 8. Anchorage to Denali Highway. More photos.

Today begins the "road trip" portion of our Alaska Expedition. We birded briefly in Anchorage, then headed north and east for a couple of hours before turning back to the northwest (250 miles total).

We began with a visit to Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage where Liz and I had birded on our first day. This time the Red-necked Grebes were carrying babies around on their backs, and the Short-billed Dowitcher chicks were out feeding on their own.

After Westchester, we drove north. We stopped several times to bird and at a cafe for lunch. We especially wanted to see Northern Hawk-Owls and spent some time scanning the treetops of Black Spruce, but without effect. We arrived at our cabins in the evening, just in time for a late buffet dinner with a bit of snow in the air.

Night near Paxson (Tangle River Inn, Mile 20 Denali Highway).

June 16, 2018. Birding Trip Day 9. Denali Highway. More photos.

With morning sunshine, we hiked early onto the tundra looking for Smith's Longspurs. Walking in wet tundra really is hard, but we made slow progress through wet swales full of willow thickets and over low hills where the walking was easier. After only half a mile, the boys revealed themselves by singing and displaying.

On the hike back, I split off from the crowd to hike on the other side of a hill and spent perhaps 20 minutes alone on the arctic tundra, except for a close encounter with a pair of Long-tailed Jaegers. It truly was a magical moment for me in the Alaskan Wilderness.

From there, we drove west some 110 miles on the Denali Highway. The scenery here truly is superlative, and the wildlands seem endless as the road passes from boreal forest to tundra against the backdrop of the snowy Alaska Range. The highway is a not-so-well graded dirt road, and we stopped several times to scan ponds for Trumpeter Swans and other waterfowl and to scan brushy tundra for Spruce Grouse and Arctic Warbler.

Night outside Denali National Park (Denali Cabins Inn).

June 17, 2018. Birding Trip Day 10. Denali National Park. More photos.

Denali National Park is closed to most automobile traffic, so we used the shuttle bus system to see the park. From the entrance, we rode out to Eielson Visitor Center and back, typically an 8-hour trip. The bus makes pit-stops twice in both directions, plus a 30-minute stop at Eielson. At each of these places, we saw what birds we could, but the day really was about grand scenery and big mammals. Neither disappointed.

Clouds typically obscure all but the lowest slopes of Denali, but we were fortunate to see most of the mountain and the summit. We also saw several Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Dall Sheep, and Moose, plus Willow Ptarmigans and Golden Eagles from the bus.

We got off the bus for a walk along the road and found a pair of Northern Hawk-Owls with chicks on the nest. We didn't see chicks, but momma was more than ready to defend them should the need arise.

Night outside Denali National Park (Denali Cabins Inn).

June 18, 2018. Birding Trip Day 11. Denali to Anchorage. More photos.

We birded around our Denali cabins and a few miles back out on the Denali Highway looking again for nesting interior-Alaska species that we had missed (Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet).

From there, we headed back towards Anchorage on a shorter route this time. The day was quite wet, so we didn't stop as much as we might, but we stopped for lunch at Subway and our route took us into a forested area that burned a few years ago. In the burned forest, we saw nesting American Three-toed Woodpecker and Black-backed Woodpeckers, plus nice looks at several Boreal Chickadees. Both of these woodpeckers specialize on burned forests where beetles come in to take advantage of the freshly dead trees.

We had too much fun along the way, so we arrived in Anchorage in time for a late dinner.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

Birding Trip Days 12-14. Seward and Offshore

June 19, 2018. Birding Trip Day 12. Anchorage to Seward. More photos.

Today begins the second leg of the "road trip" portion of our Alaska Expedition. We birded around Anchorage at Potter's Marsh where we saw nesting Lesser Yellowlegs chasing Mew Gulls away, Arctic Terns nesting, Rusty Blackbird, and others. Then we visited Hillside Park and we saw four species of thrush: Varied Thrush, American Robin, Hermit Thrush, and Swainson's Thrush. We also saw Boreal Chickadee, Golden Crowned Kinglet, Red Squirrels, and Snowshoe Hair.

After lunch at a sandwich shop in Anchorage, we drove to Seward through the mountainous scenery of the Kenai Peninsula and saw two glaciers. We stopped at a house in Seward and birded the feeders. Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Downy Woodpecker, and Sooty Fox Sparrows were the highlights.

Night in Seward (Breeze Hotel) and fresh seafood dinner in downtown Seward.

June 20, 2018. Birding Trip Day 13. Seward. More photos.

We spent the day on Resurrection Bay and Blying Sound south of Seward. The weather was cloudy and breezy, but not wet, and the scenery was awe-inspiring. We sailed among craggy islands and up to one glacier, and we saw a number of other glaciers.

We visited several large seabird colonies where we found Tufted Puffin, Horned Puffin, Common Murre, and hundreds of Black-legged Kittiwakes. We also saw Rhinoceros Auklet, Parakeet Auklet, Ancient Murrelet, Marbled Murrelet, Kittlitz's Murrelet, and one Sooty Shearwater.

We saw several species of marine mammals, including Fin Whales, Humpbacked Whales, several Orca with pups, Steller's Sea Lion, Harbor Seals with pups, and Sea Otter with pups.

Night in Seward (Breeze Hotel) and fresh seafood dinner on the wharf.

June 21, 2018. Birding Trip Day 14. Seward to Anchorage. More photos.

On a final morning in Seward, we drove out along the west edge of Resurrection Bay to Lowell Point State Recreation Area. There, we walked in woods much like those we lived in while attending Humboldt State University. The trees and herbs were similar, and the birds were like old friends. Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Townsend's Warblers were the highlights, but we also saw Stellar's Jay, Varied Thrush, and others.

From there, we moved to the other side of the bay and birded the shoreline where two young Bald Eagles were eagerly awaiting leftovers from fisherman's catches. These two birds allowed a close approach, as did Glaucous-winged Gulls, Song Sparrows, and Northwestern Crows.

We made quick stops in a few other places and saw fun birds like American Dipper, Trumpeter Swans with cygnets, and Wilson's Snipe standing atop dead trees giving mating calls (usually they hide out-of-sight in weedy marshes).

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

Birding Trip Days 15-17. Barrow

June 22, 2018. Birding Trip Day 15. Barrow. More photos.

We had breakfast in the airport and flew to Barrow on the early plane. After a stop at Prudhoe Bay, which was totally socked in with heavy fog, we arrived in Barrow in time for a bright and sunny lunch.

Several rare species had been reported in town, so we looked for them first. We found the Gray-tailed Tattler and Ross' Gulls!

Similar to Nome, there are three short roads out of Barrow. Northeast to Point Barrow, southwest along the edge of the Arctic Ocean, and east into the tundra. With 24-hour sun, we stayed out birding pretty late and drove the two coastal roads. Polar Bears were a concern, however, restricting our travel.

We had good views of common birds such as King Eider, Snowy Owl, Pomarine Jaeger, Red Phalaropes, and Red-necked Phalaropes.

Night in Barrow (King Eider Inn).

June 23, 2018. Birding Trip Day 16. Barrow. More photos.

We spent the day birding all around Barrow, including the road east into the tundra and even had a picnic lunch out there.

We found three species of eiders (Steller's, Spectacled, and King) and Red Phalarope on the numerous lakes and ponds along the roads and displaying Semipalmated Sandpipers and Pectoral Sandpipers in the tussock tundra. We even saw one Buff-breasted Sandpiper. We saw several Snowy Owls, several Pomarine, Parasitic, and Long-tailed Jaegers, a Short-eared Owl, and other fun species.

One highpoint for the day was catching a Northern Collared Lemming by hand. I wasn't sure if it would nip my finger off or not, but luckily, I caught it twice without being bitten.

The road to Point Barrow was washed out, so I inquired about hiking the four miles to the point. The locals said I'd be eaten by a Polar Bear. Oops.

Night in Barrow (King Eider Inn).

June 24, 2018. Birding Trip Day 17. Barrow to Anchorage. More photos.

After an hour of early morning birding at Barrow, during which time two Yellow-billed Loons flew by a lady Snowy Owl on her nest, we returned to town to breakfast and finished up at the hotel. We crossed the street to the airport and headed out. The flight made one stop in Fairbanks, so it was nice to see the city again (1978), even if only from the air and tarmac.

The flight was uneventful, and clouds obscured the view. I used the time to work on trip photos, and Liz caught up on sleep -- she didn't even wake up when we took off from Fairbanks.

Most of the crew enjoyed a final dinner at the hotel. We counted our birds and talked about the best birds and the best times. It was a good group, going from strangers to family in only two weeks.

Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn).

June 25, 2018. Anchorage. More photos.

The bird trip technically ends this morning after breakfast in Anchorage, but it really ended last night after dinner, and everyone but us was already gone by dawn.

Liz and I had the day to relax. We slept late, had a quiet breakfast at the hotel, then went into town. We rode the bus (with plenty of walking) to two quilt shops so that Liz could look for local fabric patterns not available at home.

After the quilt stores, we returned (via the bus) for a third time to Winchester Lagoon. The first time we were there, birds were courting, the second time they were sitting on nests, and this time we saw lots of young Red-throated Grebes, Mew Gulls, Mallard Ducks, and Black-capped Chickadees out and about being fed by parents. It has been interesting to see the changes in the vegetation too with lots of wildflowers now going to seed. Spring is short here.

We ate dinner at Taco King, a small chain here with pretty good Mexican food. Night in Anchorage (Coast International Inn) for the last time.

June 26, 2018. Anchorage to Portland.

Liz and I had a second morning to relax, and we enjoyed our last breakfast in Alaska. We ordered our usual: Liz oatmeal; Jim granola with yogurt and a warm blueberry muffin. The day was forecast of considerable rain, but as we learned while here, the forecast usually is opposite of what was predicted. Today we headed out to the airport under bright blue skies.

Our flights (Anchorage to Seattle and Seattle to Portland) departed Anchorage at 1 PM and arrived in Portland at 8 PM. We took the light rail to Beaverton where Dad and Joe picked us up at their neighborhood station. Arriving late, we'all just went to bed with plans for trip stories in the morning.

Night in Portland (Dad and Joe's Inn with fine family dining).

June 27, 2018. Portland.

One of the things I really dislike about air travel is being stuck in a little box with sick people. We'd been lucky to this point, but unfortunately Liz came down with a head cold. I got it the next day. So, while it was delightful to be visiting family in Portland, we couldn't make the most of it, and of course, we feared passing it on to Dad and Joe.

We walked a mile on Dad's regular route.

We spent a quiet day visiting and sharing stories: our trip to Alaska and their trip to southern Idaho. Afternoon tea-time is always a delight (those Brits were onto something), and we all went out to my brother's house, a few minutes away, for dinner.

Night in Portland (Dad and Joe's Inn with fine family dining).

June 28, 2018. Portland.

Another quiet day relaxing in Portland visiting with family while Liz and I felt less than stellar.

In the afternoon, we spent a couple of hours looking at photos from our Alaska trip. With four cameras and over 7,000 photos, it was an ordeal.

In the evening, we went out for dinner in a nice, little Italian restaurant.

Night in Portland (Dad and Joe's Inn with fine family dining).

June 29, 2018. Portland.

Another quiet day relaxing in Portland visiting with family. Liz and I felt less than stellar but feeling a bit better.

We spent a couple of hours looking at the rest of the photos from our Alaska trip, and it was an ordeal again. Dad and Joe also showed us their photos from the recent trip to the Sawtooth Mountains in south-central Idaho.

Joe fixed a nice dinner at home.

Night in Portland (Dad and Joe's Inn with fine family dining).

June 30, 2018. Portland to Las Vegas.

Another quiet day relaxing in Portland visiting with family while Liz and I felt less than stellar, but definitely feeling a bit better today.

We packed up things in the morning, then went out for burgers at a local outdoor tavern just west of town. My brother John joined us, and we thought an outdoor venue would be good where we wouldn't all be cooped up breathing the travel-bug.

After a last afternoon tea, John and his wife took us to the airport for our evening flight home. We had planned to take the light rail back to the airport, but it was nice of them to take us. We cracked the windows to ensure a good air flow through the car.

Night at home.