Boreal Birder

[BorealBirder] Yukon and Alaska via Alaska Highway in June

Thu, 24 May 2012 18:37:12 -0500

Hi,

We will be driving and camping our way to Alaska for the first two weeks of June. We may not make it to the Denali Highway to look for Arctic Warbler and Upland Sandpiper. Does anyone have thoughts on favorite birding spots that would be on our route

[BorealBirder] Blackpoll Warbler and Sharp-shinned Hawk

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:18:03 -0500

Blackpoll warbler at Cripple Creek Campground day use area, May 23rd at 3:00pm.
Also at the campground, lots of yellow warblers (along the river). Saw one on the 22nd, and several on the 23rd.
This morning (May 24th) surprised a Sharp-shinned Hawk at Mile-36 pond on the Steese Highway. It

[BorealBirder] yellow warbler, first arrival, creamer's field, 5-23-12, 4:20pm -mdr

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:29:29 -0500

yellow warbler, first arrival, creamer's field, 5-23-12, 4:20pm
at the farmhouse -mdr

[BorealBirder] Towsend's warbler, west ridge, 5-20-12, 1pm -mdr

Tue, 22 May 2012 20:01:41 -0500

Towsend's warbler, west ridge UaF, 5-20-12, 1pm -mdr

[BorealBirder] Wilson's warblers

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:40:20 -0500

Sunday aft. at Moon Lake, ~MP1332 on the AK Highway, we saw 4 male Wilson's Warblers at the edge of the parking lot. There was also a pair of Am. Widgeons and 1 solitary sandpiper. Further out at the E end of the lake were a couple

[AK Birding] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 21 2012

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:42:41 -0500

hotline: Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
date: May 15, 2012number: (907) 451-9213
to report: (907) 451-9213
coverage: Fairbanks and vicinity
transcriber: Ken Russell

Birds Mentioned:
Upland Sandpiper
American Golden Plover
Golden-Crowned Sparrow
Snow Geese
Ruddy Turnstone
Hudsonian Godwit
Osprey
Surf Scoters
Baird's Sandpiper
Redhead
Black-Headed Gull

Welcome to the Birding Hotline for Interior Alaska as of May 21.

An UPLAND SANDPIPER was in the recently burned

[BorealBirder] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 21 2012

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:42:41 -0500

[BorealBirder] golden-crowned sparrow, creamer's farmhouse garden, 8:35am -mdr

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:20:23 -0500

[AK Birding] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 15 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:01:37 -0500

hotline: Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
date: May 15, 2012number: (907) 451-9213
to report: (907) 451-9213
coverage: Fairbanks and vicinity
transcriber: Ken Russell

Birds Mentioned:
Killdeer
Ring-Billed Gull
Northern Waterthrush
Belted Kingfisher
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Whimbrel
Herring Gull
Bonaparte's Gulls
Pacific Loon
Savannah Sparrow

Welcome to the Birding Hotline for Interior Alaska as of May 15.

A KILLDEER was seen at Creamer's refuge near the farmhouse on

[BorealBirder] Bird Observations -- 5-16 and 5-17

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:01:37 -0500

Observations from Philip Martin

South Cushman Street aka Tanana Lakes

I found out that it takes a long time to bird this area now that access is
blocked off . I visited the east side yesterday and the west side today
-- Notable species --

Snow Goose -

[BorealBirder] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 15 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:01:37 -0500

hotline: Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
date: May 15, 2012number: (907) 451-9213
to report: (907) 451-9213
coverage: Fairbanks and vicinity
transcriber: Ken Russell

Birds Mentioned:
Killdeer
Ring-Billed Gull
Northern Waterthrush
Belted Kingfisher
Orange-Crowned Warbler
Whimbrel
Herring Gull
Bonaparte's Gulls
Pacific Loon
Savannah Sparrow

Welcome to the Birding Hotline for Interior Alaska as of May 15.

A KILLDEER was seen at Creamer's refuge near the farmhouse on

[BorealBirder] cliff swallow, first arrival, creamer's field, 9:12am by Sarah Degennaro

Thu, 17 May 2012 12:25:14 -0500

[BorealBirder] Hermit thrushes on St Patrick rd

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:17:19 -0500

Every evening, around 7-8pm, there are two Hermit Thrushes compete with each other, on St Patrick road, near the Silverado mine. Usually I've heard Swainson's Thrushes in my area, so this is a treat!

[BorealBirder] Black-headed Gull at Otto Lake

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:54:10 -0500

A BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen amongst a flock of 7 BONAPARTE'S GULLs, at Otto Lake, about 2 miles south of Healy, about 10:00 pm on Wednesday. (Otto Lake Road is at milepost 247 on the Parks Highway; the lake is about 1 mile west of the highway).

All eight gulls

[BorealBirder] Upland Sandpipers, Surf Scoters, Am. Golden-plovers

Thu, 17 May 2012 02:02:02 -0500

The last few nights there have been several American Golden-plovers in the front fields at Creamers. Tonight they were joined by two Upland Sandpipers seen from 8:40pm, still there when I left at 10:10pm.

Also the South Cushman ponds today there are quite a few Surf Scoters

[BorealBirder] Northern Hawk Owl on the North Slope

Thu, 17 May 2012 01:10:28 -0500

Hey All,

I realize this is out of the Fairbanks area, but I work up at the
university's Toolik Field Station and among the many short-eared owls that
have been here recently I just found a Northern Hawk Owl sitting on a fence
post alongside the Haul Road, a couple miles north of the

[BorealBirder] You've got a private message!

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:33:29 -0500

You've got a private message! Check it here:
http://hotsbody.zoomshare.com/files/hottie.htm

[BorealBirder] killdeer, creamer's field, 11:43am, monday 5-14-12

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:46:51 -0500

killdeer, creamer's field, 11:43am, monday 5-14-12
-mdr

picked it up on the "bird alert system" in office

[BorealBirder] Another magpie nest

Mon, 14 May 2012 02:31:26 -0500

I found another magpie nest in the area near the mouth of the airport slough. This makes three nests over the last few years. This new-found one is also in a spruce, thus hard to see. It's in an area I searched fairly thoroughly at the beginning, which makes me

[BorealBirder] Ring-billed Gull at Creamer's Field seasonal ponds!

Sat, 12 May 2012 13:06:13 -0500

One Adult Ring-billed Gull hanging out with Mew Gulls on the seasonal ponds at Creamer's Refuge! My dad, my sister and I all saw it very clearly in sun. It was an adult bird with a black ring around the bill. So far 32 species on the Birdathon!

Joe Ransdell-Green
452-6370

[BorealBirder] Wander Lake

Wed, 09 May 2012 17:00:33 -0500

The Red-necked Grebes arrived at Wander Lake today (or yesterday evening). Also seen this morning at the Wedgewood Resort Wildlife Sanctuary in Fairbanks:

Trumpeter Swan
Canada Goose
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Horned Grebe
Mew Gull
Sandhill Crane
Black-billed Magpie
Common Raven
American Robin
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Bohemian Waxwing (also in Wedgewood Resort parking lot)
Orange-crowned Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Rusty Blackbird

Heard my first Hermit

[BorealBirder] UAF and airport birds

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:04:04 -0500

On May 8 the following birds were seen along the UAF West Ridge trails and
Smith Lake during the Ourdoor Days event
Bonaparte's Gull
Bufflehead
Pacific Loon
Rusty Blackbird
Herring Gull

On the 8th the following birds were seen along the East Ramp of the
airport
Northern Goshawk
Magpie
Rusty Blackbird
Savanna Sparrow
White-Crowned Sparrow
Tree Swallow

Ken Russell

[AK Birding] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 8 2012

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:04:04 -0500

hotline: Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
date: May 7, 2012number: (907) 451-9213
to report: (907) 451-9213
coverage: Fairbanks and vicinity
transcriber: Ken Russell

Birds Mentioned:
Common Yellowlegs
Wilson's Snipe
Lapland Longspur
American Tree Sparrow
Ring-Necked Duck
Northern harrier
Lesser Yellowlegs
Short-Eared Owl
Varied Thrush
Northern Goshawk
Bufflehead
Northern Shoveler
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
Fox Sparrow
Hermit Thrush

Welcome to the Birding Hotline for Interior Alaska as of May 7.

A LESSER YELLOWLEGS

[BorealBirder] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 8 2012

Wed, 09 May 2012 11:04:04 -0500

[BorealBirder] solitary sandpiper, creamer's field, 3:20pm, -mdr

Tue, 08 May 2012 18:29:02 -0500

solitary sandpiper back by seasonal pond.

[BorealBirder] Tanana Lakes Recreation Area Sightings May 7th

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:39:14 -0500

A list of the birds I saw/heard at Tanana Lakes Recreation Area Monday evening!
6:15pm, May 7th, 2012
Protocol: Traveling
Party Size:2
Duration:2 hour(s)
Distance:0.5 mile(s)

22 Snow Goose
2 Canada Goose
2 Trumpeter Swan
6 American Wigeon
7 Mallard
4 Northern Shoveler
15 Northern Pintail
32 Canvasback
2 Bufflehead
10 Common Goldeneye
1 Osprey
76 Sandhill Crane
2 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Wilson's Snipe
7 Mew Gull
4 Herring Gull

[BorealBirder] May 6th: horned grebes and swallows

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:19:49 -0500

Horned grebes (2) seen late last night at the ponds off Iniakuk on Farmer's Loop, Fairbanks.

http://pic.twitter.com/iH93rSgq

Also seen:
unidentified swallow spp (photo: http://pic.twitter.com/KulLNapp )
bonaparte's gulls (2)
rusty blackbirds (2)
wilson's snipe (4)

[BorealBirder] Eagles, osprey

Sun, 06 May 2012 19:52:32 -0500

This afternoon (May 6) watched a pair of eagles swap nest sitting duty at the nest by mouth of airport slough.

Yesterday paddled Piledriver Slough between EAFB and Eielson Farm Road. Saw an osprey flying locally and perching in a spruce top early on, and an occupied bald eagle nest

[BorealBirder] Re: May 4th: short eared owl, rusty blackbirds, and wilson's snipe

Sun, 06 May 2012 19:43:32 -0500

note: the ponds off of Iniakuk drive on Farmer's Loop road are in Fairbanks, AK near the Fairbanks Golf and Country Club golf course.

also, after looking through photos taken there on friday night, i've confirmed that ring-necked ducks (one pair) were also in the ponds with the six species

[BorealBirder] flicker, Danby rd intersect at Creamer's field, Friday May 4, 9:30am -mdr

Sun, 06 May 2012 18:19:17 -0500

flicker, Danby rd intersect (noyes slough, shooting range area) at Creamer's field, Friday May 4, 9:30am
-mdr

[BorealBirder] Arctic Audubon Waterfowl Field Trip Sightings-May 5th

Sun, 06 May 2012 04:48:13 -0500

May 5th, 2012
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
7:57AM
Protocol: Traveling
Party Size:5
Duration:1 hour(s), 52 minute(s)
Distance: 0.5 mile(s)

30 Greater White-fronted Goose
86 Canada Goose
1 Trumpeter Swan
4 American Wigeon
X Mallard
2 Northern Shoveler
200 Northern Pintail
8 Green-winged Teal
1 Northern Harrier(Male)
10 Sandhill Crane
9 Lesser Yellowlegs
1 Wilson's Snipe
4 Mew Gull
2 Rock Pigeon
1 Hammond's Flycatcher
3 Common Raven
4 Tree Swallow
3 Black-capped

[BorealBirder] Flicker, 9mi parks hwy, May 3, thursday, 7am

Sat, 05 May 2012 22:01:46 -0500

Flicker, 9mi parks hwy, May 3, thursday, 7am by Mandy Ross, -mdr

[BorealBirder] May 4th: short eared owl, rusty blackbirds, and wilson's snipe

Sat, 05 May 2012 18:17:32 -0500

May 4th sightings:

short eared owl flying low over farmer's loop road and headed towards goldstream 8:30 PM

at ponds off of Iniakuk on Farmer's loop-

rusty blackbirds (at least two males calling) 9:30 PM

wilson's snipe (at least four) 9:30 PM

northern harrier 9:45 PM

lesser yellowlegs (at least eight) 9:30-10:00

six duck species

[BorealBirder] Delta Ag

Sat, 05 May 2012 02:31:53 -0500

There was a lot of bird activity in the Delta agricultural area Friday evening. Numerous waterfowl sitting in melt ponds and flying over. Numberous flocks of rusty blackbirds, lapland longspurs, horned larks, numerous juncos, robins, harriers, rough-legged hawks, large flocks of cranes flying over, 6 short-eared owls, and

[BorealBirder] Sparrows, peregrine and waxwings, Tok

Fri, 04 May 2012 22:31:18 -0500

Tues. (5/1) we saw an American Tree Sparrow with a dozen juncos.
Wed. there was a male white-crowned sparrow with about 18 juncos and later a peregrine flying overhead.
Thurs. there was a lone fox sparrow scratching in the leaves.
Today we say 4 Bohemian waxwings and are ignoring juncos.
Sally& Tony, Tok

[BorealBirder] no swallows at creamer's --- or are there? -mdr

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:42:43 -0500

[BorealBirder] longspurs , tree sparrow at Creamer's Field

Fri, 04 May 2012 13:35:29 -0500

longspurs ~5, 9:50am,
tree sparrow at noyes slough 10:15am
-mdr

9:30am, putative killdeer call, west front field.
keep your ears and eyes open.

[BorealBirder] Cranes

Fri, 04 May 2012 02:16:54 -0500

Today was a HUGE day for cranes going over Delta.

[BorealBirder] Bufflehead

Thu, 03 May 2012 18:47:49 -0500

Spotted a pair of Bufflehead on the pond along Sheep Creek Rd near the
trail to Smith Lake as I was heading home this afternoon. Does that
pond have a name? Or is it just the Sheep Creek pond? :)

Cheers,
Andrea
--
Andrea Swingley
Fairbanks, Alaska
(email address filtered)

[BorealBirder] Creamer's Field on May 1st (Cranes!)

Wed, 02 May 2012 17:53:25 -0500

Here a Creamer's Field count for May 1st at 6:35pm:

15 Greater White-fronted Goose

117 Canada Goose

2 Trumpeter Swan

3 American Wigeon

39 Mallard

22 Northern Pintail

58 Sandhill Crane

4 Mew Gull

Happy Birding,
Joseph Ransdell-Green

[BorealBirder] Cranes

Wed, 02 May 2012 15:25:08 -0500

Lots of sandhill cranes going over Delta Junction today.

[AK Birding] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 1 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:40:15 -0500

hotline: Fairbanks and Interior Alaska
date: May 1, 2012number: (907) 451-9213
to report: (907) 451-9213
coverage: Fairbanks and vicinity
transcriber: Ken Russell

Birds Mentioned:
Peregrine Falcon
Osprey
Lesser Scaup
Rough-Legged Hawk
Short-eared Owl
Tree Sparrow
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Hammond's Flycatcher
Bald Eagle
Black-Billed magpie
Gull sp
Mountain Bluebird
American Robin
Varied Thrush

Happy May Day from the Birding Hotline for Interior Alaska!.

AMERICAN ROBINS and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
arrived in numbers

[BorealBirder] RBA Fairbanks Alaska May 1 2012

Tue, 01 May 2012 19:40:15 -0500

[BorealBirder] Peregrine Falcon, Northern Shoveler, and Hammond's Flycatcher

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:37:09 -0500

Hi all. I have a few more sighting to report.

>From Chris Harwood, above Steele Creek Rd., Saturday, April 28: a Peregrine Falcon being mobbed by (nesting?) ravens

> Out Old Nenana Rd, past Calypso farm, Sunday April 29: Varied Thrush singing happily away

> Crane pond at Creamer's Field, Monday April

[BorealBirder] Creamer's Field --current bird diversity/abundance on fields

Tue, 01 May 2012 13:50:21 -0500

30 April:
2 gull sp.
4 white fronts
2 cranes
288 Canada geese
13 mallards
12 pintails
2 wigeons
3 swans

1 May:
12 white fronts
12 cranes
416 Canada geese
22 mallards
14 pintails

May 1 con't:
(2 swans visit after official count)

[BorealBirder] Re: Delta Birding

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:43:48 -0500

Mark, every one of our trips to Delta is unique and we never know what we're going to see (or not see). Some years we have banner raptor counts in mid-April, but that is heavily dependent on weather. We usually see a LOT of swans and cranes this time of

[BorealBirder] congrats

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:51:11 -0500

congrats on the roughlegs, to my knowledge the first ones reported.

________________________________
From: Nancy DeWitt <(email address filtered)>
To: (email address filtered)
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 11:02 PM
Subject: [BorealBirder] Delta Birding

Jim went birding around Delta Junction on Friday and we both went back there

Re: [BorealBirder] Delta Birding

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:48:55 -0500

is this traditional for you? if so, how does the count for migrants stack up to previous yrs?

man, that's of lot of shortears?

________________________________
From: Nancy DeWitt <(email address filtered)>
To: (email address filtered)
Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 11:02 PM
Subject: [BorealBirder] Delta Birding

Jim went

[BorealBirder] Delta

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:55:08 -0500

Sunday was a busy day for flocks of swans going over Delta all day long, with some sandhill cranes. Also heard my first hermit thrush of the season.

Re: [BorealBirder] kinglets and fox sparrow

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:21:38 -0500

Beefy?
Hehe
I guess that's a pretty descriptive adjective to use when describing the first FoxSparrows!

Joy Hamilton
Shageluk

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 30, 2012, at 7:02 AM, Andrea Swingley <(email address filtered)> wrote:

> Yesterday morning my yard (off Miller Hill) was invaded by the first
> Ruby-crowned Kinglets of spring. They were accompanied by