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INSTITUTE FOR FIELD ORNITHOLOGY

2004 IFO Arctic Breeding Bird Ecology Workshop Report

Instructors: Wayne R. Petersen and Paul J. Baicich . June 22-29, 2004 . Nome, Alaska

Year three in a series of wonderfully successful IFO workshops in Nome, Alaska, is now history. Much like the previous two Nome IFO workshops, Arctic Breeding Bird Ecology was an experience defined by warm congeniality, the making of new friends, and an enthusiastic group of workshop participants which, coupled with spectacular birding, offered a broad-based and quality learning experience for everyone involved. Eighteen workshop attendees from as far away as Texas, California, Oregon, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Alaska brought to the workshop a broad spectrum of birding and life experiences that provided a wonderful environment for both teaching and learning.

Photo by Paul Baicich

Using facilities generously donated by the University of Alaska at Fairbanks Northwest Campus (at Nome) for indoor lectures and slide presentations, and comfortable, housekeeping accommodations in the Aurora Executive Suites apartments, the group was conveniently located near a food market, local restaurants, and shopping options for Eskimo crafts. Although the workshop schedule varied from day to day, overall the week provided a balance between indoor lectures and time spent in the field. Due to the nearly 24-hours of daylight, field time was often extended, and no one seemed to complain about insomnia! The three primary gravel roads leading out of Nome offered participants an opportunity to explore by comfortable vans nearly all of the major habitat types typical of the Seward Peninsula. As a result, a robust total of 95 species were recorded during the workshop, including intimate encounters with a number of birds.

After meeting at the airport in Anchorage, most participants joined Wayne and Betty Petersen for a morning flight to Nome, where Paul Baicich met the group with the vans that were to provide transportation for the week. Following transport to the Aurora Executive Suites, a group lunch at Fat Freddy's (Nome's premiere restaurant) was followed by a trip to the local market to allow participants to purchase food and supplies for the rest of the week. After some "down time" everyone assembled at the university lecture room for a late afternoon introduction to the week's activities and Wayne's slide presentation on the "Natural History of Alaska."

The next morning under gray skies, a chilly Bering Sea breeze, and scattered showers Paul presented a slide lecture on "Breeding Bird Biology." After the lecture, the group returned briefly to the apartments to gather up lunches and appropriate outerwear for an afternoon field trip to Safety Sound. The weather ameliorated enough so that by the time the enthusiastic group arrived at a bustling Aleutian Tern colony outside of town, everyone seemed to forget the persistent chilly breeze and occasional drizzle. This was to be the first of at least two Aleutian Tern colonies located during the week, and the one containing the greatest number of pairs that either instructor had ever encountered in multiple trips to Nome.

Aside from periodic stops along the way to watch a flock of Bar-tailed Godwits, Long-tailed and Parasitic jaegers coursing the nearby tundra, and Yellow Wagtails and Lapland Longspurs scolding near their nests, the group proceeded directly to Safety Bridge. Here, at the inlet between Safety Sound and the Bering Sea, large numbers of loons, waterfowl, shorebirds, and gulls regularly concentrate at appropriate tides, and the area is frequently the site of interesting and unusual discoveries. This year was no exception, with highlights in the Sound area including a locally rare pair of Gadwalls, two Eurasian Wigeons, a drake Redhead, two lingering (?) drake Spectacled Eiders, a stunning pair of Pacific Loons, and a sub-adult "Vega" Herring Gull (a Siberian race regularly seen in small numbers on the Seward Peninsula). After a most productive afternoon at Safety Sound, a stop on the way back to Nome netted a Peregrine Falcon plucking its prey near a nest in the quarry at Cape Nome. What a fine way to begin the week!

The next morning found the group again assembled in the classroom, where Wayne gave a presentation on "Bird Vocalizations – Form and Function" and "How to Learn Bird Vocalizations" that included the use of recordings presented by Paul to familiarize participants with the commonest songs and calls heard in the Nome area. An afternoon field trip featured traveling the Teller Road to the area near Wooley Lagoon. It was here that some of the classic plover research was undertaken that resulted in the splitting of the "Lesser" Golden-Plover into the Pacific Golden-Plover and the American Golden-Plover. The IFO group's investigation of the area resulted in the discovery of a color-banded Black-bellied Plover that later proved to have been banded in this area in 1993, in addition to obtaining fine looks at adults (and young in some cases) of such species as Pacific Golden-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Western Sandpiper, and Dunlin. An added highlight on this trip was the discovery of an American Dipper nest under a bridge over the Penny River.

Day three was an all-day field trip on the Council Road that included a number of stops to examine several different habitats en route to the village of Council, 72 miles from Nome. The Council area, located near tree line, made it possible to experience a taste of the boreal forest, a habitat not found in the coastal areas closer to Nome. Here participants had a chance to see Cliff Swallows nesting on a cliff face in their "ancestral state," along with Varied Thrush, and Blackpoll Warbler. Most interesting was a "broody" female Common Goldeneye that almost certainly was nesting in tree cavity along a small tributary of the Niukluk River outside Council. This is considered a rare nesting species in this area of the Seward Peninsula. In the willow thickets along the Solomon River everyone had their first encounter with Arctic Warblers, a species that proved to be especially widespread and vocal in all appropriate habitats this season. Also seen in transit to Council were a territorial Least Sandpiper, several Willow Ptarmigans, and what was to be the first of several magnificent Gyrfalcons that were observed during the week.

The following day was another full day in the field spent birding and exploring the Kougarok Road as far north as Pilgrim Hot Springs. This spectacular road, with its sweeping valley vistas, bird-rich streamside thickets, and bird-filled tundra lakes and ponds produced many new birds for the group, along with providing prolonged, but distant, views of a fine Grizzly Bear scrambling up a distant hillside and several Moose with twin calves. Avian highlights included good views of both soaring and nesting Golden Eagles and Gyrfalcons, Rough-legged Hawks, several ptarmigan families, and Rusty Blackbirds. Perhaps most notable of everything was the confirmation of nesting Solitary Sandpipers at Pilgrim Hot Springs, another rare breeder so far west on the Seward Peninsula. Between the bear and the great looks at raptors, this seemed to be a favorite day for many in the group.

IFO participant, Marilyn Koezuna-Irelan, in her native dress. Photo by Betty Petersen

Day five again found the group on the Kougarok Road first thing after breakfast headed directly for an area more than 70 miles from Nome and the nesting grounds of the elusive Bristle-thighed Curlew. With pauses along the way only long enough to admire Tundra Swans with young, several stunning pairs of Black Scoters on a tundra pond, a Red Fox, and a small herd of Musk Ox, the leaders made a decision to first search for Bluethroats before attempting to find curlews. This decision paid dividends when virtually all participants were able to obtain splendid views of a male Bluethroat, one of the premiere Beringian specialties of the Seward Peninsula. The quest for Bristle-thighed Curlews was less successful, however, and the notorious, uphill tundra walk near Coffee Dome that was so productive in 2002 and 2003 was unsuccessful in locating any curlews this year. You can't win 'em all! Everyone was delighted, however, with a small flock of dapper American Golden-Plovers feeding in the sunshine on a magnificent high ridge overlooking much of the surrounding countryside. After a late afternoon return to Nome and an early dinner, the group reconvened in the university classroom to hear Wayne present a slide lecture on "The Natural History of Shorebirds."

The final full day in Nome involved a variety of new experiences. Five stalwart group members assisted Wayne and Peter Bente (an Alaska Fish & Game biologist based in Nome who has been of great assistance to the instructors for the past three years) in conducting a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Breeding Bird Survey route on the Teller Road, beginning at 4:05 a.m.! The group recorded 33 species, along with seeing a Short-eared Owl, 2 beautiful Musk Ox very close to the road, and a nest containing three Gyrfalcon chicks all between designated stops! Participants not with Wayne accompanied Paul to the top of Anvil Mountain where fine views were obtained of Musk Ox, Rock Ptarmigan, and Northern Wheatear. By mid-morning the group was reunited at the college campus for a presentation by Betty about ABA's Birders' Exchange program and a fascinating power point lecture by Peter Bente about his work with Barren Ground Caribou, Musk Ox, and breeding raptors on the Seward Peninsula. Following these presentations, a final afternoon of birding was spent at Safety Sound where the week's shorebird roster was rounded out with the discovery of Black Turnstone and Long-billed Dowitcher. Possibly as noteworthy as the birds was the fact that the temperature in Nome reached 84 degrees!

Prior to an evening pizza party and farewell dinner hosted by Paul, Wayne, and Betty, certificates of completion of the workshop were distributed to participants and thanks were given to all the attending friends and folks from Nome who had contributed to the success of this year's workshop. All and all, a great time was had by all! The instructors invite you to join them next year, but you better sign up early!

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ABA Institute for Field Ornithology, ABA
4945 N 30th St, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
719/578-9703 x235 . fax 719/578-1480 . ifo@aba.org

With thanks to the NorthWest Campus for the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for their cooperation.