There's no place like Nome!

Finally, a long phone conversation with my husband, John, who is now in Nome, so I have something to blog about!

After Attu/Adak John was up to 500 species of birds for the year to date in the ABA North American Region. After Gambell (5/27 to 6/4) he was at 514 and after one day of birding in Nome his total is 519.

Gambell was COLD and WINDY. It's a village of about 600 Yupiks on the north end of St. Lawrence Island. The island is in the Bering Sea, 65 miles from Russia and 210 miles from Nome. Soft drinks and alcohol are banned there and the Wings tour group John was with were required to bring their own drinking water. The village is wedged between a mountain and the sea. Most of the coastal shelf it perches on is made up of rounded stones, pebble to boulder size. Very difficult terrain to walk on, so the tour group moved around with ATV's. They birded the drainage ditch, the little lake, the air strip, the boneyard (centuries of hunting) and the shore, then did it all again the next day.

Some of the highlights for John were - seeing all the species of eider ducks, comparing Common Ringed (asian) and Semi-Palmated (american) plovers side by side, the Red-Necked Stint and the Lesser Sand Plover. Truly spectacular were the thousands upon thousands of birds streaming past just offshore, heading north to their breeding grounds. As the group were gathering their gear for the flight from Gambell to Nome, a White-Tailed Eagle soared over and gave everyone a good view. A nice farewell.

Nome seemed almost tropical compared to Gambell. In one day, John added Sabine's Gull, Red Phalarope, Yellow Wagtail, Tundra Swan and Arctic Loon to his list, the last loon he needed.

Wednesday, June 6th, the Wings group will head out at 4 AM to see the infamous Bristle-Thighed Curlew. For those who have led a sheltered life, the curlews nest on top of a high bluff covered with spongy hummocks of tundra that John will have to scale with his bad knees. Once, years ago, the birds flew down to the tour van on the road below so the people who opted out of the climb saw the curlews and the climbers didn't. That's what makes birding so much fun!

Adieu Attu, off to gambol on Gambell

My husband, John, called from Adak to tell me about his boat trip to Attu sponsored by Z Tours. Since he was there for the birds, I'll tell you about the ABA area life birds he got first. Some of these birds we have seen on other  continents, but to count on your ABA life list you have to see them in the ABA area, which is the continental North America above the Mexican border. Since Attu is on the continental shelf, it counts, whereas Hawaii doesn't. On Attu, he saw the Common Snipe, Brambling, Wood Sandpiper, Oriental Greenfinch and Smew. At sea, he got the Red-Legged Kittiwake. On Adak, he got the Hawfinch and the Emperor Goose. So he is now up to 677 for his ABA life list.

Then there are the many additional birds John saw for the first time this year. Notable ones were 5 auklets, 3 albatross, 3 murrelets and 2 puffins.  If he is ever home long enough to make a species list, I will link it to this blog. For the year to date, he has seen 500 species in the ABA area. He would love to see at least 200 more by December 31st.

The weather wasn't bad on Attu, in the 40's but mostly clear. John said the water in the bay they anchored in was like glass. For ten days, they got off the boat and bicycled around the island looking for birds. Two days, John's bike needed repairs so he walked. The crew did a great job. Bill was the captain, his daughter, Colette, was the first mate, Nicole was the cook (really good cook) and Jake was the handyman/bike repairer and videographer. John of Z Tours and Isaac were the guides and there were 8 participants. A lady from Maine persuaded 4 friends to come with her so they really made the trip a go.

John was in Anchorage last night and today, May 28th, Memorial Day, joined a Wings tour flying to Gambell for five full days of birding then Nome for a couple more. John will fly to Chicago, June 8th, to do laundry at our son's home. The 9th he flies to Norfolk VA for a Brian Petteson pelagic the 10th. Then on and on.

I should be able to blog more frequently once John is back to regular cell phone coverage.