Yesterday before I flew from Ketchikan to Juneau, I learned that Gus Van Vliet had posted that he’d found Red-eyed Vireo (multiple) and  a Tennessee Warbler in Juneau, so my plan today was to try for these two species. Early this morning I went to the Brotherhood Bridge area, and within about 5 minutes had found the first of two RED-EYED VIREOS. Although finding that they were around was easy because they sing loudly nonstop, seeing them well and getting a picture took a while. Other birds that were there were a Red-breasted Sapsucker, multiple Bank Swallows, Alder Flycatchers, American Robins including a few fledged youngsters peering out of the green leaves, Northern Waterthrushes and Song and Lincoln’s Sparrows.

As I was about to leave the area, Patty Rose arrived so the two of us went back to find one of the still-singing Red-eyed Vireos. Then we went to the Moose Lake Trail where Gus had found the Tennessee Warbler. At first all we could find in the area was a Northern Waterthrush which seemed to be trying to sound like a Tennessee Warbler. We explored a bit and then came back to find that the TENNESSEE WARBLER was there and was singing. Gus Van Vliet arrived and we birded more of the area and saw the Tennessee Warbler again.

Gus also pointed out the mountain goats on Mt. McGuiness overlooking the Moose Lake area.

After lunch Patty and I went to the Mendenhall Wetlands dike trail. It was getting quite hot out and birding was slow, but we did see a small flock of Greater Yellowlegs, a single Short-billed Dowitcher and various sparrows and warblers.

This evening I went to Eagle Beach, but the incoming tide did not bring closer any new birds. Tomorrow I’ll probably bird most of the same areas as today as well as additional areas in Juneau.

272 species so far

Louann Feldmann and I birded the Ketchikan area today, our main birding being in the morning on the road to Brown Mountain and nearby roads. It was a beautiful morning begun with what I understand is a Sitka black-tailed deer watching us for awhile. Birds included singing and calling American Robins, Varied, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrushes, Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, Wilson’s and Townsend’s Warblers, Brown Creepers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, a Hairy Woodpecker, Vaux’s Swifts, Rufous Hummingbirds, Fox Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Pacific Wrens.

After lunch we birded and touristed at Totem Bight State Park, which I had never explored before. Very interesting area with moss-laden trees, fascinating totem poles, and a great spot to visit if one is willing to take a break from birding. And of course, even there there were birds – those on the totem poles, and Bald Eagles, Killdeers, Pacific Wrens, Swainson’s Thrushes and American Robins, and a Song Sparrow.

Louann is on her way to Anchorage now, and in a few hours I will depart for Juneau where I will spend a few more days birding before heading home

270 species so far

Yesterday evening after I wrote my blog post we had great views finally of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, and this morning great views of a Least Flycatcher. This has definitely been a flycatcher trip and a veery trip (heard again this morning).

On one of our walks today, we got wonderful views of a Ruffed Grouse that flew past us and landed in a nearby sapling.

We also had additional views of the apparently more than one Veery, one of which came out to the road.

I really did not think that I would get a new bird today. It’s been a spectacular trip and only so much is possible. But mid-morning in the light rain, Steve heard the distant sound of a possible Magnolia Warbler, and after we crashed and slid down a slope through the underbrush, there was a beautiful MAGNOLIA WARBLER! First I got a view of its distinctive undertail and then the whole bird. The trip is “inconceivable”.

We had an amazing birding session after lunch! While my photos are crummy at best, the views that we had of a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER were very good (apparently never before photographed in AK, and maybe only seen once before in AK). It flitted around in the midst of a small flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers and disappeared. We refound it later in the day and will probably look for it tomorrow before we head back to Ketchikan.

As we were walking along in the light rain this afternoon, we noticed a Common Raven circling high above with a hawk of some kind. We had been bemoaning the lack of raptors and there was one right above us. But what was it? After reviewing the shape and what we could see on the distant hawk, and looking at Steve’s pictures showing the typical bicolored wing (my pictures are basically silhouettes), we concluded that it was a SWAINSON’S HAWK, also extremely rare in AK!!

What next?

270 species so far

Steve Heinl, Louann Feldmann and I took the mail-plane (has 4 passenger seats) from Ketchikan to Hyder today. Hyder is about as far south as one can go in Alaska on the mainland and is right next to Stewart, British Columbia. An Alaskan birder goes there to get Canadian and lower 48 birds that are rare in the rest of Alaska.

We arrived about 12:30 pm (Alaska time) and birded most of the time until 9:30 Alaska time (10:30 in British Columbia). Today’s birding added 10 (!!) new birds to my year list. Especial thanks to Steve without whom it is unlikely we would have seen many of these birds!!

They include the following birds in order of being added to the list: Chipping Sparrow (first heard and finally seen); MacGillivray’s Warbler (only the rear shows in the photo); Western Tanager; Willow Flycatcher; American Redstart (not photographed); Alder Flycatcher;  Eastern Kingbird; Western Wood-Pewee; an astounding Veery seen late in the day after we heard it calling and then singing (very poorly photographed but seen well and heard often; we will hope for better pictures tomorrow); and Least Flycatcher (not photographed).

Tomorrow more Hyder birding. What is next?

260 species seen so far