2003 IFO Arctic Breeding Bird Ecology Workshop Report
Instructors
Paul J. Baicich and Wayne R. Petersen
1-8 July 2003
Nome, Alaska
With thanks to the NorthWest Campus for the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for their cooperation.
PHOTOS. Top: The workshop participants. © Betty Petersen. Top right: Willow Ptarmigan were common birds in and around low thickets. Females with broods of young were often seen. © Peter Bente
For the second year in row an enthusiastic and wonderfully compatible group of 16 birders, biologists, and conservationists from all over the country joined Paul Baicich and Wayne Petersen for a relaxing and informative week of learning, birding, and camaraderie, all set in the stunning Arctic context of Nome, Alaska. Lectures, slide presentations, and audio sessions were held through the gracious cooperation of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Northwest Campus (at Nome). The indoor sessions were supplemented by daily field trips to nearly all of the primary habitat types of the Seward Peninsula accessible by the Nome road system. The species list accompanying this report provides some indication of the richness of the Nome birding environment.
PHOTO: The workshop participants check out Aleutian Terns along the Council Road. © Peter Bente
Upon the group's arrival in Nome, several hours were spent getting established in the cozy Aurora Executive Suites apartments (our home away from home for the week), shopping for food, and acquiring an overview of the week's program. This time also gave everyone a chance to find out a little about other members of the group. It turned out that we had participants from as far away as Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, and New Hampshire. It was especially nice having participants from Alaska, six from Nome, plus another from Juneau. Local participation is a clear reflection of the valuable outreach potential of the IFO program and for ABA as an organization.
Participants study Red-necked Phalaropes by an old gold dredge just outside Nome.
In the afternoon of our first day in Nome, the group took a short field trip to the vicinity of the mouth of the Nome River. Here participants were introduced to two of the Beringian specialties that make Nome famous - Aleutian Tern and Yellow Wagtail. The Aleutian Terns were especially interesting since a large nesting colony was located that was previously unknown to either Paul or Wayne. Other memorable sightings on that first afternoon included a nest full of baby Common Ravens located on an old gold dredge, several Red-necked Phalaropes spinning close at hand in a small tundra pool, and Western Sandpipers displaying in high breeding plumage.
Indoor lectures were held in Nome at the modern facilities of the Northwest Campus for the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. © Peter Bente
Following the first few tantalizing hours in the field, the group retired to the classroom for a slide lecture and discussion about the breeding bird habitats of the Seward Peninsula and the characteristic nesting species of each one. With this introduction in mind participants were prepared to see the bird life of many of these habitats for themselves.
In the days following this introductory afternoon, the group's time was variously divided between classroom sessions and field sessions, more or less depending on weather and the destinations visited. Some portion of each of Nome's three primary roads were traveled one or more times during the course, and target destinations included Wooley Lagoon, Coffee Dome in the Kougarok Valley, Pilgrim Hot Springs, Cape Nome, Safety Sound, Solomon, and Council. Every one of these regions afforded exposure to unique habitats, and travel to each provided stunning views of the Seward Peninsula's Arctic environment, including geology and the "belly flora" that makes the study of Arctic botany so appealing.
Workshop participants viewed a Peregrine Falcon nest on a cliff face.
Building on lecture material gained in the classroom special emphasis was placed on studying the robust shorebird community around Nome, where 18 species were observed, including American and Pacific Golden-Plover, Wandering Tattler, Bristle-thighed Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Black Turnstone. Of particular interest was the confirmation of a regionally rare nesting Least Sandpiper, made possible by the discovery of an adult bird accompanied by a brood of tiny chicks at "the western fringe of its breeding range on the Seward Peninsula."
Numerous Common Raven nests were found during the field trip days on the workshop. © Peter Bente
Waterfowl occupied our attention on some days, and the sight of a Eurasian Wigeon and a Spectacled Eider in the same scope field was certainly a highlight for all present! Other outstanding waterfowl encounters included a small flock of lingering Brant, Tundra Swans with tiny cygnets, a hybrid Green-winged X "Common" Teal, a lone King Eider, and stunning Black Scoter pairs on a remote tundra lake.
Arctic-nesting raptors are always a thrill, and with the aid of valuablelocal knowledge obtained from local participants Karen Fagerstrom and Peter Bente, our group successfully viewed the nests of Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, Gyrfalcon (4 eyries!), and Peregrine Falcon. In all cases a respectful distance was maintained to avoid nest disturbance.
Wayne Petersen prompts the group to listen for Arctic Warbler along the Kugerok Road.
Following up on indoor sessions addressing the topic of bird song, a fair amount of emphasis was placed on learning the most common avian vocalizations of the region. By the workshop's end many participants could readily distinguish a majority of the common bird sounds heard around Nome, such as Wilson's Snipe, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, and Common Redpoll. In addition to learning something about the functions of avian vocalizations to the birds themselves, helpful practical application came when it came to distinguishing between Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, or Semipalmated and Western Sandpiper, and was especially useful in locating Beringian specialties such as Arctic Warbler and Bluethroat.
At Safety Sound the participants watched Sabine's Gulls, Eurasian Wigeon, and Spectacled Eider, all in the same locale. © Peter Bente
In addition to the fine birding enjoyed throughout the week, much was leaned about mammals of the region, including fascinating information about Caribou in northern Alaska and Reindeer and Musk Ox herds in the Nome region. Our final farewell dinner was highlighted by an outstanding treat provided by participant, Lisa Rock, who managed to have a crate of fresh Alaskan King Crab delivered to the Aurora Executive Suites just in time to precede our pizza and beverage dinner!
The workshop ended with everyone agreeing that it was a valuable learning experience, one that would be hard to top in the future. Why not come and join us next year and see what surprises 2004 will bring?
ABA Institute for Field Ornithology, ABA
4945 N 30th St, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
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