We saw all four Eider species in one day at Barrow, including this Spectacled Eider. Another well-named species.
We saw all four Eider species in one day at Barrow, including this Spectacled Eider. Another well-named species.
Steller's Eider was actually the most common eider species here.
The native people are allowed to hunt most forms of wildlife that are protected from the rest of us. However, they are not supposed to hunt Steller's Eiders. This roadside sign says, in part "Help Protect Our Steller's Eiders! Steller's Eiders are threatened with extinction in North America. The Barrow region remains the only place on the continent where they still regularly nest. Please do not shoot or chase Steller's Eiders. Please do not disturb nesting Steller's Eiders."
Also note the distant satellite dish at the left. At this latitude, satellite dishes are aimed nearly horizontally.
Pacific Loon
The question arose, is it possible to take too many Red Phalarope pictures? No.
For comparison, here's another look at the female Ruff (Reeve) that we saw at Nome.
At Barrow, most of the jaegers were Pomarine Jaegers.
At the Barrow landfill, nearly every last gull was a Glaucous Gull.
Except for a couple of "Vega" Gulls (a form of Herring Gull that some authorities split into a separate species).
And except for two odd black-backed, yellow-legged gulls that stumped us at the time. We tried to make them Heuglin's Gull, but were prevailed upon to call them Lesser Black-backed Gull, still a rarity for Barrow. Compare Simon Thompson's photos of the Lesser Black-backed and a Vega Gull.
Arctic Tern -- actually in the Arctic!
We saw many Snowy Owls in the Barrow area, most just sitting on the tundra at great distances (in one spot, 16 in view at one time). This one that perched on an antenna on a house was slightly closer.
Dusky Thrush. Another close relative of American Robin, even rarer than Eyebrowed Thrush. Another bird that you won't find in Sibley. A terrible photo taken on a cloudy day, but recognizable and good enough for a bird I'll probably never see again.
Varied Thrush is a common Alaskan bird, but the several that we saw in Barrow were far from their normal forest habitat.
Guess what bird nests in this house? No, really, take a guess. Then click on the photo for the answer. That's the ice of the Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea) in the distance.
