We saw several pairs of Steller's Eider at Barrow.
We saw several pairs of Steller's Eider at Barrow.
A female Common Goldeneye with her brood at Fairbanks
Willow Ptarmigan -- feeding on willow, no less.
Our one Horned Grebe was near Fairbanks. Except for the red eye, completely different colors from the winter plumage we're used to seeing them in.
The aptly-named Red-faced Cormorant has a restricted range, being found only from the Gulf of Alaska out the Aleutians to Kamchatka in Siberia, and to Japan, and on the Pribilofs.
American Golden-Plover in the snow
This Surfbird was far from any surf.
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Rock Sandpiper
Both the aptly named Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes breed in the Pribilofs. The Black-legged Kittiwake has a wide distribution all around the northern hemisphere, while the entire world population of Red-legged Kittiwake breeds only here or nearby.
Guess which Kittiwake species this one is?
How about this one?
Thick-billed Murres (the Got Milk? bird) are common in the Pribilofs
Three closely related diminutive Alcids breed in the Pribilofs, and are a highlight of any trip there: Least Auklet, Parakeet Auklet, and Crested Auklet (no good photos of the latter).
Least Auklet
Parakeet Auklet
Both of the Pacific-coast species of Puffin breed on the Pribilofs
Horned Puffin
Tufted Puffin (with a Thick-billed Murre)
At our stay at Sheep Mountain Lodge, our hosts informed us that they had a Boreal Owl nest nearby. We of course went to see it that evening; and we began the next day by checking it again, and then proceeded to a nearby campground where there was a Great Gray Owl nest. On the way we also saw a Northern Hawk Owl. It was very unusual to see all three of these prized owls in a span of a few hours!
Boreal Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
The Great Gray Owl nest was on this witch's broom on a spruce.
The young had been out of the nest for four days.
This Great Gray Owl lived up to its reputation of being pretty unconcerned about nearby humans.
Almost too close for a scope.
American Dipper. Note that when it blinks, it shows its white eyelid.
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are abundant on St. Paul. They nest in rock crevices, and like some other crevice nesters have adapted to nesting in buildings. The Pribilofs have a distinctive subspecies that is much larger than those found on the mainland; these birds are about the size of a Brown-headed Cowbird.
Snow Bunting
