Post by oldfulica on Jun 25, 2008 21:07:38 GMT -8
Hi
Thanks to everyone for comments on last post. I sit in Whitehorse now after just having a great time up the Dempster highway. For some reason Canada just seems better than Alaska. Maybe it's because a tour bus isn't going by every half hour. We went 160 kilometers up the Dempster with a vow to return someday and go all the way to Inuvik. The Tundra environment was outstanding.
Carlo G. told me about Smiths Longspur being up here so we stayed at the Tombstone Campsite for 3 days and searched for it in vain even though the park staff told us where to go. We just couldn't hear any singing. But we did find more Willow Ptarmigan. Here is a female to confirm my picture I sent in about a month ago which I thought was a Ruffed grouse.
And here is a head shot of the male.
The big find was another lifer-the Long-tailed Jaegers which attacked me unexpectedly as I got to close to their Nest. I backed off and set up my scope to take this picture of the male.
I saw these birds attack a Golden Eagle which was no where near their nest but they obviously saw it as a bigger threat than me because they attacked it more vigorously.
Another highlight was seeing a Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage trying to evict a Common Loon from a small lake. The altercation lasted a while before the Red-throat seceeded the lake to the Common.
We spotted a Gyrfalcon at a nesting site on a cliff. What a treat to see one in surroundings that it was born to be in and not sitting on a power pole.
Many Caribou, Fox and Moose seen here by us and some Grizzleys were reported close to camp.
WE didn't see any.
Bird Total 175-Alaska 80-Yukon 87-Lifers 5; Arctic Warbler, Kitlittz Murrelet, Spruce Grouse, Long-tailed Jaeger, Willow Ptarmigan.
Thanks to everyone for comments on last post. I sit in Whitehorse now after just having a great time up the Dempster highway. For some reason Canada just seems better than Alaska. Maybe it's because a tour bus isn't going by every half hour. We went 160 kilometers up the Dempster with a vow to return someday and go all the way to Inuvik. The Tundra environment was outstanding.
Carlo G. told me about Smiths Longspur being up here so we stayed at the Tombstone Campsite for 3 days and searched for it in vain even though the park staff told us where to go. We just couldn't hear any singing. But we did find more Willow Ptarmigan. Here is a female to confirm my picture I sent in about a month ago which I thought was a Ruffed grouse.
And here is a head shot of the male.
The big find was another lifer-the Long-tailed Jaegers which attacked me unexpectedly as I got to close to their Nest. I backed off and set up my scope to take this picture of the male.
I saw these birds attack a Golden Eagle which was no where near their nest but they obviously saw it as a bigger threat than me because they attacked it more vigorously.
Another highlight was seeing a Red-throated Loon in breeding plumage trying to evict a Common Loon from a small lake. The altercation lasted a while before the Red-throat seceeded the lake to the Common.
We spotted a Gyrfalcon at a nesting site on a cliff. What a treat to see one in surroundings that it was born to be in and not sitting on a power pole.
Many Caribou, Fox and Moose seen here by us and some Grizzleys were reported close to camp.
WE didn't see any.
Bird Total 175-Alaska 80-Yukon 87-Lifers 5; Arctic Warbler, Kitlittz Murrelet, Spruce Grouse, Long-tailed Jaeger, Willow Ptarmigan.