Oh me oh my

It's hard to believe my adventures in Utqiagvik have come to a close. At the end of my stint, I'd found over 60 nests of our project species, broke a pair of wader shoes walking the tundra, saw super sweet life birds, fixed wader shoes, participated in a blanket toss, officially laid wader shoes to rest, and had a fabulous time. To celebrate, members of the eider crew joined up to take a swim in the Arctic Ocean. Okay, it was more of a quick dip!

Much of Alaska is entirely unique and impossible to capture with image or words. I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore Utqiagvik and hope I'll make my way to the edge again.

The Top of the World

We arrived in Utqiagvik a few days ago to volunteer on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Stellar and Spectacled Eider project. While we're here, we'll help conduct pair surveys to determine potential breeding locations and attempts for Steller's and Spectacled Eiders, and locate nests of a suite of species of interest to the project.

Utqiagvik (formerly known as Barrow) is the northern most city in North America, just 1,300 miles from the North Pole, and is straddled by the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas which together contribute to the Arctic Ocean. Approximately 4,000 people live here year round. There is one gas station, three grocery stores, one footfall field (yes, it's artificial turf), and the few miles of road are unpaved. All-in-all, a beautiful and tight-knit community.

The winter's sea ice is still onshore and chances to see walrus, seals, whales, and polar bears are real possibilities. It's only been a couple days, but Red Phalarope, Steller's Eider, and Spectacled Eider sightings are almost routine. I found my first Red Phalarope nest today and logged my first nest of trip, a Greater White-fronted Goose nest.

#Utqiagvik #birds #adventure #Alaska #science

Boreal Owl banding

Summer is now in full swing with migrants beginning their breeding attempts as the sun lengthens our days. Residents, like the Boreal Owl, began their breeding attempts much sooner and are just beginning to fledge young. A couple Fairbanksans were lucky enough to host Boreal Owl families. Close to fledging and hoping to contribute to what little is known about this owl, we carefully captured and banded the nestlings. Bright yellow eyes followed all our movements and naivety (or luck) restrained their small but sharp talons.

#borealowl #banding #summer #birds