Waterfowl « Aleutian Outfitters

A quick photographic catch up of the last month

On June 27th, 2012 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Featured, General birding, Passerines, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Large raft of Whiskered Auklets and a few Crested Auklets

: Whiskered Auklet with two Ancient Murrelets

On May 31st I made one last run to Little Tanaga Straits for the Whiskered Auklet show. As usual they put on a good performance.

Rough-legged Hawk

I found this Rough-legged Hawk soaring over Clam Lagoon on June 1st. They are extremely rare for Adak. And in fact it was only May 10th of this year that I recorded my first one on Adak flying over my house. Nice to get some pictures of this one. Since its a light phase bird it could very well be the Asian ssp??

Who put the carolinensis in my crecca???

On June 2nd I saw these two Green-winged Teal on Clam Lagoon. Seems like I am starting to see more and more of the carolinensis ssp on Adak now. Crecca is our local resident breeder.

Hawfinch at my lodge

This was a fun bird. After several Hawfinch had been around in May I had this female show up at my house feeders in June and was a regular for over a week. What fun it was to wake up and drink my coffee while watching it feed right out the window. She was last seen June 20th.

I am now keeping my eyes out for Cuckoos. June and July have been very productive the last few years for these birds.

28AUG11_Garganey and Wood Sandpiper

On August 29th, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Asian rarities, Shorebirds, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Juvenile Wood Sandpiper

: Garganey and Aleutian Green Winged Teal flying together

These two birds were the highlight of the evening. Also at the lagoon was 33 Sanderlings, 3 Western Sandpipers, 3 Sharp Tailed Sandpipers and 2 Pectoral Sandpipers.

June 1st Photos of Pacific Common Eiders

On June 1st, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, General birding, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Two pair Pacific Common Eiders

Pacific Common Eiders flying

Drake Common Eider

Pacific Common Eider drake flying

Today was spend out on the water boating in Kuluk Bay, Scabbard Bay and Sweeper Cove. Here are some very beautiful Pacific Common Eiders which are local year round residents and breeders on Adak.

18APR11_Harlequin Duck

On April 29th, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, General birding, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Beautiful drake Harlequin Duck

Here is one of our most common and photogenic ducks on Adak. They are here year around although most will leave for the breeding season. Only non breeders will stay and form large rafts of moulting birds. It has been shown that a lot of the wintering birds in Alaska actually breed in Siberia.

14APR11_ducks, in color

On April 15th, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, General birding, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Aleutian Green Winged Teal

Aleutian Teal portrait

The often overlooked amazing drake Greater Scaup

Northern Shoveler

"I air break for hens" Mallard

Drake Eurasian Wigeon

Eurasian Wigeon getting outta here with a hen Shoveler

Nothing too exciting to report today. I did decide to slow down and smell the roses so to speak and take some pictures of the ducks. Northern Shovelers aren’t around much in the winter but they do show annually in the spring. There was two pair today. And SOMEDAY I want to get a good picture of the Eurasian Wigeon. But it wasn’t happening today! As you can tell in the pictures. They are extremely wary birds and won’t stay on the ground once they see any movement. Don’t ask me why that is because everywhere else Wigeon are very tame. Whoopers Swans are the same way here. Speaking of swans there was 9 Whoopers in Heart Lake today. No sign of the female Smew that has been in that lake all last week.

13APR11_Steller’s Eiders

On April 15th, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, General birding, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Two Steller's Eiders

Distant photo but I had to post as its the first Steller’s Eiders I have seen for Adak. They are feeding around the two islands off of the Clam Lagoon seawall. In the scope one of the birds had a little white on the sides so I assume its an imm drake.

Tufted Ducks

On March 26th, 2011 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Asian rarities, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

On March 25th I found a flock of Tufted Ducks in Mitt Lake. 3 drakes and 2 hens. Very cool.

Birds are starting to move now with the light and warmer weather. Flocks of Snow Buntings are starting to move through getting ready to head North.

Adak Tundra Bean Goose_04MAY08

On November 17th, 2010 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Asian rarities, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Tundra Bean Geese flying

Tundra Bean Geese

Pair of Tundra Bean Geese?

Here is 4 Tundra Bean Geese that were photographed on Adak on 04MAY08. They are much shorter necked and have a more stocky look to them than the Taiga Bean Goose. Their bill is thicker at the base and shows a large ”grinning patch” like a Snow Goose. I have found that the orange on the tip of the bill will run under the nostril almost to the base of bill. On the Taiga birds this seems to stop at the nostril. That is purely my own observations on a very small number of birds.

In this last picture of the pair the female’s bill has always bothered me a little. It definitely has a much more “Taiga” appearance to it. But structurally the rest of the bird matched the rest of the flock.

Adak Taiga Bean Goose_18MAY09

On November 17th, 2010 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Asian rarities, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

Taiga Bean Goose

Due to the recent interest in Bean Geese with the discovery of a goose in CA I have reposted some pictures of a Large Taiga Bean Goose that was photographed on Adak 18MAY09. This bird was the most amazing goose I have ever seen. It was huge and had an enormous swan like neck. Any comments as to what subspecies of Taiga this bird is would be welcome.

19OCT10

On October 19th, 2010 / Adak Island Birds, Alaska Birds, Asian rarities, Waterfowl / Leave a comment

A single hen Tufted Duck in Smew Pond was the highlight of today.

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