Alaska eBird Checklist S185473970

Observations

1. Emperor Goose

   Number observed:  2

2. Cackling Goose (Aleutian)

   Number observed:  535

   Media

3. Northern Shoveler

   Number observed:  2

4. Eurasian Wigeon

   Number observed:  2

5. Mallard

   Number observed:  14

6. Northern Pintail

   Number observed:  2

7. Green-winged Teal (Eurasian)

   Number observed:  16

8. Tufted Duck

   Number observed:  14

   Details

   Headquarters, Penelope, and Laundry Lakes

9. Greater Scaup

   Number observed:  8

   Details

   Laundry Lake and Headquarters Lake

10. Common Eider (Pacific)

    Number observed:  321

    Details

    After seeing survey counts in the low 200s the last few years, this year's counts in the mid to upper 300s are nice to see and similar to some of the better years in 2007, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The larger proportion of first year males this yesr may indicate good productivity last year.

11. Harlequin Duck

    Number observed:  207

    Details

    Similar counts to the 2016-2022 period but slightly above the 1998-2010 survey period.

12. White-winged Scoter

    Number observed:  2

13. Stejneger's Scoter

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Drake continuing off .50 cal. beach.

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14. White-winged/Stejneger's Scoter

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Drake looked dark sided, but a little far.

15. Black Scoter

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Pair off the Lower Lake outflow.

16. Common Merganser (Eurasian)

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    Pair + one hen on Headquarters Lake and a single male on the Lagoon.

17. Red-breasted Merganser

    Number observed:  6

18. Pacific Golden-Plover

    Number observed:  3

19. Common Snipe

    Number observed:  2

20. Common/Wilson's Snipe

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Need to review photos. Looks good for the first Western Aleutians WISN.

21. Red-necked Phalarope

    Number observed:  3

22. Common Sandpiper

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Two together in the intertidal off Connie Lake.

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23. Wandering Tattler

    Number observed:  1

24. Wood Sandpiper

    Number observed:  7

    Details

    Continuing dwindling numbers on the island.

    Media

25. Common Greenshank

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    One still in Upper Lake and two in Jennifer Lake.

    Media

26. Ruddy Turnstone

    Number observed:  2

27. Ruff

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    At the final hour, we went back to try an re-flush for the interesting snipe, and we flushed a Ruff out of Myrtle Marsh.

    Media

28. Long-toed Stint

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Only one today in Myrtle Marsh. We did not check Middle Marsh today, which has been holding a few birds recently.

29. Red-necked Stint

    Number observed:  4

    Details

    Group of 1 and group of 3 all along South Beach.

    Media

30. Rock Sandpiper (Aleutian)

    Number observed:  1

31. Parasitic Jaeger

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    The light-dark pair is still patrolling the middle of the island west of Twin Lakes. It will be interesting if they try to nest as I am unaware of any previous nesting attempts.

32. Tufted Puffin

    Number observed:  91

33. Horned Puffin

    Number observed:  4

34. Crested Auklet

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Alcan Harbor

35. Pigeon Guillemot

    Number observed:  40

    Details

    I think this is my island high count by quite a bit. Tally around the island.

36. Common Murre

    Number observed:  131

37. Ancient Murrelet

    Number observed:  4

38. Black-legged Kittiwake

    Number observed:  2

39. Glaucous-winged Gull

    Number observed:  257

    Media

40. Red-necked Grebe

    Number observed:  6

41. Red-throated Loon

    Number observed:  15

    Details

    Tally around the island.

42. Arctic Loon

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Continuing almost fully alternate plumage bird off Loon Cove.

43. Pacific Loon

    Number observed:  1

44. Yellow-billed Loon

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Alcan Harbor

45. Laysan Albatross

    Number observed:  73

    Details

    Conservative count

46. Short-tailed Albatross

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    Continuing with the excellent year for this species around the island. Fist seen sitting on the water NE of Sea Lion Point and then seen flying. Some poor digiscoped photos.

47. Northern Fulmar

    Number observed:  13

48. Red-faced Cormorant

    Number observed:  38

49. Pelagic Cormorant

    Number observed:  159

50. cormorant sp.

    Number observed:  123

51. Oriental Honey-buzzard

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    First North American Record.
    
    This bird was seen twice on Memorial Day. The first sighting occurred at the cormorant colony just west of the North Beach Bench. The bird seemed to come off the ground in the cove and circle to gain altitude before moving west along the bluff. While gaining altitude, every cormorant came off their nests and every gull in the area began swarming and calling around the honey-buzzard, clearly disturbed with its presence. We hastily followed the bird as it moved down the bluff into Two Mile Cove where it perched high on the bluff. The bird then flushed again to the west and flew along the top of the bluff until it turned south after it passed North Point.
    
    A few hours later, while ZP was checking the bluffs around McDonald Point (which can be productive in the current wind conditions), ZP flushed the honey-buzzard which was hiding in a small cove. Prior to flushing, a Song Sparrow was incessantly alarm calling at it, again, no bid enjoyed its presence. After flushing, it immediately tuned North and out of view for ZP but flew past BB, who was above 50-calibur Beach, and landed on the road at the East Quarry.
    
    While the initial sighting was a bit chaotic, we identified the bird as an Oriental Honey-buzzard (P. ptilorhynchus) (Temminck, 1821) as it circled in front of us giving us both dorsal and ventral views. The longish-tailed, small-headed, appearance is diagnostic to this genus, with Oriental Honey-buzzard being the most likely given its distribution and migratory tendencies. However, to ignore probabilities and likeliness, we will eliminate the other Perins species.
    
    Honey-buzzards are known for the extensive plumage variation and variation in age and sex. The lack of a prominent dark-tipped secondaries suggests a second-year bird. The non-migratory Sulawesi Honey-buzzard (P. celebensis) Wallace, 1868 and Philippine Honey-buzzards (P. steerei) Sclater, 1919, which were once conspecific with P. celebensis, of SE Asia can be eliminated on plumage. P. steerei can show a plain, unbarred breast and belly, but it is paler and/or blotchier than the clean, uniform orange-rufous undersides of the Shemya honey-buzzard. P steeri also usually show thinner sub-terminal tail bars and more extensive and prominent streaking on the upper-breast (unlike the throat “bordering” on the Shemya honey-buzzard). P. celebensis appears to usually have extensive throat streaking and belly barring or paler undersides like P. celebensis.
    
    The migratory European Honey-buzzards (P. apivorus) poses a greater identification challenge with Oriental Honey-buzzard. Given the two species more recently observed zone of overlap in winter and migration and hybridization, there has been more extensive discussions on separating the two and dealing with possible hybrids. Structurally, the prominent six primaries (the six-fingered man) on the Shemya honey-buzzard indicates Oriental as opposed the five prominent primaries on the European Honey-buzzard. The clean rufous-orange undersides extending into the carpal patch (not a dark carpal patch) and heavily barred secondaries is also indicative of Oriental Honey-buzzard. This bird likely originated from Japan or SE Russia which suggests P. ptilorhynchus orientalis Taczanowski, 1891.

    Media

52. Steller's Sea-Eagle

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    4th island record. Flying E down the bluff towards North Point.

    Media

53. Peregrine Falcon (Peale's)

    Number observed:  1

54. Pacific Wren (alascensis Group)

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    First of year. Very hard to come by this year.

55. Eyebrowed Thrush

    Number observed:  7

    Details

    Six in Two Mile Cove where a few have been hanging out the last few days. One particular orange-bellied, limited facial pattern individual east of Sea Lion Point made us do a double take.

56. Gray-streaked Flycatcher

    Number observed:  1

    Details

    In the ravines below McDonald Point. New arrival. Found moments before re-fluahing the Oriental Honey-buzzard.

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57. Siberian Rubythroat

    Number observed:  6

    Details

    Females seem to have arrived. Three females, two in Two Mile Cove and one in Four Mile Cove, one immature male moved in the the East Quarry with an adult, and one male in the back of Four Mile Cove.

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58. Gray Wagtail

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Possibly the two continuing birds that we do not see all the time. One along the beach in Two Mile Cove and one by the Sewage Ponds. Very flighty.

59. Eastern Yellow Wagtail

    Number observed:  1

60. Olive-backed Pipit

    Number observed:  5

    Details

    Three in Queens Match, one in the Grand Canyon, and one in the Myrtle Lumps.

    Media

61. Brambling

    Number observed:  23

    Details

    Continuing numbers. Largest flocks around Connie Lake and West Approach.

62. Hawfinch

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    One at the westernmost point and another flying with the Brambling flock in the West Approach.

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63. Lapland Longspur

    Number observed:  80

64. Snow Bunting

    Number observed:  8

65. Rustic Bunting

    Number observed:  3

    Details

    All adult males. Two in Four Mile Cove and one in the west approach area. We did not look for the long-staying male in Middle Marsh.

66. Gray Bunting

    Number observed:  2

    Details

    Third Shemya record. Previous records of one 18 May 1977 and one 27 May 2005. The 2005 record was found by B.Benter. Two non-adult males in Two Mile Cove.
    
    One bird with more plain undersides and one heavily streaked individual.
    
    High pitch "tink" calls given by one streaky individual.

    Media

67. Song Sparrow (sanaka/maxima)

    Number observed:  26

    Media