KACHEMAK BAY BIRDERS

***TRIPS/Events

June Birding Trip T.B.A. soon!
 
All Kachemak Bay Birding trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. All trips are free and everyone is welcome to attend. All trips will comply with FWS covid-safe practices.
 
***MEETINGS/Presentations
No Meetings until the end of August.
 
 
***TRIP REPORTS
North Fork Anchor River 5-31-25
What a glorious morning to be out watching birds.  Twelve hardy people joined Gary Lyon and myself as we birded this very birdie area.  Hardy because it was still quite cool out and early (7:00 am start time).  We had two couples from out of town – Toronto, Ontario, and San Diego, California.  We missed you Kathy Eagle. 

We had a total of 23 different species and one mammal, a mink.  The mink was in the rocks where the dipper likes to feed.  Hopefully the dipper does not become dinner for the mink. 

We observed or heard the following species:

Harlequin Ducks (which the Toronto people we very happy to see)
Common Merganser
Wilson’s Snipe
Bald Eagle
Black-billed Magpie
Black-capped Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Tree Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (heard only – at least I am not aware of anyone seeing the bird)
American Dipper
Varied Thrush (heard only)
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Redpoll
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow (heard only)
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Savannah Sparrow (heard only)
Lincoln’s Sparrow (lots of great views – and my favorite sparrow)
Northern Waterthrush (singing it’s heart out from the top of a tall cottonwood tree)
Orange-crowned Warblers (lots of these birds singing)
Yellow-rumped Warbler

Birds we were hoping to see, but did not, included the Spotted Sandpiper, Wilson’s Warbler, and Mallard. 

It was truly a great day to bird.
Michelle Michaud
Co-leader
 

33rd Annual KACHEMAK BAY SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL, May 7-11

2025 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival: Species Tally

FINAL REPORT and SPECIES LIST

What glorious sunny weather for our Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival this year! Many species—140 is a tentative final count, with a couple still being verified.  A total of 27 species of shorebirds were seen including the rare Red Knots, which were here before the Festival started and were seen every day.  Hudsonian, Marbled and Bar-tailed Godwits were other large, beautiful shorebirds present, also the Black Oystercatcher and Red Phalaropes everyone enjoys seeing each year. (The average number of species seen at a Festival is 130, so this was an exceptionally productive Festival.)

Other interesting species were Snow Goose, Osprey, Caspian Tern, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, and Common Eider. Songbirds included 8 sparrow species and 5 warbler species. and 3 swallow species.  There were 10 raptor species.

Special thanks to Jason Sodergren and Janet Fink for her help. Thanks should go out to everyone who reported birds on eBird or directly to the Festival–what a wonderful array of species we all helped find   Kachemak Bay Birders always say “It’s A Great Day to Bird!” and it certainly was for all five days of the Festival…in the fantastic sunshine and enjoying the scenic beauty of Kachemak Bay!

CHECKLIST OF SPECIES:  Kachemak Bay tally 2025 form

 

September 24th Presentation by Bruce Lyon: Gray-crowned Rosy Finch Study on the Pribilofs.
 

**Links to previous Presentations**

December 4th Presentation by Aaron Lang: “Birding in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge” was recorded and the link is on the Friends of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuges website:

https://alaskarefugefriends.org/category/events/special-events/