33rd Annual KACHEMAK BAY SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL, May 7-11th
To REGISTER, look at the PROGRAM, find out about JUNIOR Birders,
2025 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival: Species Tally
What an excellent Festival with nice sunny days and we’ve already logged 114 species! Many more expected–even rumors of a jaeger flying south from Kasilof as I write… Spring feeling in the air with three warbler species here now and, for many of us, hearing our first Hermit Thrush today.
Species seen Thursday, May 8th (new species in BOLD)
Mud Bay: MARBLED GODWIT, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WHIMBREL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, AMERICAN PIPIT, NORTHERN HARRIER.
Mariner Park: MARBLED GODWIT, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WESTERN SANDPIPERS (1000), DUNLIN (1000) SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, EURASIAN WIGEON, NORTHERN HARRIER.
Green Timbers/Louie’s Lagoon: PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW
End of the Spit (Fishing Hole south): SURFBIRD (end of the Harbor jetty), BLACK TURNSTONE, BRANT, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COMMON MERGANSER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, HERRING GULL
Beluga Slough: RUDDY TURNSTONE, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, CANADA GOOSE, SANDHILL CRANE, BELTED KINGFISHER, AMERICAN PIPIT, FOX SPARROW, MERLIN
Beluga Lake East/Platforms: PECTORAL SANDPIPER, WILSON’S SNIPE, LEAST SANDPIPER, AMERICAN PIPIT, TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, TRUMPETER SWAN, VARIED THRUSH, HERMIT THRUSH, LINCOLN SPARROW, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER
Calvin and Coyle Trail: DOWNY WOODPECKER, AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, SPRUCE GROUSE, HERMIT THRUSH, BROWN CREEPER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, VARIED THRUSH, PACIFIC WREN, TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, NORTHERN HARRIER
Other Areas in Homer: Kachemak Drive: COMMON REDPOLL, MARBLED GODWIT. East End Rd on past Fritz Creek: ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK (Harlan’s?)
Anchor River: RED KNOT, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, BLACK TURNSTONE, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, WHIMBREL, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LONG- and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, OSPREY, ALEUTIAN TERN, ARCTIC TERN, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW, NORTHERN HARRIER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (by campgrounds), WILSON’S WARBLER (by campgrounds). AMERICAN DIPPER (south end of North Fork Rd at “Dipper Bridge” 2 miles in from Highway).
Seldovia: BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, YELLOW-BILLED LOON, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RING-NECKED DUCK, BELTED KINGFISHER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PACIFIC WREN, MERLIN
Gull Island/Cohen Is/Lancashire/other locations across the Bay: WANDERING TATTLER, ROCK SANDPIPER, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, SURFBIRD, GLAUCOUS GULL, TUFTED PUFFIN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COMMON MURRE (3000), YELLOW-BILLED LOON
Species seen Wednesday (May 7th)
Mud Bay: MARBLED GODWIT (3), SANDERLING, WHIMBREL, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER, SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, AMERICAN PIPIT, CACKLING GOOSE, NORTHERN HARRIER.
Mariner Park: RED KNOT, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (2), WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, LONG-BILLED and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, NORTHERN HARRIER.
Green Timbers/Louie’s Lagoon: MARBLED GODWIT, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WESTERN SANDPIPER (450), SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW
End of the Spit (Fishing Hole south): BLACK TURNSTONE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COMMON MERGANSER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, HERRING GULL
Beluga Slough: PECTORAL SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SANDHILL CRANE, AMERICAN PIPIT, FOX SPARROW, MERLIN
Beluga Lake East/Platforms: GREAT BLUE HERON, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SANDERLING, WIILSON’S SNIPE, LEAST SANDPIPER, AMERICAN PIPIT, BELTED KINGFISHER, TREE and BANK SWALLOW, TUNDRA SWAN, VARIED THRUSH, LINCOLN SPARROW, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, NORTHERN HARRIER (Chestnut-backed Chickadee report being confirmed.)
Calvin and Coyle Trail: AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, SPRUCE GROUSE, HERMIT THRUSH, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, VARIED THRUSH, PACIFIC WREN, TREE and VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, CANADA and CACKLING GOOSE, NORTHERN HARRIER
Anchor River: HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWIT, BLACK TURNSTONE, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, WHIMBREL, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LONG- and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, ARCTIC TERN, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW, NORTHERN HARRIER
Seldovia: RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RING-NECKED DUCK, BELTED KINGFISHER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PACIFIC WREN, MERLIN
Halibut Cove: SURFBIRD, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, TUFTED PUFFIN (22), BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, ROCK PIGEON
Gull Island/Cohen Is/Lancashire: WANDERING TATTLER, ROCK SANDPIPER, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, SURFBIRD, TUFTED PUFFIN, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, COMMON MURRE (3000), YELLOW-BILLED LOON
PRELIMINARY REPORT (May 5-6th)
The Shorebird Festival is off to a great start! The weather forecast has promised warmer spring temperatures with some sunshine and less wind for the rest of the week. Sunshine is a great beginning for a Festival.
Many shorebirds and other species are already here. A list of species seen May 5-6th is below. SANDHILL CRANES can be found all over town. Sparrows singing, one warbler so far. Snipe winnowing, VARIED THRUSH, PACIFIC WREN and FOX SPARROWS heard singing.
A large number of shorebirds was seen in Mud Bay the evening of May 2nd: up to 2500 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and around 700 mixed DUNLIN, DOWITCHERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, etc.
Mud Bay: RED KNOT (1), MARBLED GODWIT (3), RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, WHIMBREL, SURFBIRD, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK TURNSTONE, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER (100), SHORT-BILLED and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, AMERICAN PIPIT, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS.
Mariner Park: SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER (2), WHIMBREL, WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, GADWALL, EURASIAN WIGEON, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, NORTHERN HARRIER,
Beluga Lake East/Platforms: MARBLED GODWIT, PECTORAL SANDPIPER (2), GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WIILSON’S SNIPE, LEAST SANDPIPER, AMERICAN PIPIT, BELTED KINGFISHER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, NORTHERN HARRIER, TREE SWALLOW, TUNDRA SWAN, VARIED THRUSH, LINCOLN SPARROW, BOREAL CHICKADEE, OSPREY, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER
Portlock/Fernwood Rds. (~8 miles East End Rd): WILSON’S SNIPE, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.
Land’s End: ARCTIC TERN
Seldovia: RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, RING-NECKED DUCK, BELTED KINGFISHER, MERLIN, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Some other species seen over the weekend: HUDSONIAN GODWIT (Slough), SANDERLING (Green Timbers), BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and TUFTED PUFFIN (Gull Is.), PEREGRINE FALCON (Spit), RED-TAILED HAWK (East End Rd), SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Lake)
***MEETINGS/PRESENTATIONS LAST TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Motus is an international research community working together to study the movement and behaviour of birds, bats, and insects. These animals carry miniaturized tags that transmit information to stations placed across the world. The program is led by Birds Canada, in partnership with a growing network of scientists and organizations. The radio signals can provide data on a bird’s arrival, departure, length of stay and even how they use a habitat at key stopover sites. This data also helps land managers better understand migratory birds’ seasonal habitat use, allowing them to gain insights into the role that protected areas, like Mud Bay, play as a stopover point or passage for migratory birds. Motus includes more than 1,200 stations across 31 countries. There are 7 Motus towers in Alaska: Controler Bay, Cordova, Little Egg Island, Kachemak Bay, Beluga, Nelson Lagoon, and Echo Acres Fairbanks. Join us for this talk looking at Motus Tower data in Kachemak Bay, the projects the birds are tagged from, and the information we can gather from these Alaska towers. More information found here: https://motus.org/
Meetings at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters (formerly:Islands and Ocean Visitor Center) begin at 5:30 pm (unless otherwise indicated). All meetings and events are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Masks encouraged and all events will comply with FWS covid-safe practices.
***TRIPS/Events