Nina Faust talks about Sandhill Cranes. For more information on the Sandhill Crane, check out our “Bird of the Month” page.
Bird Rhythms originally aired on KBBI on April 28, 2018 as part of the Kachemak Science monthly program.
Author: sodergren
Lesser Sandhill Crane – April Bird of the Month – 2018
Lesser Sandhill Crane
(Antigone canadensis canadensis)
Sandhill Crane (Photo by Nina Faust)
General Information
There are 15 crane species in the world. Two of those species – the Sandhill Crane and Whooping Crane – breed in the United States. There are six subspecies of the Sandhill Crane: Greater, Lesser, Canadian, Mississippi, Florida, and Cuba. Our Homer Cranes are of the Lesser Sandhill Crane subspecies.
The Sandhill Crane is a member of the Gruidae family; and was formerly in the genus Grus, but was recently reclassified to the Antigone genus. The species remains the canadensis.
Range: There are two flyways for the Lesser Sandhill Crane: Central and Pacific.
The Central Flyway population spends summers in Canada, northern Alaska, and the Siberian Peninsula; overwintering in Mexico, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.
The summer breeding grounds for the Pacific Flyway population is Southcentral Alaska (including Homer) and along the Alaska Peninsula. This population overwinters in the Central Valley of California – Sacramento area.
Source: International Crane Foundation.
Alaska Range Map
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Bird Biology:
Characteristics: Cranes are large, wading birds with long necks and legs, and a characteristic feathered tail bonnet, red crown, and long menacing beak. Their legs are black, and their plumage varies from shades of grey, brown, and rust. Juveniles have cinnamon-brown feathers and lack the red crown.
Lesser Sandhill Cranes typically weigh around 7.5 lbs and reach a shoulder height of 34-48 inches. Males and females are generally indistinguishable; here’s a tip: when giving an alert call or territorial call the males bring their head back 90 degrees (beak straight up in the air), while the female brings her head back only about 45 degrees (See photo below).
Lesser Sandhill Cranes have an impressive wingspan of 6-8 feet. When spotted flying overhead, look for slow rolling downbeats, and quick upbeats of those large wings. You can generally tell when cranes are ready to fly as they may show agitation, ‘crane’ their neck, and then take a few steps prior to taking off.
In the wild, a crane that survives the first year, generally has a life span of around 20-30 years. Cranes do not begin breeding until around four years of age.
Cranes use an iron oxide mud to paint their feathers. Painting, is believed to help camouflage the cranes from predators especially while the crane is on the nest. The crane will take a bundle of grass and dip it in the mud and then apply the mud to its feathers.
Preferred Habitat: Cranes inhabit a variety of open wetland and upland habitats for nesting and loafing. For roosting, cranes seek out wet areas or islands, which are safer from predators.
Crane Display: Cranes have a variety of display postures to signal different activities, including:
- When to fly
- Attack and threat
- Receptivity to breeding
And, how we enjoy watching cranes dance, especially during courtships as they jump and hop while spreading their wings, with an animated bowing to another crane – often like mirror images.
Want to learn more about Sandhill Crane displays? Check out the Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary: What Cranes Say with Their Body Language, by Yunker Happ. Go to: www.AlaskaSandhillCrane.com This field pamphlet is available at the Homer Bookstore, the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, or Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies.
Reproduction: Cranes form pair bonds and mate for life (divorce does happen and a crane that loses a mate will bond again). Breeding begins around four years of age. They have low reproductive rates, in part, due to being long-lived birds.
Breeding Season: In the Homer area, the breeding season begins soon after the long-anticipated arrival of the cranes in late April/early May.
Nesting: The nest is nothing fancy, the main criteria is camouflage. Cranes are ground nesters, building simple nests of dry grasses and feathers, in the shape of a shallow depression.
The preferred nest site is an area protected from predators, with a preference for wetlands and islands. However, cranes in the Homer area haven’t read the memo and are found nesting in upland areas as well. A three-year crane nesting survey of the Homer Area, from 2011-2013, found 30 known nesting pairs and the probability that more remote nests were never reported or found.
A master of camouflage – look carefully above the piece of wood on the lower right side of the photo.
Eggs and Incubation: The female generally lays two eggs, and if a crane pair experiences nest disturbance/abandonment early in the incubation period, they may nest again and lay additional eggs. Chicks hatch within 30 days.
Both parents incubate the eggs, however, the male’s primary task is to maintain the integrity of the territory. Incubating pairs trade places about every two hours during daylight hours. This gives each bird a chance to stretch, exercise, and feed. At night, the female incubates while the male stands guard. The male is often the first to feed the chicks.
The photos below show various crane nests; one with an egg; one with egg shell fragments (all photos by Michelle Michaud).
Nesting success is often dependent on habitat selection. Egg loss can be due to abandonment, or predation (eagles, ravens, crows, gulls, dogs, coyotes, and lynx), or being stepped on by moose.
Prior to fledging, the colt is flightless and very susceptible to predation. Colt loss can be due to a number of factors: predation, especially by eagles and dogs, lack of food, or parental neglect; or exceptionally bad weather, like wind and rain or snow in early spring. Photos by Nina Faust.
Fledging: Colts fledge within 60-70 days. They stay with their parents for 9-10 months. When the parents return to the breeding grounds, the adults chase off the colts to start a new family. These colts have now gained the red coloring on their heads, as well as the yellow eyes of an adult, and will join a group of non-breeding subadults — the crane equivalent of a roaming band of juveniles.
Not all crane colts survive to fledging. In Homer in 2017, 29 known breeding pairs produced 54 colts, of which only 34 colts fledged.
Food Preferences: Cranes are omnivores – eating frogs, voles, shrews, insects, bulbs, seeds, berries, and even baby ducklings.
Homer cranes are habituated to humans, especially when fed whole or cracked corn. Such feeding, however, is not necessary. There is sufficient food available in the wild for the cranes to obtain the nutrients needed for growth and survival. Feeding Cranes in an urban setting can be detrimental to the crane as it exposes them to predators, especially dogs and eagles. The urban habitat often lacks good nesting sites and natural sources of protein necessary for chick development. Other urban hazards affecting crane mortality include collisions with electrical power lines and vehicles, attacks by roaming neighborhood dogs, and poisoning from pesticides used on lawns. Also cranes can become aggressive protecting their young and can injure pets or humans.
Roosting: Cranes roost in large flocks, generally in shallow bodies of water to avoid predation. Cranes with colts that have yet to fledge roost separately, generally near the nest site (within their breeding territory).
Population Estimate: According to Kachemak Crane Watch, the Sandhill Crane population in the Homer Area (Anchor Point south to Kachemak Bay) is stable at around 200-250 individuals recorded annually.
Migration: In 2008, a study sponsored by Kachemak Crane Watch and conducted by the International Crane Foundation, sought to discover the migration route and wintering grounds of Homer area Sandhill Cranes. Ten (10) cranes were captured and fitted with satellite and radio transmitters. The study revealed several key findings: migration route, where the cranes winter (Central Valley of California), amount of time needed to reach their breeding and wintering grounds, and where they stopped during migration to refuel (See Figure 1 below). The journey from Homer to the Central Valley of California is approximately 2,400 miles – one way! The cranes take approximately one month during the fall migration to reach the Central Valley of California and approximately two months during spring migration return to Homer. They may spend up to a week or more at a staging area along the route in order to “refuel” for the long journey.
Figure 1: Map showing the transmitter data of the migration route of the Homer area banded cranes, including the different staging areas where they spent some stop-over time en-route to their breeding and wintering grounds. You can find this figure at: http://cranewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/annual_travels_sh_cranes_homer_map.pdf
Vocalizations: Sandhill Cranes have several calls, but the most distinctive is the unison call – a loud, resonant bugle.
Listen now to the unison call
Threats: Habitat loss is a primary threat – loss of wetlands, grasslands and agricultural fields being developed, conflicts with agriculture, afforestation (trees taking over grasslands), conflicts with living in urban areas. Other threats include; drought, predation, impacts with vehicles, pesticide use on lawns and gardens, and collisions with power lines.
Hunting: Sandhill Cranes are hunted in Alaska for sport and subsistence, although they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Hunting season begins in September, prior to migration. A number of other states also allow hunting of Sandhill Cranes, including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Fun Facts:
- Sandhill Crane chicks are called “colts”.
- Three pairs of Sandhill Cranes breed in Beluga Slough. One pair breeds near the boardwalk trail by the Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. You can watch this pair raise their colt(s) during the summer months.
- Kachemak Crane Watch co-founder Nina Faust is an accomplished videographer of Homer Sandhill Cranes. Nina produced a wonderful video called “Raising Kid Colt: A Story of a Young Sandhill Crane.” You will experience, up close, the intimate world of a Sandhill Crane’s family life, which includes seldom-seen perspectives of raising crane colts, as well as a progression of colt development over the summer. You can check out all her crane videos by going to the Kachemak Crane Watch website: cranewatch.org.
- Prior to fall migration, cranes will begin gathering in large groups. When the September weather conditions present a high pressure bringing upper air currents from the northwest, the cranes will circle the sky – called ‘kettling’ and the gathering group will then head towards their wintering grounds – a spectacle to see.
- Our Homer Cranes typically migrate south by the middle of September. You can enjoy the nightly “fly-in” of cranes at Beluga Slough as they begin to gather prior to migration.
- The Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival (Fairbanks) is held every year in late August. This three-day event features field trips, workshops, and a great opportunity to see and learn more about Sandhill Cranes.
- A crane fossil was found in Nebraska dating from the Pliocene period (5.3-2.6 million years ago). The fossil appears structurally identical to the modern Sandhill Crane. That would make the Sandhill Crane one of the oldest known bird species!
Conservation Status: The Sandhill Crane is a species of Least Concern, with populations generally increasing. Of concern is habitat loss and drought in California’s Central Valley, which significantly affects the Pacific Flyway population of Sandhill Cranes. The Pacific Flyway population is much smaller (approximately 20,000 birds) than the Central Flyway population (approximately 450,000 birds). The Central Flyway population are those cranes that make their way north through the Platte River in Nebraska.
In Homer, Kachemak Crane Watch (KCW) is dedicated to the protection of Sandhill Cranes and their habitat in the Kachemak Bay area.
The 2018 breeding season is fast approaching. Become a “Citizen Scientist”- KCW has been monitoring the Homer area crane population for over 15 years with the help of citizen scientists. With your help, KCW seeks information on:
- distribution and abundance of cranes from Anchor Point to the head of Kachemak Bay;
- nests and colts (chicks);
- population numbers;
- arrival and departure dates; and
- mortality due to eagle predation, dogs, and other causes.
Report your observations to Kachemak Crane Watch at 907-235-6262 or email report@ cranewatch.org.
Crane Species in Alaska: Only the Lesser Sandhill Crane subspecies is found in Alaska.
More Information:
For more information about Homer area Sandhill Cranes go to: www.cranewatch.org
For more information about all subspecies of Sandhill Cranes go to International Crane Foundation at: https://www.savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/.
Sources of Information:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Species Profile: Sandhill Crane. http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=sandhillcrane.main
All About Birds. 2017. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sandhill_Crane/
Bailey, E. and Faust, N. 2017. Lesser Sandhill Cranes, Annual Summary. Homer, Alaska, Summer 2017. http://cranewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Annual-Summary-2017.pdf
International Crane Foundation. Sandhill Crane. 2018. https://www.savingcranes.org/species-field-guide/sandhill-crane/
International Union for Conservation of Nature. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 15 March 2018.
Sibley, David Allen. 2003. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Andrew Stewart Publishing, Inc.
Todd, Frank S. 1994. 10,001 Titillating Tidbits of Avian Trivia. Ibis Publishing Company.
Yunker Happ, C. 2015. Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary: What Cranes Say with Their Body Language. Waterford Press.
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BIRD
Bird Rhythms – March 2018
Gary Lyon talks about Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Saw-whet Owls, and Great Horned Owls. For more information on the Downy Woodpecker, check out our “Bird of the Month” page.
Bird Rhythms oiginally aired on KBBI on March 17, 2018 as part of the Kachemak Science monthly program.
Downy Woodpecker – March Bird of the Month – 2018
Welcome to “Bird of the Month”. Each month we will be presenting a different bird species. We hope you enjoy it.
Downy Woodpecker
(Picoides pubescens)
The Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) is the smallest North American woodpecker, weighing in at around 1.0 ounce (yes, that’s right – ounce), and only 6.75 inches in length. In comparison, the Hairy Woodpecker, which is most often confused with the Downy Woodpecker, and can also be found in the Homer Area, weighs in at around 2.3 to 2.5 ounces, and measures 9.25 inches in length. The Hairy Woodpecker has a longer, sharper bill, and lacks the black spots on the white outer tail feathers that are found on the Downy.
The Downy Woodpecker can be found and enjoyed in every state. In Homer, you want to search for the Downy Woodpecker in forested areas – after all, woodpeckers like trees, but remember, don’t ignore the small branches on bushes for the Downy.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology – https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/maps-range
Bird Biology:
Characteristics: Both male and female of the species are black and white, however, the male is distinguished from the female with the presence of a red patch on the back of its head. Downy Woodpeckers pair-bond and are considered monogamous, however, during the non-breeding season, the pair may live alone.
Preferred Habitat: The habitat preferences of the Downy Woodpecker are less specialized than that of the Hairy Woodpecker. The Downy is generally found in open woodlands (especially deciduous trees – think Aspen and Birch – and brushy or weedy edges). They can also be frequently found in urban areas as a popular presence at a bird feeder or within city parks, backyards, and vacant wooded lots.
If you see a small black and white woodpecker on a low bush it is a Downy Woodpecker.
Breeding Season: The breeding season begins in early April in the southern United States and up to late May in the northern portion of its range – waiting for spring, just like us.
Nesting: Downy Woodpeckers are cavity nesters, utilizing a dead tree to excavate a cavity. The cavity is generally 8-12 inches deep and takes the pair 13-20 days to excavate.
Eggs and Incubation: Between 3-6 eggs are laid (although normally 4-5). Both pair will incubate the eggs, with the male assigned night duty. Incubation lasts around 12 days. The pair will typically fledge one brood per year.
Fledging: Both parents feed the young, with the young fledging within 20-22 days. Even following fledgling, the young depend upon their parents for up to three additional weeks for food.
Food Preferences: The Downy forages for insects, larva, and seeds. Have a Downy in your area and want a closer look, then put out a suet feeder and chances are a Downy will come to grace your feeder.
Feeding Methodology: The Downy feeds by an acrobatic ability to cling to tree trunks and branches, utilizing its specialized feet and tail feathers. The Downy can explore for insects along branches the size of twigs. Remember they only weigh an ounce.
The Downy works its way up a tree trunk in a series of rapid, jerky, stop-and-go movements. It can often be seen hanging upside down. The males tend to feed in the tops of trees on small diameter branches, while females feed midlevel or lower on large diameter branches.
Roosting: Downy Woodpeckers roost in tree cavities.
Migration: Downy Woodpeckers are permanent residents meaning they do not migrate, although there may be some movement in the winter with birds at higher elevations moving to lower elevations.
Want to see a Downy Woodpecker? Then you are in luck as the Downy Woodpecker can be found year-round in the Homer area.
Vocalizations:
Song: Sorry, no song. After all, Downy Woodpeckers are not Passerines, which are our songbirds. The Downy is a drummer.
Call: The call is a sharp “pik” sound. The call may vary in pitch and volume.
Drumming: While drumming is persistent, but there is a lag time of 10-15 seconds between drum sequences.
Even if the Downy doesn’t sing, who doesn’t get excited when hearing a woodpecker drumming and then anxiously looking for the source?
Fun Facts:
- The Downy Woodpecker got its name due to its soft, downy plumage. Its scientific species name “pubescens” means “having hair-like feathers or “with hair of puberty”.
- A group of woodpeckers is called a “descent” or “drumming”.
- Downy Woodpeckers can drill in dead trees or limbs as small as 4 inches around, so they can live in a far wider range of habitats than other woodpeckers, and thus are not dependent on larger trees.
Conservation Status: The ‘Good News’ – the Downy Woodpecker is considered a species of Least Concern. The Downy Woodpecker is doing well in Alaska and does not appear on Audubon Alaska’s 2017 Watch List.
Woodpecker Species in Alaska: Other Woodpecker species found in the Homer area include the Hairy Woodpecker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, and the Northern Flicker. The last three, are uncommon to rare in the Homer area, but you may have been one of the fortunate birders to have seen the Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers in the Homer area this past winter.
More Information: For more information about the Downy Woodpecker go to All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) at: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id/
Sources of Information:
All About Birds. 2017. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id/
Baicich, Paul J. and Harrison, Colin J.O. 1997. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds, 2nd Edition. Princeton Field Guides.
Dunne, Pete. 2006. Pete Dunne’s Essential Field Guide Companion: Comprehensive Resource for Identifying North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Mayntz, Melissa. 2017. Collective Nouns to Describe Bird Flocks. 2017. https://www.thespruce.com/flock-names-of-groups-of-birds-386827
National Audubon Society. Edited by Elphick, C., Dunning, Jr. J.B., and Sibley, D.A. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. 2001. Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
Sibley, David Allen. 2003. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Andrew Stewart Publishing Inc.
Todd, Frank S. 1994. 10,001 Titillating Tidbits of Avian Trivia. Ibis Publishing Company.
Warnock, N. 2017. The Alaska WatchList 2017. Audubon Alaska, Anchorage, AK 99501.
2017 Seabird Report Card
The Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge has prepared a “report card” on seabird breeding success in 2017:
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Additional observations were provided by John Piatt, Karl Stoltzfus, and Victoria Winne:
(From John Piatt, 10-17-17)
Preliminary results. The usual caveat applies: Results may change a little with more complete analysis.
1) USGS studied two colonies (Gull and Chisik/Duck islands) in Cook Inlet, and two species: Common Murre and Black-legged Kittiwake
2) Things started out looking better this summer. Counts of both species were up. Things started out looking better this summer, and more nests were initiated than last year (which was a total failure).
3) At Chisik Island, west side of Cook Inlet, kittiwakes abandoned nests early, and appeared to produce zero chicks. In contrast to last year, murres started off attending nests, and early on we saw at least 11 nests with eggs in one location. However, by mid-August all murres had abandoned breeding efforts, and appeared to produce zero chicks. This suggests much reduced food availability again in 2017.
4) At Gull Island, east side of Cook Inlet, things were somewhat better, but not back to normal. About 22% of kittiwake pairs produced a chick this year, compared to 1% in 2016, and 46% on average in the 1990s. We don’t have final estimate for murres yet, but many eggs and several chicks were observed this year, compared to few eggs (all predated by GWGU) and zero chicks last year. This suggests reduced food availability in 2017 but not as bad as in 2016.
5) At both colonies, the timing of breeding was quite a bit later than usual, and breeding was much less synchronized than usual. These are also indicators of changing and/or reduced food supplies.
From Karl Stolzfus (10-20-17)
I did see a fair number of chicks on both Gull Island and 60′ Rock. I am not sure how many made it into the water but I did count about 50 murres with a chick on one trip that I had to Bear Cove so at least some made it. I think it has been about 3 years since they had any sort of nesting success in Kachemak Bay and the first time in about 30 years that murres attempted to nest on 60′ Rock.
From Victoria Winne (10-18-17)
The birds seemed to do very well this year, with far less to almost no harassing by eagles, especially in mid-season. It was interesting to note a ‘new’ and dense grouping of murres on 60ft.
Most of the other species had left by the first week in September, with the murres remaining, still feeding their young – evident by the number still on the main murre rock, and birds with fish in their mouths.
Unfortunately, that is when our season pretty much finishes, with just sporadic visits to G.Island, and it was distressing to see eagles returning right about then. It is impossible to say whether the eagles managed to spook them off right at the end, thus exposing the almost fledged chicks to predation.
I did witness one lone eagle a few weeks earlier spooking all the kittiwakes, and watched in admiration as the murres tenaciously held their ground, so hold out hope that they managed to hold on.
2017 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Report
George Matz has completed a very comprehensive report of the 2017 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring effort.
The 2017 report and data can be viewed / downloaded below:
Report:
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2016 Christmas Bird Count Results
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
FINAL REPORT
Forty two volunteers participated in Homer’s annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count, five watching feeders in their own yard and the others out in the field. The weather was not too cooperative with icy walking, limited visibility for most of the day and resulting decreased available daylight hours, but many were expressing the same thought, “We’ve seen much worse!”
A total of 64 species were seen on the Count Day (Saturday, December 17). Highlights included a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW found at a feeder near Crittenden St., a BELTED KINGFISHER found in Beluga Slough near the culvert from the lake, and a single SANDERLING found among the ROCK SANDPIPERS on the Homer Spit. CHUKARS, a colorful gamebird related to a pheasant, were found at a residence out East End Rd, though possibly may not count as an official species due to their probable domestic escapee status.
Three additional species were seen during the Count Week (three days before and three days after Count Day): SNOW BUNTING, MERLIN, and GREAT-HORNED OWL.
There were 10,492 individual birds counted. Most numerous species were MALLARDS (3422), ROCK SANDPIPERS (1700), and COMMON GOLDENEYE (820). Only one COMMON MURRE was seen this year, compared to the die-off that was developing at this time last year when over 200 were counted. (In winter, murres are typically out at sea instead of here in the bay.)
For a complete report of species and numbers seen, check the Kachemak Bay Birders’ website, kachemakbaybirders.org.
A big thanks to all the volunteers who participated, to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge for letting us use their space for our meeting and potluck, the local Kachemak Bay Birders, and to Dave Erikson for coordinating yet another Christmas Bird Count. It was indeed a Great Day to Bird!
The CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT is the longest-running citizen science project in our nation, and in Homer it is always held on the first Saturday in the window (Dec. 14th to Jan. 5th). This year it will be December 17th in Homer.
The center of the 15-mile-diameter count circle is the intersection of Kachemak Drive and the Spit Rd. The circle extends east to Fritz Creek, south past the end of the Spit, west to the mouth of Diamond Creek and to the north where there are few roads. We do not go out in boats for our count.
Participants meet at 8:30 am at IOVC for coffee/tea/breakfast foods, get assigned to teams and areas, and then go out to count all the daylight hours. At 4:30 teams return and compile results and enjoy a warm potluck supper. Some participants also count what they see coming to their feeders/yard on the count day.
Each year on the Thursday before the count, Dave Erikson teaches a class on “Winter Bird Identification”. This class is valuable for new birders as well as being an excellent opportunity for more experienced birders to brush up on what birds are in Homer in the winter.
During the COUNT WEEK, which is three days before and three days after the CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT additional species are also noted.
Shorebird Festival Summary (5-12-17)
There were 131 species seen at the Festival this year. This list is on the Kachemak Bay Birders’ website http://kachemakbaybirders.org/.
If there are other species that you are sure were seen during the Festival, please let me know. I did not get many reports of raptors and woodpeckers and some others possibly seen.
A RED KNOT was seen at the end of the Spit by the Harbor and in Mud Bay on.
BAR-TAILED and MARBLED GODWITS were seen in several places on the Spit. (No Hudsonians were seen here during the Festival but were at the Kasilof River.)
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were seen on the 4th out East End Rd about 6 miles and then again at the Lighthouse Village Platform and in Beluga Slough the next day.
A KING EIDER pair was seen off “the bluff” west of Homer on the 4th. Great photographs posted.
A WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE was seen at the end of the FAA Rd. by the lower platform on the Lake on the 6th.
RING-NECKED DUCKS, GADWALL, and CANVASBACKS were seen in Beluga Lake.
A THAYER’S GULL was seen at the Lighthouse Village, Green Timbers and a few other places. Also an An ICELAND GULL was seen near Green Timbers on the 6th.
GREAT BLUE HERONS were seen on the 4th near Bishop’s Beach.
CASPIAN TERNS were seen on the 6th in Mud Bay.
An OSPREY was seen near Beluga Slough/Bishop’s Beach before the Festival and again on the 7th.
There was a report of BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEWS at Anchor Point on the 6th but attempts to refind them were unsuccessful.
Always nice during the Festival to have some swallows back, HERMIT THRUSH, ORANGE-CROWNED and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, terns, and TUFTED PUFFIN. And this year a hummingbird and a flycatcher, too! The Festival means many happy hours being out birding and enjoying the beauty and diversity of all those wonderful birds! It was a Great Festival to Bird (as our motto tells us)!
Post-Festival
Shorebirds still arriving since the Festival…
The following is an amazing report from Toby and Laura Burke:
“On Wednesday evening, May 10, between 5 and 6 PM, on the falling tide in the greater Mud Bay area of Homer we encountered the largest aggregation of shorebirds we’ve ever seen in 12 years of birding the Kenai Peninsula… During the previously 12 years the most shorebirds we had ever counted in the larger Mud Bay area approached 15,000. Wednesday evening from the intertidal mudflats from below the airport, across the east side of the Mud Bay spit, across the mouth of the inner Mud Bay, along the gravel bars working south, and toward Green Timbers – a distance of 1.4 miles – where we roughly stood nearest the center – we counted 150,000 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and 6,000 DUNLIN along this shoreline with peak numbers between 5:30 to 5:45 PM.”
View or download the complete festival species checklist:
2017 Shorebird Festival Reports
Homer/Kachemak Bay Festival Bird Report: 5-6-17
Our weather has held with only a few sprinkles this afternoon. Hopes for no rain tomorrow here in Homer or out on the Bay. Fantastic birds and birding in various places today. This report will just cover the new species seen on Saturday and a few species of note from previous reports.
Beluga Lake/FAA Rd. Platforms
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE—seen at the lower platform and then better at the cul-de-sac at the end of the FAA Rd. Also on Beluga Lake, a GADWALL was seen as well as the CANVASBACKS. (The RING-NECKED DUCK was not reported as seen today.)
Lighthouse Village Observation Platform
THAYER’S GULL was positively ID’d around noon and then it flew over to Mud Bay. Later at 2:00 a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD zoomed in, perched briefly on the chain railing and then left! Another humming bird or possibly the same one (?) was seen on the boardwalk along Beluga Slough later in the afternoon! (Previous report on Thursday was from about 6 miles out East End Rd.)
Important news about the SANDHILL CRANE pair that has been hanging around that area. On Friday the pair was just walking around, but this morning they were actively taking grass to a nest site and one sat on the nest nearly the whole time we were there for the Viewing Station (11:30-1:00). For a few days many people also enjoyed watching them “paint” themselves, putting the red, iron-colored mud on their feathers to make them more camouflaged.
Mud Bay
CASPIAN TERNS were seen and the MARBLED GODWITS seen again.
End of the Spit
A couple ROCK SANDPIPERS were seen on the Harbor Jetty. These are the first ones seen even in shorebird monitoring for many weeks. Many hundreds/thousands overwinter here but usually are all gone by Festival time.
Out on the Bay
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen on Hesketh Island.
Anchor Point
HORNED LARK—report was pretty certain; it was not a male in breeding plumage however. (I’ll put more information in the next report.)
Barren’s Island Trip
A RED-FACED CORMORANT and SOOTY SHEARWATER were seen. (I did not get a complete list from that trip, will include other species later.)
Kachemak Bay/Homer Festival Bird Report: 5-5-17 (Friday)
Another nice sunny day here in Homer! Many exciting new birds were found today: CANVASBACK and RING-NECKED DUCK in Beluga Lake this morning, TUFTED PUFFIN at Gull Island, and ALEUTIAN TERN at Green Timbers, and a THAYER’S GULL. The KING EIDER from yesterday was confirmed with a beautiful photo, checkout our website if you haven’t seen it. It was a Great Day to Bird!
King Eiders – photo by Max Schwenne
Has anyone seen a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER or an EURASIAN WIGEON? So far no reports of them during the Festival. Some reported a few days earlier…
Western Sandpiper/Dunlin/Least flock in Mud Bay was estimated to be ~4-5,000 today at 8:00 am; later estimate near noon was ~1500-2000.
Mud Bay
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, MARBLED GODWIT, BAR-TAILED GODWIT, WHIMBREL, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, BRANT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, NORTHERN PINTAIL, GREATER SCAUP, HORNED GREBE, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, MEW GULL, HERRING GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, SAVANNAH SPARROW, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, NORTHERN SHOVELER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
Lighthouse Village
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIDGEON, NORTHERN PINTAILS, MALLARDS, SANDHILL CRANES.
Green Timbers/Louie’s Lagoon (mid-spit)
LONG-TAILED DUCK, RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN SHOVELER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, COMMON REDPOLL, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER,WHIMBREL, SURFBIRDS, BLACK TURNSTONE, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, DOWITCHER (sp), BRANT, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, ARCTIC TERN, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW.
End of the Spit
HERRING GULL, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, RED-NECKED GREBE, PELAGIC CORMORANT, PEREGRINE FALCON, SURFBIRDS on Harbor Jetty with Turnstones, RUDDY TURNSTONES, BLACK TURNSTONES, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, WANDERING TATTLERS (in Harbor), SONG SPARROWS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, ROCK PIGEONS, NORTHWESTERN CROWS, BALD EAGLES,
Out on the Bay
TUFTED PUFFIN on Gull Island, SURFBIRDS, BLACK TURNSTONES, HORNED GREBE, SCOTERS (WHITE-WINGED, SURF, BLACK), RED-NECKED PHALLAROPE, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, COMMON MURRES, HARLEQUIN DUCKS, LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON LOON, PACIFIC LOONPELAGIC CORMORANT, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES.
Beluga Slough and trail down from Islands and Oceans
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, FOX SPARROW, AMERICAN ROBIN, AMERICAN WIGEON, NORTHERN PINTAIL, WESTERN SANDPIPER, NORTHERN SOVELER, BALD EAGLE, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, NORTHWESTERN CROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, SANDHILL CRANE.
Beluga Lake Lower Platform
TRUMPETER SWAN pair, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, CACKLING GEESE, CANADA GEESE, RED-NECKED GREBE, BUFFLEHEAD, MALLARD, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, RING-NECKED DUCK, CANVASBACK, NORTHERN SHOVELER, AMERICAN WIGEON, GREATER SCAUP, WILSON’S SNIPE, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE and LEAST SANDPIPER (both flying), MEW GULL, SANDHILL CRANE (heard) NORTHERN HARRIER, BALD EAGLE, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, BOREAL CHICKADEE, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, DARK-EYTED JUNCO, LINCOLN’S SPARROW, BROWN CREEPER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, COMMON RAVEN, GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
Calvin and Coyle Trail
BROWN CREEPER, PINE GROSSBEAK, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, AMERICAN ROBIN, VARIED THRUSH,.
Anchor River
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, NORTHERN SHOVELER, CACKLING GEESE, GREEN-WINGED TEAL,
HARLEQUIN DUCK, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, PACIFIC LOON, RED-NECKED GREBE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT,BALD EAGLE, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WHIMBREL, RUDDY TURNSTONE, DUNLIN, MARBLED MURRELET, NORTHWESTERN CROW, AMERICAN WIGEON, MALLARD, GREATER SCAUP, SURF SCOTER, COMMON LOON, PELAGIC CORMORANT, SANDHILL CRANE, PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, BLACK TURNSTONE, LEAST SANDPIPER, COMMON MURRE, PIGEON GUILLEMOT, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, MEW GULL, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, BELTED KINGFISHER, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, FOX SPARROW, SAVANNAH SPARROW.
Kachemak Bay/Homer Festival Bird Report: 5-4-17 (Newest in BOLD)
Nice sunny day and not even much breeze until noontime. Many good birds (of course they’re all good birds) and many happy birders at our Festival. Estimated Western Sandpiper/Dunlin flock in Mud Bay estimated to be ~1500 today.
Super fantastic Festival birds:
A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was reported out East End Rd., with photos!
GREAT BLUE HERON in town near Bishop’s Beach on Jenny Way.
Unconfirmed report of a KING EIDER seen from a boat off “The Bluff” west of town, but unconfirmed at this time.
Mud Bay
SURFBIRDS, MARBLED GODWIT, BAR-TAILED GODWIT, WHIMBREL, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, BRANT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER.
Lighthouse Village
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIDGEON, NORTHERN PINTAILS, MALLARDS.
Green Timbers/Louie’s Lagoon (mid-spit)
COMMON EIDER and KITTLITZ’S MURRELET (scoped to the west), RED-THROATED LOON, NORTHERN SHOVELER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, COMMON REDPOLL, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER,WHIMBREL, SURFBIRDS, BLACK TURNSTONE, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, DOWITCHER (sp), BRANT, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, ARCTIC TERN, AMERICAN PIPIT, SAVANNAH SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SONG SPARROW.
End of the Spit
PEREGRINE FALCON, SURFBIRDS (150 on Harbor Jetty with Turnstones), RUDDY TURNSTONES, BLACK TURNSTONES, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, WANDERING TATTLERS (in Harbor), SONG SPARROWS, SAVANNAH SPARROWS, ROCK PIGEONS, NORTHWESTERN CROWS.
Out on the Bay
SURFBIRDS (800), BLACK TURNSTONES, HORNED GREBE, SCOTERS (WHITE-WINGED, SURF, BLACK) RED-NECKED PHALLAROPE (200), PIGEON GUILLEMOT, COMMON MURRES (most in breeding plumage), HARLEQUIN DUCKS, LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON LOON, PELAGIC CORMORANT, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES.
Reports of 5-8 BALD EAGLES on Gull Island, another of 15 in the area!
Beluga Slough
BELTED KINGFISHER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS (sp.), GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, CACKLING GEESE, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, AMERICAN WIGEON, GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
Beluga Lake Platforms
TRUMPETER SWAN pair apparently nesting across the water, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS singing away, also PACIFIC WRENS, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS in the area. VARIED THRUSH, WILSON’S SNIPE.
(Coyote seen at noon across in the grassy area.)
Calvin and Coyle Trail
NORTHERN GOSHAWK, BROWN CREEPER, PINE GROSSBEAK, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET
Other parts of town…
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at Seaside Farms. RING-NECKED PHEASANT nearby.
Anchor River
SNOW GEESE (3), CACKLING GEESE, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BELTED KINGFISHER, DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WHIMBREL, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, RUDDY TURNSTONE, BLACK TURNSTONE, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, ARCTIC TERN, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival Bird Report: 5-3-17 9:00 pm—UPDATE
Pair of GREAT BLUE HERON in Beluga Slough (reported this evening).
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS at Seaside Farms (5 miles out East End Rd.).
Omitted earlier but seen on Wednesday: LAPLAND LONGSPUR (3) at Green Timbers.
Also don’t forget to report crane sightings and their nesting activities to reports@cranewatch.org or call 907-235-6262. Be sure to include your own contact information in case they need additional information.
Kachemak Bay/Homer Festival Bird Report: 5-3-17
A strong wind blew late yesterday and that was what it took to blow us in a super great group of species just in time for our Shorebird Festival which is starting! Fantastic to spot a BAR-TAILED GODWIT flying over Green Timbers this morning and find a MARBLED GODWIT in Mud Bay. Probable FOS: LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, WANDERING TATTLER, and OSPREY! George Matz will post an in-depth account of the shorebird monitoring this morning, but some of the highlights are below.
Mud Bay
WESTERN SANDPIPER (~1000), DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, MARBLED GODWIT, WHIMBREL, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, BONAPARTE’S GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL (im.), BRANT, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER.
Lighthouse Village
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS.
Green Timbers
BAR-TAILED GODWIT (flyover), LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, WHIMBREL, DUNLIN, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PEREGRINE FALCON, SAVANNAH SPARROW, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, ARCTIC TERN, RED-THROATED LOON (one group of 7; total 14 seen!).
Bar-tailed Godwit photo by Aaron Lang
Louie’s Lagoon
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, WHIMBREL, SURFBIRDS (~350), BLACK TURNSTONE, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, DUNLIN, DOWITCHER, BRANT.
End of the Spit
SURFBIRDS (~300 probably same group as in Louie’s), RUDDY TURNSTONES, BLACK TURNSTONES, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, WANDERING TATTLERS (in Harbor).
Beluga Slough
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, WESTERN SANDPIPERS, DUNLIN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, OSPREY, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, CACKLING GEESE, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS
Anchor River
DUNLIN, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, WHIMBREL, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, RUDDY TURNSTONE, BLACK TURNSTONE, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, ARCTIC TERN, VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.
Beluga Lake Platforms
TRUMPETER SWAN pair apparently nesting across the water, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and DARK-EYED JUNCOS singing away, also PACIFIC WRENS, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS in the area.
Out East End Rd
Over the weekend the following were seen: SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (~Mile 3), NORTHERN HARRIER (~Mile 5). Songbirds singing and building nests at Seaside Farms and elsewhere. GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS and FOX SPARROWS singing; SAVANNAH SPARROWS not singing yet.
In the past few weeks, groups of SANDHILL CRANES have been seen on the beach just east of Miller’s Landing, in the evening mid-tide. Often they don’t feed there until the fall but speculation that maybe there was less food up higher? A large group of 150 was seen out in the Fernwood Rd area, (~7 miles out).
2016 Shorebird Monitoring data
George Matz has prepared a spreadsheet containing the results of the 2016 shorebird monitoring project.