Big Day (Bird Race)
08 September 1998
by Ed Burroughs
Big Day Statistics:
If nothing else, this count confirmed that the birds had migrated south. We expected a much higher species total, especially in Seward. We began in Eagle River but missed most of the birds we had seen at our feeders the day before; arrived in Anchorage at the coastal trail one hour before a 32.7 foot high tide to find absolutely no lingering shorebirds; then drove to Seward expecting some salt water birds, but could only muster a single Marbled Murrelet. In short, a long day of birding with minimal results.
Species list:
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Green-winged Teal
Mallard
Northern Shoveler
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Common Merganser
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Greater Yellowlegs
Mew Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Black-legged Kittiwake
Marbled Murrelet
Belted Kingfisher
Hairy Woodpecker
Three-toed Woodpecker
Gray Jay
Steller's Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Northern Shrike
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco