Alaska

irroring recent trends, autumn 2004 was mostly as mild as the .. past five years' seasons, with only a few major storms that appeared to influence bird movements within the Region.It was a remarkable fall migration, even by Alaskan standards: of all accidental/casual species on the official Alaska checklist, this seasons tally of rarities included 13%•and some 31% of the total fall-season casual/accidental possibilities.(Taken as a whole, casual and accidental species comprise 37% of the Alaska checklist.)Shorebird concentrations, diversities, and late dates were notable mostly along the coastal fringe of the Region• southern half, while most passerines (with the usual exceptions because of mild conditions) appeared to exit the state on average dates or even a bit early A somewhat late freeze-up in the central Interior allowed for a host of very interesting and late datesbetween Fairbanks and the Canada border.The real news this season came from the Bering Sea, where lengthy surveys in the Pribilofs and at Gainbell, on St. Lawrence Island• northwestern tip, produced a wealth of data.At least four species were new to the Bering Sea this fall, with more than a dozen others either new in fall or previously recorded only once or twice.Coupled with similar informal surveys over the past 10 years, these data revise the status of many species heretofore considered casual or accidental (or unrecorded) in the Bering Sea sections of Alaska.Thanks to these efforts, we now have a portrait of fall bird migration and vagrancy across the Bering Sea that is very different from previous assumptions.In the Bering Sea, together with Alaskan geography and weather, mirror image/reverse migration may be playing a significant role in transporting a great diversity of migratory species from both continental landmasses.This years Bering Sea weather included significant easterly winds, either as "backends" of passing anticyclones or as a moderate flow between systems.So it is probably not just coincidental that this years set of Bering Sea rarities from the Nearcftc represented the strongest showing ever (Table 1).Abbreviations: A.B.O.(Alaska B.O.); North Gulf (North Gulf of Alaska).Referenced details (t), specimens (*), photographs (ph.), and videotape (vt.) are on file at the University of Alaska Museum.Italicized place names or dates denote especially unusual locations or dates for the noted species.LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL Given the mild season, which probably occasioned late coastal movements, loon concentrations and highlights were disappointing.Arctic Loons were, however, well represented, including a single at Adak I., where rare, 13 Sep (Bird Treks, ph.DF) and a rather high Alaska BEAUFORT SEA c"wc" Prudhoe•Bay • • •Kotzebue "• Wales• •.lto• g•"•'x Gam•11 • • '• % •.> • ff •agle St. Lawrence L •7'• ( ,.,,•' ,-1' ' ' orth•y ,St.•ul •ri,•a '• •, .A •akl• •.• • -•rg Amch[tka I. " •dak L season tally of 5 off Gainbell 16-28 Sep (PEL).More unusual was an aggregation of Arctics at a traditional staging site at Safety Sound near Nome 22 Aug-16 Sep, which peaked at 12 together 31 Aug (WINGS).Extremely rare offshore was a Common Loon at Gainbell 23 Sep (PEL), only the 2nd or 3rd for St. Lawrence I. The seasons running total of 132 Yellow-billed Loons from the Point at Gainbell 25 Aug-4 Oct (PEL, m.ob.) represented a new season high by a considerable margin for that locale.Always possible in the fall, single Pied-billed Grebes appeared at Juneau 24 Sep-20 Oct (]M, m.ob.) and Ketchikan 30 Oct (SCH).Unusual for the n.Bering Sea was a single Horned Grebe at Gainbell 23 Sep (PEL), a St. Lawrence I. first in fall.Near-record early arriving into the Alaska winter range was a Western Grebe in Ketchikan 5 Sep (AWP).Seabird reports were negligible, especially given the unseasonably warm sea-surface temperatures from the North Gulf.On the heels of the summer report from just slightly to the se., another Manx Shearwater was described 1 Sep from the Trans-Gulf ferry crossing off Cape Suckling (tSZ, MB, RJG).A single Brandt's Cormorant inshore near Ketchikan 26 Nov (SCH) provided a firm arrival record for the Regions only regular wintering area of this very rare local SE.breeder.An ad.Pelagic Cormorant was a bizarre find in the e.Beaufort Sea off Prudhoe Bay 743 Oct (RHD, AAS). 1 am unaware of any Pelagic Cormorant record e. of Barrow.Following the recent taxonomic changes, observers were diligent with Cackling Geese Thede Tobish 2510 Foraker Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99517 (tgt@alaska.net)reports, highlighted by an extremely late single (with Emperors) at Kodiak 21 Nov+ (RAM) and 3 at Ketchikan 12-14 Nov (AWP, ph.SCH), where also casual.Although small numbers of Brant can be expected late into the tall at coastal spots, singles at Barrow dunng freeze-up 2 Oct (RLS, RAM, WL, II), one of the North Slopek latest, and at Kodiak 21 Nov (RAM) were noteworthy.Information for Eurasian Wigeon across the species' range provided a complete profile of fall arrivals, all on the early side, including 4 at Gambel127 Aug (WINGS), one at St. Paul 1.6 Sep (St.Paul Island Tour), one at Attu 12 Sep (DWS, RAM), and one or 2 at Adak I. 15 Sep (Bird Ireks).A lone female Greenwinged Ieal at a freezing freshwater patch in Barrow 2 Oct (RLS, RAM, WL, TT) probably represented the North Slope's latest ever in fall.Green-wingeds are rare and local, mostly in the e.Beaufort Sea coastal plain, and most depart by the first week of Sep.Aythya highlights, including both concentrations and Mainland lingerers, were exceptional this year.Notables were a drake Redhead at Fairbanks 14 Oct (ph.LD); record-high Ring-necked Duck counts, with 115 scat-VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER 1 129 LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL Given the mild season, which probably occasioned late coastal movements, loon concentrations and highlights were disappointing.Arctic Loons were, however, well represented, including a single at Adak I., where rare, 13 Sep (Bird Treks, ph.DF) and a rather high Alaska BEAUFORT SEA c"wc" Prudhoe•Bay • • •Kotzebue "• Wales• •.lto• g•"•'x Gam•11 • • '• % •.> • ff •agle St. Lawrence L •7'• ( ,.,,•' ,-1' ' ' orth•y ,St.•ul •ri,•a '• •, .A •akl• •.• • -•rg Amch[tka I. " •dak L season tally of 5 off Gainbell 16-28 Sep (PEL).More unusual was an aggregation of Arctics at a traditional staging site at Safety Sound near Nome 22 Aug-16 Sep, which peaked at 12 together 31 Aug (WINGS).Extremely rare offshore was a Common Loon at Gainbell 23 Sep (PEL), only the 2nd or 3rd for St. Lawrence I. The seasons running total of 132 Yellow-billed Loons from the Point at Gainbell 25 Aug-4 Oct (PEL, m.ob.) represented a new season high by a considerable margin for that locale.Always possible in the fall, single Pied-billed Grebes appeared at Juneau 24 Sep-20 Oct (]M, m.ob.) and Ketchikan 30 Oct (SCH).Unusual for the n.Bering Sea was a single Horned Grebe at Gainbell 23 Sep (PEL), a St. Lawrence I. first in fall.Near-record early arriving into the Alaska winter range was a Western Grebe in Ketchikan 5 Sep (AWP).Seabird reports were negligible, especially given the unseasonably warm sea-surface temperatures from the North Gulf.On the heels of the summer report from just slightly to the se., another Manx Shearwater was described 1 Sep from the Trans-Gulf ferry crossing off Cape Suckling (tSZ, MB, RJG).A single Brandt's Cormorant inshore near Ketchikan 26 Nov (SCH) provided a firm arrival record for the Regions only regular wintering area of this very rare local SE.breeder.An ad.Pelagic Cormorant was a bizarre find 129

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