Bristle-thighed Curlew

An early start saw us driving 72 miles along the Kougarok Road towards Coffee Dome and the displaying grounds of Bristle-thighed Curlew. Along the way we stopped to watch a couple displaying Bluethroats, and watched them song-flighting high into the air before parachuting down to land in the dwarf willow scrub. We were also able to watch some close Willow Grouse beside the road, followed by Greater White-fronted Goose, Tundra Swans, and a pair of Pacific Divers on a picturesque lake. The scenery was again outstanding, with snow-capped mountains, tundra, rivers, lakes – all bathed in sunshine. Oh and a Moose was pretty cool too!

Moose

A picture postcard scene en-route to see the curlew...

We’d almost arrived when a Long-tailed Skua was spotted close to the road, so we jumped out and soaked up yet more awesome views of this wonderful bird.

Long-tailed Skua

On arrival at the required spot we donned wellington boots and walked up the hill in bright sunshine, getting detained by a calling American Golden Plover doing its distraction display. 

American Golden Plover

Once near the top we were lucky to firstly hear and then see a displaying Bristle-thighed Curlew. It took another hour but we eventually tracked one down feeding on the moorland and then watched it for a good 45 minutes. Just as we were about to leave another bird began displaying, which prompted the bird we were watching to soar into the sky, calling and circled a few times high above us before dropping down just over the brow of the hill. Wow!

Leaving here we drove back along the road, this time seeing Snowshoe Hair, Alaskan Hare and Arctic Ground Squirrel. More Bluethroats were seen, a Rough-legged Hawk was sat on a nest, Cliff Swallows were nesting under a bridge, and there was also Northern Harrier, American Tree Sparrow, Grey-cheeked Thrush, and a few Wilson’s Warblers.

Grey-cheeked Thrush is a common bird here

American Tree Sparrow

At a river bridge a flock of Red-necked Phalaropes were feeding below us, and we watched them sail along with the tide under the bridge before flying back under us and upstream a ways before drifting back under the bridge again – just like avian Pooh Sticks! 

Red-necked Phalarope

Wandering Tattler

A pair of Wandering Tattlers were also present here and one began feeding on a snow bank below us where the above photo was taken. And that was our day...