Best Day Ever: Birding in Nome, AK 🌊

June 25, 2023

My plane landed in Nome, Alaska mid-morning, but my colleagues weren’t scheduled to arrive until dinnertime. Of all places to have eight hours to kill, Nome is pretty high up on my list. I dropped off my bags, grabbed a field guide, and tore out of the house as fast as I could.

Nome is a quaint coastal town in Western Alaska abutting the Bering Sea. Every minute brought a change in weather, from glowing sun to relentless rain, sometimes both at the same time. I meandered along the beach for hours, rushing under the closest driftwood hut during rainy spells.

All there was to do during the bouts of rain was to take shelter and wait for the storm to pass. I felt peace in those quiet moments, like time stopped for a minute.

^{Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)}

Several of the first birds I saw were in flight. Two Parasitic Jaegers sliced through the air in what looked like the pursuit of an Arctic Tern’s catch. Later, I spotted a jaeger with a much longer tail— an aptly named Long-tailed Jaeger.

^{Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)}

The gulls, kittiwakes, and terns below are grouped in the same taxonomic family, Laridae. Although they’re related, differences in their body shape, beak shape, plumage, and size are notable.

^{Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus)}
^{Small, yellow bill; spotted primaries; yellow legs}

^{Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)}
^{Thick bill; light eye; pale back; white wingtips; pink legs; large-bodied}

^{Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)}
^{Solid black wingtips, legs; slender bill}

^{Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)}
^{Slender, angular wings; red bill; black cap; forked tail}

A Pacific Loon and Red-throated Loon, two species from the loon family Gaviidae, bobbed in the water between dives. The Red-throated Loon below was striking with his crimson neck patch and intricate striping.

^{Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata)}

Harlequin Ducks (photographed below) are the only species in their genus, Histrionicus, which stems from Latin roots meaning “actor” or “theatrical.”

^{Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus), Male}

Perching birds, or Passerines, were also in the mix. Common Redpolls sang from every direction and a scruffy White-crowned Sparrow sat still with his beak full of food.