Falcon Freeway by Christian Hagenlocher

Author:Christian Hagenlocher [Hagenlocher, Christian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby

A Long-tailed Jaeger wings over the Arctic tundra

From the road, the smooth arch of the hilltop appears lush and green, but every other step invites a twisted ankle, for the ground randomly disappears under the vegetation in a mosaic of potholes, puddles, and burrows.

The bright blue sky also contrasted many written accounts of Nome. It was an unusually clear day. Long, drawn-out rows of clouds sat over the distant mountains, existing only so I couldn’t say “there’s not a cloud in the sky.” After being fooled by a Whimbrel, we eventually located the Bristle-thighed Curlew among the open meadows. The birds nearly disappeared when perched on the ground, obscured by wildflowers and clumps of cotton grass.

Along the Seward Peninsula in Nome, rare birds were never far from my brain. Siberia wasn’t too far away, and this peninsula was always a good spot to be on the lookout for “overshoots”—birds that migrate farther than their intended destinations.

Semipalmated Plovers were common here, yet I had convinced myself I may have found a rarer Common Ringed Plover along the distance shoreline. A short burst of photos allowed me to send images of the potential rarity to John Puschock via Facebook when we returned to the hotel that night.

After reviewing my photos, John responded by telling me there wasn’t anything that suggested it wasn’t a Semipalmated Plover. Bummer. I spent time that evening going over photos and online field guides to be sure I knew what to look for if I ever did come across a Common Ringed Plover.

The next day we drove the second road from Nome, which crossed a variety of habitats en route to the village of Council. On the cliffs above the road, a female Rough-legged Hawk fed several downy chicks.

The road to Teller drops down a mountain where there’s often Musk Oxen browsing on the tundra vegetation, and winds down to parallel some lagoons on one side and an open bay on the other. I noticed a plover on the gravel beach running parallel to the road. We stopped and I got bins on the bird, which I immediately knew was a Common Ringed Plover. I studied the bird and all the field marks were there. I took photos and Jordan and I both got some killer views of the bird before an ATV driving along the beach flushed it, and the bird disappeared out over the water.

Teller is a must-visit spot for anyone visiting Nome. Many villagers here still rely on sustenance harvest of salmon, and during our visit, we saw crimson strips of salmon hanging out to dry on wooden racks. I’ve seen Red-throated Pipits here in the past, and there’s a pair of White Wagtails using a birdhouse in someone’s backyard.

The Red Knot is a champion migratory shorebird. Three subspecies occur in North America, all threatened by overfishing and climate change. I’d first learned about this imperiled shorebird when I read Moonbird by Phillip House. Phillip’s book documents the journey of “B95”—a banded Red Knot named for the vast distance he migrated within his lifetime—to the moon and halfway back.

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