We continued on the boat tour of upper Kachemak Bay and entered an isolated inlet where we saw three, Yellow-billed Loons. This is only the second time that I have seen Y B Loons. They are large birds, bigger even than Common Loons.
Harlequin Ducks rested along the rocky margins of the inlet.
The ducks were joined by a few Pigeon Guillemots.
In more open water we saw a number of Sea Otters. Plenty of other things that did not care to be photographed. It was a great boat tour and a great festival.
I got back home to Anchorage in time to enjoy good migratory bird action along the Coastal Trail. Black-bellied Plovers are not very common in Anchorage.
On the other hand, Greater Yellowlegs are abundant and confiding, especially early and late in the season.
Lesser Yellowlegs stay to breed and remain abundant throughout the Summer. Apparently their numbers are declining in many areas but you could not prove it by me.
Hudsonian Godwits are here as well. Always a welcome arrival.
Someone reported finding a nesting pair of Semi-palmated Plovers and gave precise directions of how to spot the nest by triangulating off of some small rocks on the mudflats. Can you see the nest?
Neither can I.
Even with the bird sitting on the nest, it is impossible to distinguish any semblance of a nest.
We also saw other not so common Anchorage shorebirds, Red Knot, Ruddy Turnstones, and Marbled Godwits. The usual crowd of shorebirds are here as well.
The Arctic Terns are also back, yippee! They survived another marathon journey from the bottom of the world to the top. Did you know that there are also, Antarctic Terns? They never come up here.
These birds always look so graceful, even when they strike an awkward pose.
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