At 15:52 05/01/2006, Monroe Harden wrote:
Anyone here birded in the ANWR?  What did you see?

Monroe, et al.

I know this is mostly off-topic, so please don't reply on list; but I know 
of at least three MARYLAND birders that birded ANWR in June 2002 ... Paul 
O'Brien, my wife, and me. We went on five-day backback expeditions, taken 
in and out by three-passenger bush planes, primarily to find the 
Gray-headed Chickadee (formerly known as the Siberian Tit). My wife and I 
were on a first trip, Paul went in right after us.

Basically, the landscape was stunningly beautiful, hiking up and down the 
Canning River valley, surrounded by 2,000 foot mountains, and crossing the 
freezing ice-laden Canning River.

Besides the Gray-headed Chickadee, which we did find, here are our other 
sightings:

Smith's Longspurs (in breeding plumage)
Gyrfalcon
Long-tailed Jaeger
Gray Jay
Northern Shrike
Upland Sandpipers (displaying overhead above the tent all "night" long - it 
doesn't get dark!)
Wandering Tattlers (ditto)
Arctic Tern
Common Raven
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
American Pipit
Cliff Swallow
Bank Swallow
Red-necked Phalarope
Horned Lark
Golden Eagle
Mew Gull
American Tree Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
American Robin

We did not see an bears, but we did see Dall Sheep and plenty of other 
mammal tracks. It is a beautiful pristine place!

Phil


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Phil Davis      Davidsonville, Maryland     USA
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