ABSTRACT: Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, is
located in the northern Bering Sea. Birders and ornithologists have visited
Gambell, primarily during the late spring, for many decades. Regular coverage
in fall, however—primarily between late August and early October—commenced only
in the early 1990s and has continued through the present, making this site one
of the most studied in western Alaska during the autumn season. Between 1992
and 2007, I spent a total of 379 days at Gambell between mid-August and early
October, studying the birdlife. Many additional autumn avian
records from there and elsewhere on St. Lawrence Island date back to the 1930s
and earlier. Through 2007, 194 species had been documented at Gambell
during the period August-November. This avifauna combines many regular species of western
Alaska, a seabird spectacle rivaled by few places in the world, the passage of
many migrant shorebirds and “trans-Beringian” passerines, and numerous vagrants
from both Asia and the North American mainland. The most intensive autumn
coverage began only in 1999, but since then this site has hosted five first North
American records—plus additional second and third sightings—as well as records
of a number of North American species previously unrecorded in the Bering Sea
region.
O O O
Gambell, Alaska, is a village of some 660 Siberian Yupik
people located at the northwest tip of St. Lawrence Island in the northern
Bering Sea (63.78° N, 171.74° W). It lies approximately 315 km (195 mi) west-southwest of Nome and
only some 74 km (46 mi) from the closest point on the Chukotskiy (also written
as Chukotsk, Chukchi, Chukotka, or Chukotski) Peninsula on the Russian
mainland. The village of Savoonga, located 62 km (40 mi) east of Gambell and
home to approximately 690 residents, is the only other permanent settlement on
this large, mostly volcanic island, which measures just slightly over 160 km
(100 mi) in length and 15-65 km (10-40 mi) in width, encompassing roughly 5200 km2 (2000 mi2).
This article summarizes what is known about the fall bird
migration at Gambell through 2007. Some 194 species have been recorded at this
season. Most data are from late August to early October, between 1992
(particularly since 1999) and 2007, inclusive. Additional important information
has been gathered since the late 1880s and from earlier in August and later in
October and November. This is the only site in the Bering Sea for which there
exists such a recent, extensive body of data for this season.
Located between northeastern Russia and western Alaska, St.
Lawrence Island is surrounded by the biologically rich, shallow waters of the
continental shelf. Despite its great distance from shelf-edge habitat, this
inner shelf area from St. Lawrence Island to the Bering Strait supports a
surprisingly large number (ca. five million) of nesting seabirds, including
both planktivores and piscivores. This high abundance is partly explained by
the presence of the Anadyr “Green Belt,” a current that advects nutrients and
plankton northward over 1200 km from the outer Bering Sea shelf-edge to the
central Chukchi Sea, and which is further enhanced by local turbulent upwelling
(Piatt and Springer 2003).
St.
Lawrence Island was part of the Bering Land Bridge that connected Eurasia with
North America during parts of the Pleistocene, until approximately 10,000 years
ago. Partly because of the proximity of both continents and of the geologically
recent connection between the two, the island hosts a flora and fauna with both
palearctic and nearctic—as well as holarctic—components
(Fay and Cade 1959, Sealy et al. 1971). Fay and Cade (1959) noted a fourth
faunal element, known as Beringian or “Aleutican,” to emphasize the
distinctiveness of the avifauna of the Bering Sea region.
Three
principal areas of low mountains reach elevations of just over 600 m. The only
mountain near Gambell, Sevuokuk Mountain, lies immediately east of the village
and reaches an elevation of 187 m (614 ft). It and other highland areas above
60 m are characterized by lichen-covered volcanic rock and patches of low
tundra vegetation. The lower slopes and lowlands are typically covered in moist
tundra. Numerous ponds, lakes, and small rivers occupy approximately one-third
of the surface area of the island and are productive nesting areas for
waterfowl and shorebirds (Fay and Cade 1959). Several large coastal lagoons,
particularly those running along the south side of the island (e.g., Koozata
Lagoon), are rich environments of varying salinity that support large numbers
of breeding and migrant waterbirds. Rocky sea-cliffs are home to immense
numbers of nesting seabirds. Gambell village is located on a gravel bar at the
island’s Northwest Cape.
The climate at St. Lawrence Island is arctic maritime,
with temperatures strongly moderated by the waters of the Bering Sea, at least
when pack ice is absent. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 13° C (maximum ca. 18° C), whereas those in winter may fall to -23°C or below (minimum ca. -34°C). Moderate and strong winds blow regularly. Ocean
temperatures remain between 0° and 3° C throughout the year. In late August and early September, daytime
temperatures are typically 6-10° C, whereas by late
September they usually remain between 1° and 4° C. Some interior sections of St. Lawrence Island, as well as stretches
of protected coastline, are often warmer in the summer and colder in the winter
than Gambell. The growing season stretches from approximately early June
through late August (Fay and Cade 1959). Annual precipitation averages about 38
cm. Most rain falls during July and August. Late September often brings the
first snowfall to the mountains of the island and the nearby Chukotskiy
Peninsula. But cycles of freezing/snowing and thawing/melting are typical
through much of November, after which snow is on the ground until spring. Total
annual snowfall on the island may range from 75 to 480 cm (Fay and Cade 1959),
averaging about 200 cm, and with much blowing and drifting. Pack ice does not
form until December or January. The dominant wind direction in summer is from
the south and southwest, often accompanied by fog and rain, whereas that in winter
is predominantly from the northeast and is stronger. Thus the autumn brings a
transition period in which some years southwesterly
winds dominate (at least through September), while during other years northerly
or northeasterly winds last for many days in a row. This variation in wind
direction is probably an important factor in determining the species
composition and abundance of birds seen from year to year.
Vegetation on St. Lawrence Island is characteristic of
the circumpolar tundra biome, the most homogeneous major terrestrial biotic
community in the world (Fay and Cade 1959). There are few shrubs, and the only
ones that might be termed “arborescent” are found in a few small, protected
interior locations. Most shrubby plants are prostrate, the result of the
persistent winds, thin soils, and relatively low summer temperatures. This lack
of taller woody vegetation is a major distinction between the island habitats
and those on the adjacent mainlands, such as the Seward Peninsula. In the area
around Gambell, some of the ground is covered by very low tundra vegetation
made up of forbs, grasses and sedges, mosses, and lichens, especially on the
lower slopes of Sevuokuk Mountain. Much of the village itself is characterized
by bare or sparsely vegetated gravel. The beaches are composed of gravel and
are relatively sterile. A few small marshy areas and seasonal puddles may
attract shorebirds and a few waterfowl. A large lake—Troutman Lake—is found
immediately south of the village. Most of its shores are relatively sterile
gravel, and the lake itself supports only a few waterfowl, many roosting and
bathing gulls, and good numbers of loafing Horned Puffins (Fratercula
corniculata), which nest on the cliffs of adjacent Sevuokuk Mountain.
Bordering the village are three major midden sites (known
collectively as “the boneyards”). Several other areas of disturbed ground are
found, including in the “Old Town” (western) section of the village (also
referred to as “the boatyard”) and in an excavated area below Troutman Lake
(sometimes referred to as “the revetments”). These areas are characterized by
relatively lush vegetation dominated by Northern or Tall Wormwood (Artemisia
tilesii) and Arctic Sage or Wormwood (A. arctica), which by
late summer grow to a maximum height of slightly more than a half meter. The
rich soil and vegetative growth—combined with the vertical relief and protection from wind provided by the digging pits—are a
magnet for passerines in autumn. The list of regularly occurring avian species
found here includes a number with primarily Old World distributions that also
nest on mainland Alaska—a few in small numbers on St. Lawrence Island as
well—but which then return west in late summer and early fall to winter in southeast
Asia or Africa. These “trans-Beringian” species include Arctic Warbler (Phylloscopus
borealis), Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe
oenanthe), Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla tschutschensis),
White Wagtail (M. alba), and Red-throated Pipit
(Anthus cervinus). Another trans-Beringian migrant, the Gray-cheeked
Thrush (Catharus minimus), has nesting populations in northeastern Russia
that in fall head east, back into North America. The boneyards are also
attractive to most of the vagrant landbirds from both Asia and mainland North
America. Two of the three boneyards are located near the base of Sevuokuk
Mountain, which can act as a barrier to some landbirds that might otherwise
continue moving farther east. Other migrants probably arrive elsewhere on the
island and work their way to the northwest tip at Gambell. Many “newly arrived”
passerines are not discovered until the afternoon or early evening.
Continuous human occupation of the Gambell area dates
back approximately 2000 years. Midden deposits from at least the past two
centuries have revealed some important records involving bird bones (e.g., see
Friedmann 1932, Murie 1936). The
discovery of St. Lawrence Island by Europeans is credited to the Danish
explorer Vitus Bering in August 1728, but the island remained little explored
until the late nineteenth century. Several mostly Russian expeditions that
briefly visited the island or its surrounding waters between 1779 and 1881
collected a number of avian specimens and made casual mention of some of the
birds encountered (Portenko 1981). The first detailed ornithological and
natural-history notes on the island were taken by Edward W. Nelson in 1881.
Additional brief visits by investigators followed, including those of W. S.
Brooks and J. S. Dixon in 1913 and R. W. Hendee and A. M. Bailey in 1921.
Friedmann (1932) was the first to summarize the bird records (through 1930).
Lengthier studies were conducted by Otto W. Geist from 1926 to 1935, Henry B.
Collins, Jr., from 1928 to 1930, Grenold Collins in 1937, and Robert L. Rausch
and Everett L. Schiller between 1949 and 1959. Francis H. Fay carried out
fieldwork for a total of 19 months between 1952 and 1957 at a variety of sites
around the island. This information, combined with that accumulated by Tom J.
Cade and George O. Schumann in 1950, was summarized by Fay and Cade (1959).
Most of that work took place during the late spring and summer months, with
little investigation during the autumn. E. G. F. Sauer and E. K. Urban studied
birds along the west side of the island in 1960. Extensive fieldwork was
carried out by Fay, Spencer G. Sealy, and Jean H. Bédard between 1958 and 1969,
which was summarized by Sealy et al. (1971). Again, most of this work was
carried out between the late spring and late summer, with only brief,
intermittent coverage at other seasons. A detailed treatise by Leonid A.
Portenko on the avifauna of the nearby Chukotskiy Peninsula in Russia, and
which also mentions some records from St. Lawrence Island, was published in
1972/1973 (English translation in 1981/1989); however, most of the data from
the Chukotskiy used in this study were recorded in the 1930s. The detailed work
of Brina Kessel (1989) covers the avifauna of the Seward Peninsula on the
adjacent Alaska mainland. It contains valuable information on the seasonal
status of many waterbirds in the Bering Sea.
Several local Gambell residents stand out in their
supplying a number of important bird specimens and providing valuable
information to researchers visiting between the late 1920s and 1970s; they
include Jimmie Otiyohok, Paul Silook, and Vernon K. Slwooko Sr.
Birders have visited Gambell regularly during the late
spring (late May through early June) since the mid-1970s. Drawn by the many
western Alaska species, seabirds, and the regular strays from Asia, the numbers
of observers at this season have increased, many visiting the village area for
approximately a week as participants on scheduled birding tours. Extensive data
now exist on the spring migration at Gambell, although the period from mid- to
late June has been largely ignored.
Following the fieldwork summarized by Sealy et al.
(1971), the next fall visit was that by Philip D. Martin for a week in early
September 1975. It was almost 15 years later that more regular early-autumn
exploration at Gambell commenced, when in early September 1989 M. E. “Pete”
Isleib and David W. Sonneborn paid a brief visit. After this, trips of up to a
week’s duration were typical in the early fall, beginning with a tour I led for
Wings in late August 1992. Bird photographer Don Cunningham visited Gambell
between early August and early October in seven years between 1993 and 2003 and
documented a number of notable records. In 1997, I again led a tour there
during late August. These week-to-ten-day-long tours have continued annually
through 2007, with two tours there in 2003; none has started earlier than 20
August. In 1998, I remained at Gambell after the tour concluded, through 8
September. In 1999, I stayed a total of 45 days, until 3 October. Gary
Rosenberg and others filled in for me after the tour in 2000, remaining until
15 September. I returned for extended stays in subsequent years, from 23 August
through 1 October 2001, from 23 August until 2 October 2002, from 21 August to
8 October 2003, from 14 August until 4 October 2004, from 30 August until 29
September 2005, from 11 August to 1 October 2006, and from 19 August to 3
October 2007. As of the end of that visit, I had spent a total of 379 days in
autumn at Gambell since 1992.
Birders visiting in spring and fall
since the 1970s have restricted their activities largely to within several
miles of Gambell, with almost no exploration of other areas on St. Lawrence
Island. The island is privately owned by Sivuqaq, Inc., and Savoonga
Native Corporation. Visitors to Gambell must purchase a “land-crossing permit”
upon arrival, which gives them access to areas within several miles of the
village. Additional permits, special permission, and the hiring of guides are
needed for forays farther away from town. For additional logistical and
bird-finding information, see West (2002).
Most of the recent autumn coverage—including my own—has
involved daily seawatching for approximately two hours after dawn and one or
more hours later in the day, multiple visits through the day to each of the
boneyards and “Old Town,” searches of the lower slopes of Sevuokuk Mountain,
and periodic trips along the base of the mountain to the pools, wetlands,
“revetments,” and first rocky headland south of Troutman Lake (almost daily
early in the season, less often later in the period).
The accounts that follow treat the fall status and
abundance of 194 species of birds recorded at Gambell, Alaska, from August to November,
through 2007. “Gambell” is defined in this paper as that area which can be
visited with a standard land-crossing permit: from the tip of Northwest Cape (“the
point”) east to the slopes of Sevuokuk Mountain and south to the first major
coastal headland (Ooynik Point), approximately 8 km south of the village.
Additional information is given for July transients and winter visitors to
provide a better perspective of status. Data on the spring season (through 2007),
breeding status, and records from elsewhere on St. Lawrence Island are given for
many species for which that information helps illuminate fall patterns. Last, also
included—in brackets—are a number of additional species for which there are no
definite fall records at Gambell but have been documented or otherwise reported
elsewhere on the island at this season.
The following terms designating abundance have been kept
flexible so that they more accurately portray relative abundance by species:
Abundant: Always encountered
in very large numbers (at least several hundred per day).
Common: Always or almost
always encountered daily, usually in moderate to large numbers.
Fairly common: Usually
encountered daily, generally not in large numbers.
Uncommon: Occurs in small
numbers and may be missed on a substantial number of days.
Rare: Occurs (or probably
occurs) annually in very small numbers.
Very rare: Averages about one
record annually, but not necessarily recorded every year.
Casual: One or a few records,
but thought to be a likely candidate to occur again within a few years.
Accidental: One record, and future records thought to be unlikely for many
years.
Abbreviations
for one oft-cited journal are as follows: AB, American Birds (through
1993); FN, (National Audubon Society) Field Notes (through
1997); NAB, North American Birds (since 1998). Other
abbreviations used: ph., photograph(s) or videotape; SLI, St. Lawrence Island; “the
point,” the tip of Northwest Cape, Gambell; UAM, University of Alaska Museum,
Fairbanks; WB, Western Birds.
The photographs and videotape noted in the accounts, as
well as copies of written details for most of the rarer species, are on deposit
at UAM. All records involving first Alaska occurrences have been accepted by
the Alaska Checklist Committee.
TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE Anser
serrirostris. Accidental.
One flew by the point 7 Sep 2002, the first fall record for Alaska (NAB
57:102). Both A. serrirostris and A. fabilis (Taiga Bean Goose) have been
collected in Alaska (Gibson and Kessel 1997). The recent split of these two
species has resulted in some level of uncertainty as to their relative status
in the state. Tundra Bean Geese breed northeast to the Gulf of Anadyr and the
base of the Chukotskiy Peninsula (Portenko 1981) and one was collected at
Gambell 8 May 1952 (Fay and Cade 1959). Taiga Bean Geese have occurred in the
Aleutian and Pribilof islands.
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Anser
albifrons. Casual
migrant. The only definite fall records for Gambell are of an injured
bird from summer that remained through 23 Aug 2006 (ph. UAM) and a flock of 10
on 13 Sep 2007. Another bird was seen an unknown number of miles south of the
village on 8 Sep 1975 and up to 30 were at Kitnik, near Savoonga, 24–25 Aug
2004 (L. Sheffield in litt.). Local hunters report that small numbers occur
irregularly in autumn in the large flocks of migrant Snow Geese that congregate
on the east side of the island. This species is a rare spring migrant.
EMPEROR GOOSE Chen canagica. Uncommon migrant at Gambell,
but locally common elsewhere on the island. Large numbers migrate past
SLI, with the primary wave typically moving immediately after the passage of a
cold front and/or a wind shift to the north during late August. Under such
conditions, hundreds may pass Gambell in one or two days. For example, 265
birds flew by on the morning of 26 Aug 2001, and 650 passed on 26 Aug 2003.
Many flocks of hundreds of birds stay clear of the village area and arrive
farther east and south on the island (e.g., 300+ on 31 Aug 2002 near Savoonga),
where they linger for extended periods at scattered coastal lagoons and along
rocky shores. Over 100 birds were near Savoonga already between 9 and 26 Aug
2004 (L. Sheffield in litt.). After early September only a few small flocks and
single individuals were seen at Gambell, and the species was typically noted
there on only a handful of days during a season. Friedmann (1932) cited a
specimen collected at Gambell 2 Oct 1930. Fay (1961) noted that local residents
talked of birds gathering on SLI near Southeast Cape, with some persisting
until early October and a few individuals having remained even until December.
This species is uncommon at Gambell in spring. Friedmann (1932) and Fay and
Cade (1959) stated that Emperor Geese breed on the island but that much larger
numbers of nonbreeders and molting birds are to be found along the south coast
beginning in midsummer, with >10,000 having been counted there (Portenko
1981). Many of the latter birds probably perform a mid-summer molt-migration to
SLI from breeding grounds at the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta (Jones 1972). Local residents
have reported, however, that the increased use of all-terrain vehicles has
resulted in much more human visitation to the southern and eastern sections of
the island, increasing disturbance and reducing the numbers of molting geese
present.
SNOW GOOSE Chen caerulescens. Uncommon migrant at
Gambell, but locally common elsewhere on SLI. These Russian-breeding
Snow Geese nest primarily on Wrangel Island and depart that area beginning in
late August and early September, earlier if the weather turns cold or no young
are raised (Portenko 1981). A flock of 24 arrived west of Savoonga 23 Aug 2004
(L. Sheffield in litt.). The species is numerous on SLI during September and
early October, and many local residents travel to the southern and eastern
parts of the island to hunt them. Thousands of birds are reportedly present. At
Gambell, however, this species passes by sporadically (perhaps more often at
night, when flocks are sometimes heard overhead), probably the result of local
hunting pressure. Small- to medium-sized flocks were seen there between 26 Aug (2001)
and 29 Sep (2003). Most season totals were of up to 200 birds, but 600 were
counted in 2003, of which 585 passed from 26–29 Sep. This species is rare in
spring.
BRANT Branta bernicla. Like the Emperor and Snow Geese, this species
is an uncommon migrant at Gambell, but it is locally fairly common to common
elsewhere on SLI. All records refer to the “Black” Brant (B. b. nigricans).
Small- to medium-sized flocks and single birds pass by the point sporadically
between late August (earliest record: five birds on 21 Aug 2006; also 12 birds
at Savoonga 21 Aug 2004 [L. Sheffield in litt.]) and late September (latest
record: 25 birds on 30 Sep 2003). Only two birds were seen in autumn 1999, and
14 during 2004, but 120–130 were seen in both 200l and 2002, and 186 were
counted in 2003. Portenko (1981) cited 1 Oct (1933) as the latest date for the
Chukotskiy Peninsula. This species is uncommon at Gambell in spring. Fay and
Cade (1959) stated that a few nest on SLI; Sealy et al. (1971) noted the Brant
as “scarce” in summer, with rare concentrations of molting birds.
[CACKLING GOOSE Branta hutchinsii. Local hunters report very small numbers among
the large Snow Goose flocks that congregate during fall farther east on the
island. A few were reported taken on the island sometime between Nov 1995 and
Oct 1996 (Kawerak and ADFG 1997). None have been recorded with certainty in
autumn at Gambell, however, where there are a number of spring sightings (Fay
and Cade 1959, Sealy et al. 1971, J. L. Dunn in litt.). The subspecies breeding
along the western coast of mainland Alaska are B.
h. minima (Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta region; Gibson and Kessel 1997) and B.
h. taverneri (from the Seward Peninsula northward), although there
is a slim chance that the Lesser Canada Goose (B. canadensis parvipes)
from central Alaska might occur as well. Friedmann (1934) assigned bones from
middens on SLI to minima, though taverneri was not described
until 1951.]
[TUNDRA SWAN Cygnus columbianus. There are no known fall records at Gambell,
although a single immature was shot an unknown number of miles south of the
village in late Sep or early Oct 2003 (ph. UAM), and a small number was
reported taken on SLI sometime between Nov 1995 and Oct 1996 (Kawerak and ADFG
1997). The species is rare but regular at Gambell in spring. It nested
regularly on SLI between 1899 and the 1930s (Friedmann 1932, Portenko 1981).
Fay and Cade (1959) listed a number of nesting records scattered about the
island through 1957, Fay (1961) noted several pairs on the western part of the
island, and a number of pairs were seen during summer 2004 (L. Sheffield in
litt.). All reports are assumed to involve the nominate
North American subspecies, the “Whistling” Swan, which also breeds on the
Chukotskiy Peninsula (AOU 1998). “Bewick’s” Swan (C. c. bewickii) has
been seen in the latter region as well, however (Karhu 2004).]
EURASIAN WIGEON Anas penelope. Rare migrant.
Records are primarily of single individuals and small flocks passing the point,
with a few birds seen at local ponds as well. Since 1999 there have been 19
fall records involving 83 individuals, between 27 Aug (2004) and 26 Sep (2004);
the largest single flock was of 11 on 18 Sep 2003. This species is also a rare
but regular spring migrant. It breeds northeast to the Anadyr River basin
(Vaurie 1965).
AMERICAN WIGEON
Anas americana. Casual visitor. One
was with several Eurasian Wigeon on 8 Sep 2006. This species is casual in
spring. It is common on the adjacent Alaska mainland (Kessel 1989).
MALLARD Anas platyrhynchos. Casual visitor. The
only definite fall records are of three individuals 14 Sep 2000 (G. Rosenberg in
litt.) and one on 22 Aug 2006. The species is also casual in spring (NAB
60:420). A small number of birds were reportedly harvested by residents
somewhere on SLI sometime between Nov 1995 and Oct 1996 (Kawerak and ADFG
1997).
NORTHERN SHOVELER Anas clypeata. Casual visitor. The
only fall records are of three on 25 Aug 1992 and singles on 27 Aug 1998 and 11
Sep 2007. The species is a very rare spring visitor (NAB 60:420).
NORTHERN PINTAIL Anas acuta. Uncommon to fairly common
migrant. Annual totals varied between 90 and 150 birds, with most seen
between mid-August and mid-September. The high count was of 59 individuals on 30
Aug 2007. The latest record is on 2 Oct 2003. This species is fairly common in
spring and it nests on SLI, including at Gambell in at least 1953 (Fay and Cade
1959).
GREEN-WINGED TEAL Anas
crecca. Rare
migrant. At least a few individuals were seen most years, with records
between 23 Aug (2002) and 24 Sep (2007), and with a maximum total of 15 birds
in 2003. Because all the birds are in eclipse, female, or immature plumage,
their subspecific identity at this season is uncertain; both the American (A.
c. carolinensis) and Eurasian (A. c. crecca) Green-winged Teal occur
on SLI (Winker et al. 2002), as do intergrades (J. L. Dunn in litt.); they are
uncommon spring migrants at Gambell, with the two subspecies occurring in
roughly equal numbers.
GREATER SCAUP Aythya marila. Casual visitor. The
only fall records are of one from 16 Aug–3 Oct 2004 (ph. UAM) and one on 26 Sep
2005. A specimen was taken west of Savoonga 28 Oct 1935 (Murie 1936). This
species is rare to uncommon in spring.
LESSER SCAUP Aythya affinis. Accidental. Two
birds on Troutman Lake 4 Sep 2005 (ph. NAB 60:120, UAM) represent the first or
second record for SLI and the offshore northern Bering Sea. This species nests
west to central Alaska and is a very rare visitor on the Seward Peninsula
(Kessel 1989).
STELLER’S EIDER Polysticta stelleri. Uncommon migrant and
visitor. Single birds and small flocks pass by the point irregularly
throughout the fall. Numbers in late August typically surpass those of September.
The species may occur in small numbers for several days in a row, but then a
week or more may pass until the next sighting. The highest one-day total was of
54 birds, including a flock of 32, on 22 Aug 1999. Most seasonal totals ranged
from 44 to 104 individuals, but only 6 birds were seen in 2004 and 7 in 2006. Numbers
in spring have declined recently in comparison to those in the 1980s and early
1990s (J. L. Dunn in litt.). Good numbers of eiders are known to molt in late
summer along the south shore of SLI, although it is not known how many of these
are Steller’s. This species has been found breeding on the island on several
occasions, as late as 1954 (Friedmann 1932, Fay and Cade 1959). More recently,
Quakenbush et al. (2002) reported no nesting records on SLI since then and that
the species was never more than a sporadic breeder. Late dates are of three
shot along the island’s south shore on 6 Nov 1964 (Kessel 1989) and a specimen
taken on SLI 7 Nov 1935 (Murie 1936).
SPECTACLED EIDER Somateria fischeri. Uncommon visitor and migrant in early fall,
becoming somewhat more numerous by late September; said to be common later in
October and/or November. Most birds are seen from the point, but a few are
found on local lakes. A small number of nests have been found on SLI (Fay and
Cade 1959; USF&WS 2003, unpubl. data). Numbers are reported to linger along
the south side of the island in late summer and early autumn during molt; a
flock of 500–1000 molting males was reported there on 18 Sep 1980 (Kessel 1989).
Typically, a few individuals are seen at Gambell on only a handful of days
between late August and mid-September; sightings increase in frequency
thereafter. The highest count in early autumn was of 14 on 7 Sep 2002; in
mid-autumn it was of 20 individuals on 4 Oct 2003. Local residents reported
that many hundreds or even thousands of birds pass Gambell and SLI during the
late autumn, usually between mid-October and early November; Portenko (1981),
however, cited 23 Oct (1933) as the latest date for the Chukotskiy Peninsula. A
large percent of the species’ overall population has been found recently wintering
in openings in the pack ice in the Bering Sea south of SLI (Petersen et al.
1999).
KING EIDER Somateria spectabilis. Common migrant and visitor.
This is the most numerous eider at Gambell in both
fall and spring, with most autumn totals ranging from 350 to 600+ and with
ca.1800 in 2003. Maximum one-day counts are 150 on 26 Sep 2001 and 190 on 24
Aug 2003. Some 200 were near Savoonga 11 Aug 2003 and 190 were there during Aug
2004 (L. Sheffield in litt.). Eight specimens were taken on the island in
autumn 1935 through at least 6 Nov (Murie 1936). Portenko (1981) stated that,
depending on ice conditions, this species may winter in good numbers north to
the Diomedes and that it winters in small numbers along the south shore of the
Chukotskiy Peninsula, such as at the Sireniki polynya (Konyukhov et al. 1998).
COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima. Uncommon migrant and
visitor in early fall, becoming fairly common later in the period. Daily
counts between mid-August and early September are usually of fewer than five
birds, and the species is not seen at all on many days. Up to 15 were along the
coast near Savoonga 7–24 Aug 2004. By mid- or late September, it is of daily
occurrence at Gambell, with up to 45–60 per day, and up to 100 per day in early
October. The maximum one-day count was of 170 on 29 Sep 2004. Six hundred birds
were counted in 2003. This species breeds on SLI (Fay and Cade 1959), with an
estimate of 350 birds in 1996 and 1997 (USF&WS 2003, unpubl. data). Numbers
are reported to spend the late summer and early autumn, during molt, along the
south side of the island. Late fall and early winter departure dates are
unknown, but specimens from SLI were taken 28 Oct and 7 Nov 1935 (Murie 1936)
and at Kitnagak Bay, ca. 12 km west of Northeast Cape on 6 Nov 1964 (Thompson
1967). Kessel (1989) stated that ice conditions determine the species’
departure dates from the Seward Peninsula and that it overwinters rarely as
well. Konyukhov et al. (1998) noted that this species wintered at the Sireniki
polynya along the south shore of the Chukotskiy Peninsula. The subspecies occurring
regularly in Alaska is S. m. v-nigrum (Gibson and Kessel 1997).
HARLEQUIN DUCK Histrionicus histrionicus. Common visitor. This
species was seen daily passing the point and, especially, feeding and loafing
off the rocky headlands to the south (e.g., Ooynik Point). Fay and Cade (1959)
noted that SLI is a major molting site, particularly for males. Many of the
birds passing Gambell are apparently making local feeding forays, so obtaining
a seasonal total was virtually impossible. Most counts ranged up to 150 per day,
with high counts of up to 250 per day, and 300 seen on 2 Sep 1998 (mostly at
headlands south of the village). Departure dates in late fall are unknown;
specimens were taken on 12 and 19 Oct 1936, and there is an anecdotal winter report
of a live bird found sitting on lake ice after being wounded by a Gyrfalcon
(Murie 1936).
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER Melanitta
fusca. Rare
migrant. Five or six were reported near Gambell 2–3 Aug 1946 (Fay and
Cade 1959). More recently, a total of 88 individuals was counted from the point
from 1998 through 2007, including a flock of 21 on 3 Oct and another of 13 on 4
Oct 2004; dates range from 26 Aug (1998 and 2003) to 4–7 Oct (2003). The
subspecies involved—American deglandi or Asian stejnegeri—was
not determined for most birds, although several adult males showed extensive,
contrasting brownish flanks and lower vent, characters of deglandi. This
species is an uncommon spring migrant. M. f. stejnegeri—which
breeds northeast to the northern Anadyr River basin (Vaurie 1965)—has been photographed
in Alaska at Nome 30 May 2001 and at Gambell 2–4 Jun 2002 (Garner et al. 2004),
and there is a sight record at Gambell on 10 Jun 2005 (NAB 59:640; incorrectly
noted as off Gambell’s “Northeast Pt.”). Note: Eclipse male King Eiders have
been misidentified as White-winged Scoters on a number of occasions.
BLACK SCOTER
Melanitta nigra. Rare migrant. A
total of 24 individuals was counted from the point from 1997 through 2007, with
dates ranging from 27 Aug (1998 and 2003) to 29 Sep (2003). The species is rare
but regular in spring. The race M. n. americana
nests in Alaska and in eastern Russia northeast to at least the Anadyr River
basin (Portenko 1981).
LONG-TAILED DUCK Clangula
hyemalis. Uncommon
migrant. This species is known to breed on SLI, with broods noted from
Gambell south to Boxer Bay 8–9 Aug 1950 (Fay and Cade 1959). Also, up to
hundreds of nonbreeding, molting birds summer at lakes
and lagoons This species passes the point sporadically for most of the autumn,
with an increase in numbers beginning in mid-or-late September. Single-day
maxima are of up to 30 birds, and season totals range from 30 to 125. The
Long-tailed Duck is possibly more numerous elsewhere on the island (e.g., 150
on 30 Aug 1993 well south of the village). Local residents, as well as Murie
(1936), Fay and Cade (1959), and Konyukhov et al. (1998)
also noted that large numbers overwinter locally in leads and polynyas in the
pack ice. The species is a common spring migrant.
COMMON GOLDENEYE Bucephela clangula. Casual visitor. Two
were seen on 5 Sep 2007. This species is very rare in spring.
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER Mergus
serrator. Uncommon
migrant. Nelson (1887) reported this species breeding on SLI in 1881,
and Sealy et al. (1971) noted that it is a possible nester on the island. A
specimen was collected in September 1930 (Friedmann 1932), and an unknown
number of birds was seen south of Gambell 8 Sep 1975. Single individuals and
small flocks passed the point between 11 Sep and 1 Oct, 2000–2007, totaling 81
individuals, and most after mid-September. The high count was of 23 birds on 29
Sep 2003. Late departure dates are not known; the last observations on the
Seward Peninsula correspond closely with dates of freeze-up (Kessel 1989). This
species is also an uncommon spring migrant at Gambell.
PTARMIGAN
SP. Lagopus sp. Local residents have reported ptarmigan at
Gambell and elsewhere on SLI casually during the late fall and winter. Murie
(1936:368-369) wrote that according
to O.W. Geist, “Occasionally, and practically during every winter I spent on
the island, ptarmigan appeared. I believe they were blown there during heavy
snowstorms, either from the Alaskan mainland, or, more likely, from the near
Siberian points.... Several ptarmigan were killed by trappers last winter.” Fay
and Cade (1959:111) thought that “the upland habitat where these birds were
found suggests that the species may be...Rock Ptarmigan” (L. muta). Two
Rock Ptarmigan were at Sevuokuk Mountain in Apr 2004 (B. Benter in litt.).
RED-THROATED LOON Gavia
stellata. Uncommon
migrant. Totals range from 4 to 17 individuals per year between late August
and early October. The one-day maximum was six on 11 Sep 2007. Later records include
one collected 9 Oct 1930 (Friedmann 1932), and two taken near Gambell 12 Oct
1935 and one there 24 Oct 1935 (Murie 1936). This species is also an uncommon
spring migrant. Fay and Cade (1959) reported this species as a common breeder
on SLI.
ARCTIC LOON Gavia arctica. Rare migrant. The
only fall sightings are of single individuals on 23 Aug 1994 (M. Heindel in
litt.) and 31 Aug 2003 and a total of 16 birds between 5 Sep (2006) and 2 Oct
(2003). Given that this species is a regular spring migrant at Gambell in small
to (more rarely) moderate numbers, it is uncertain whether most fall migrants
take a different route or pass by later in the season. This species nests from
the Chukotskiy Peninsula south to Sakhalin Island (Dement’ev and Gladkov 1951)
and in very small numbers on the Alaska mainland from the Seward Peninsula to
Kotzebue Sound (Douglas and Sowl 1993).
PACIFIC LOON Gavia pacifica. Common migrant. Through
early September daily counts were usually <10, but after that they increased
to up to about 100 per day, with a maximum of 215 on 1 Oct 2006. Seasonal
totals ranged from 190 to 500 birds. The latest records are of specimens
collected at Gambell 14 and 16 Oct 1930 (Friedmann 1932) and of two collected
on SLI 29 Oct 1935 (Murie 1936). This species is also a common spring migrant,
and it nests on the island (Fay and Cade 1959).
COMMON LOON Gavia immer. Casual visitor. The
only verified records of this species on SLI involve an alternate-plumaged
adult collected near Savoonga 11 Jul 1931 (MVZ, Berkeley 60231; Fay and Cade
1959) and one in basic plumage flying by the point 23 Sep 2004. An adult was
reported at Savoonga 4 and 15 Jul 2004 (L. Sheffield in litt.). One account of
some 290 birds believed to have been shot on the island between Nov 1995 and
Oct 1996 (Kawerak and ADFG 1997) is certainly in error. This species is a
scarce visitor to the adjacent mainland coast on the Seward Peninsula (Kessel
1989), primarily during the late summer and early fall, when it can be found daily
in small numbers (pers. obs.).
YELLOW-BILLED LOON Gavia
adamsii. Uncommon to
fairly common migrant. Few occur early in the season, with <10 seen
annually between mid-August and mid-September, except for 30 birds in 2004.
Numbers increase thereafter, with peak counts occurring annually between 19 Sep
and 4 Oct. High one-day counts were often 20–40 birds, with 92 on 26 Sep 2005, 64
on 25 Sep 2007, and 59 on 29 Sep 2007. High seasonal counts were 132 between 25
Aug and 4 Oct 2004, 225 between 17 and 29 Sep 2005, and 251 between 20 Sep and
3 Oct 2007. Almost all birds were adults in full alternate plumage, and most were
flying west to east. A specimen was collected on SLI 14 Oct 1930 (Friedmann
1932). This species is an uncommon to rare migrant in spring, and it nests
sparingly on the island (Fay and Cade 1959).
HORNED GREBE Podiceps auritus. Casual visitor. One
was present 23 Sep 2004 (ph. UAM). There are several June records for SLI
(Sealy et al. 1971, NAB 61:495). In North America this species breeds west to
central Alaska (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959) and is a very rare visitor on the
Seward Peninsula (Kessel 1989); in Asia it nests northeast to the Anadyr River
basin (Vaurie 1965).
RED-NECKED GREBE Podiceps grisegena. Rare migrant. Since
1992 there have been at least 24 fall records involving a minimum of 29 birds
(ph. UAM), between 26 Aug (2004) and 3 Oct (1999 and 2007 [2 birds]). The maximum
was of three birds on several dates. Some birds lingered for extended periods,
so exact seasonal totals were difficult to obtain. One was collected near
Savoonga 3 Oct 1953 (Bailey 1956). The species occurs annually in spring in
very small numbers (J. L. Dunn in litt.), and there is one confirmed breeding
record for SLI in 1940 (Sealy et al. 1971).
[SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS Diomedea
albatrus. More than 100 years ago,
when the species was much more numerous and widespread, Nelson (1883:111, 1887:61)
reported that in late summer 1881 “adults of this species [were] seen between St.
Lawrence Island and Plover Bay [Provideniya], Siberia” and that they were
“common around Bering Straits in summer. A number were seen about the Diomede
Islands, and others about St. Lawrence Island and the opposite Siberian shore.”
The species is also known by bones from middens at Gambell and elsewhere on SLI
(Friedmann 1932, Murie 1936). There is no recent record near SLI (Fay and Cade
1959). The last published reports from the northern Bering and Chukchi seas
were of eight birds seen, with two collected, off the north shore of the
Chukotskiy Peninsula in September 1939 (Dement’ev and Gladkov 1951); however,
these specimens cannot be verified, and Alaska reports during the first half of
the 20th century are complicated by the fact that all white-bodied
albatrosses then were assumed to be albatrus (D. D. Gibson in litt.).
Recent Short-tailed Albatross records have come from no closer to SLI than the
central Bering Sea, e.g., west of St. Matthew Island (NAB 58:583). The breeding
range of this species is restricted to islands in southern Japan.]
NORTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialis. Uncommon to common visitor
and migrant through early September, uncommon to rare thereafter. Counts
varied substantially from year to year, and in late August and early September
ranged from 50 per day in one year to up to 500 per day in another. Wind
conditions played an important role, with the largest numbers usually counted
during stronger northerly or northeasterly winds. Numbers rapidly declined
beginning in September, and in some years few or no birds were seen after
mid-September. The latest date at Gambell was 6 Oct (2003). This species is not
known to breed on SLI, but it does nest commonly on St. Matthew Island (Winker
et al. 2002) and the adjacent Chukotskiy Peninsula (81,000 birds in 1983–1987
[Konyukhov et al. 1998]), where it may linger through late October (Murie 1936,
Portenko 1981). Watson and Divoky (1972) noted it as common in the Bering
Strait area 18 Oct 1970. It winters north to the edge of the pack ice (Kessel
1989). Almost all birds are of the light morph, with a few records of the dark morph
(a rare visitor presumably from the south). Fay and Cade (1959) reported
“several” in “dark plumage” from unknown season(s) near Gambell, and since 2002
a total of 12 individuals (ph. UAM) were seen off the point between 15 Aug (2004)
and 14 Sep (2007).
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER Puffinus
tenuirostris. Common
to abundant visitor and migrant. The waters off Gambell are important
feeding grounds for this species, which breeds in southern Australia. There are
very few spring records (J. L. Dunn in litt.), and local arrival dates in
summer are poorly known. Konyukhov et al. (1998) noted good numbers moving off
the Chukotskiy Peninsula beginning in late July; spectacular numbers of birds arrive
off Gambell by late August. The largest numbers are seen during stronger winds,
particularly those from the north or northeast, when hundreds of thousands of
birds pass by and feed offshore. The species was noted daily, no matter the
weather, at least in small numbers. Some high counts include 700,000 on 5 Sep
2000 (incorrectly noted as off Gambell’s “Northeast Pt.” in NAB 55:89), some
800,000+ feeding close to shore 17–21 Sep 2003, peaking at an estimated 1,200,000
birds on 20 Sep (ph. UAM), and 800,000 on 16 Sep and 1,600,000 on 17 Sep (ph.
UAM) 2006. One aggregation near the Chukotskiy Peninsula measured 74x30 km in
size, and other flocks were longer than 100 km (Konyukhov et al. 1998)! Large
numbers often remain off Gambell in early October (e.g., 300,000 on 4 Oct
2004). In 1970 the species was still common in the Bering Strait area on 18 Oct
(Watson and Divoky 1972). According to Gambell residents, Short-tailed
Shearwaters may linger into November; there are records to mid-November at
Barrow (Gabrielson and Lincoln 1959) and into December north to the Bering
Strait.
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma
furcata. Casual
visitor. This species is not known to nest north of the Aleutians (Sowls
et al. 1978); it is casual in the northern Bering Sea between July and October.
There are anecdotal records from “about St. Lawrence Island” in 1881 (Nelson
1887:64, Fay and Cade 1959). Murie (1936) cited a specimen taken at Gambell on
the very late date of 2 Nov 1932 (Univ. Wash. Burke Mus. 7508). Recent records include
up to three seen off the point 6–7 Sep 2000 (NAB 55:89), single individuals 6–7
Sep (ph. UAM) and 18 Sep 2001, one on 17 Sep 2005, and one on 13 Sep 2006 (ph.
UAM). In 2007, at least 6 were seen 10 Sep, with 1–8 remaining almost daily through
3 Oct (ph. UAM), and with an unexpected 22 birds on 20 Sep and 10–12 daily from
23–25 Sep. One bird seen flying among the houses in “Old Town” in rain (but no
fog or wind) on 16 Sep 2007 and one flying amongst roosting gulls on Troutman
Lake on 24 Sep 2007 were bizarre sights. Given that many birds in 2007 remained
for many days, determining a grand total for the season was impossible.
PELAGIC CORMORANT Phalacrocorax pelagicus. Common breeder and visitor.
The nesting population on SLI was estimated at 3700 birds in 1996 and 1997
(USF&WS 2003, unpubl. data) and at some 16,000 individuals on the
Chukotskiy Peninsula, 1983–1987 (Konyukhov et al. 1998). During my study numbers
at Gambell typically ranged up to 75 per day until early September, then
increased as young fledged and migrants passed by, with totals of up to 100–250
per day the rest of the month. Maxima were of 275 birds on 9 Sep 2003 and 325
on 3 Oct 2003. Counts were complicated by locally feeding birds flying in every
direction. Flocks of migrants passed south offshore at moderate altitude during
the latter half of September and early October. In 2004 numbers remained
through the end of October (H. Irrigoo pers. comm.). Elsewhere around SLI, one
was at Northeast Cape 19 Nov 1964 and several were at North Punuk Island 4 Dec
1981 (Kessel 1989). Portenko (1981) cited multiple records on the Chukotskiy
Peninsula near Provideniya in November, with one very late bird 22 Dec 1937.
The species regularly winters north to the Pribilof Islands, with some birds as
far north as leads and polynyas [open areas] in the pack ice allow (Kessel
1989). Fay and Cade (1959) reported that local residents said that a few birds
may winter along the south shore of SLI, and the species is known to winter at
the Sireniki polynya along the south shore of the Chukotskiy Peninsula
(Konyukhov et al. 1998). Note: Some individuals may appear some 10 percent
larger than others and should not be identified as other speicies.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK Buteo
lagopus. Rare
migrant and very rare breeder. One collected at Gambell 20 Sep 1934 and
another there “a few days later” provided the first island records. Murie (1936:367)
ascribed them to the Asian race B. l. kamtschatkensis, which breeds east
to the Chukotskiy Peninsula and Anadyr River basin (Portenko 1981), but Fay and
Cade (1959) questioned this determination. Gibson and Kessel (1997) listed all
Alaska breeding birds as B. l. sanctijohannis. There are a few nesting
records from elsewhere on SLI (Fay and Cade 1959), and a pair raised two young
on Sevuokuk Mountain from May–Sep 2007 (ph. UAM). Other fall records at Gambell
are of one 11 Sep 1975, one seen flying in off the ocean from the north 6 Sep
1998, and a total of eight records between 1999–2007, including single family
groups in 2002 (ph. UAM) and 2003. Seven birds together were noted on 12 Sep
2007. The latest record is 26 Sep 2005 (ph. UAM). The Rough-legged Hawk is rare
in spring.
MERLIN Falco columbarius. Casual visitor. One was present 13 Sep 2007 (ph. UAM). The bird appeared typical of the North American nominate
subspecies. This species is strictly casual on Alaska’s offshore islands, and
there are only two spring records at Gambell, at least one of which may have
involved an Asian subspecies.
GYRFALCON Falco rusticolus. Uncommon to rare migrant
and visitor. During my study from one to four birds were seen annually
through early October, with records as early as 27 Aug (1993). White birds were
seen on at least seven occasions since 1999 (ph. UAM). Local residents report
that this species occurs annually in October and later in the fall and winter,
and there are numerous sight reports and several specimens taken on the island
between late October and January, with most winter birds found along the island’s
south shore near polynyas (Fay and Cade 1959). Murie (1936) reported Gyrfalcons
wintering around Gambell, hunting Long-tailed Ducks.
PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus. Rare migrant. From
one to three birds were seen most years between mid-August and late September.
The latest record is on 25 Sep 2002. One earlier bird was near Savoonga 1–9 Aug
2003, and a pair successfully nested there in summer 2005 (L. Sheffield in litt.).
A specimen reportedly involving F. p. anatum was taken near Savoonga on
15 Sep 1950 (Bailey 1956). An especially large and dark juvenile present from 9–16
Sep 2005 (ph. UAM) may have been a “Peale’s” Peregrine (F. p. pealei),
which are known to wander widely from the Aleutians in fall (W. S. Clark pers.
comm.). The Peregrine Falcon is also a rare spring migrant.
SANDHILL CRANE Grus canadensis. Very rare migrant.
The only recent fall records from Gambell proper are of two on 29 Aug 1996 (M.
San Miguel in litt.), four on 30 Aug 1998, single birds on 8 Sep and 17 Sep
2001, 12 on 18 Sep 2002, 20 on 26 Sep 2005, and 2 on 15 Sep 2007. This species
is of more regular occurrence farther east on SLI, where it is a fairly
widespread breeder as well. A total of 74 was seen in
the Savoonga area during August 2004, including flocks likely of migrants, of
25 on 26 Aug and 17 on 31 Aug (L. Sheffield in litt.). The breeding population
in northeast Russia is increasing and spreading (A. Bräunlich in litt.), so the
numbers of migrants on SLI may be increasing as well. Many of the birds on the
Chukotskiy Peninsula depart (for the Seward Peninsula) during late August and
the first week of September (Portenko 1981). The Sandhill Crane is a fairly
common migrant at Gambell in spring.
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER Pluvialis
squatarola. Casual
migrant. The only fall records are of one on 20 Aug 1967 (Sealy et al.
1971) and one juvenile on 7 Sep 1997 (D. Cunningham in litt.,
ph. UAM). This species is casual at Gambell in spring also and is a very rare
migrant in the Bering Sea region (Kessel and Gibson 1978), though it nests very
locally on the Seward Peninsula (Kessel 1989).
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER Pluvialis
dominica. Very
rare migrant. A record of up to two birds 23–25 Aug 1992 was followed by
an additional seven records between 21 Aug (1999) and 8 Sep (2001), including a
surprising six birds on 21 Aug 1999 (ph. UAM). Seven birds were near Savoonga
during August 2004 (L. Sheffield in litt.). All fall records are of juveniles. The
species is casual in spring.
PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER Pluvialis
fulva. Fairly
common to common migrant. This species breeds on SLI (Fay and Cade
1959). The highest one-day count is of 95 on 3 Sep 2003. Most seasonal totals during
my study ranged from 100 to 220, with 345 birds (mostly flyovers) in 2003, but
only 93 individuals in 2006. Adults moved south by early September, with 13 Sep
(1999) the latest date for that age class. Juveniles occurred throughout the
period and sometimes lingered in numbers in to early October (e.g., 11 present
1 Oct 2002 (ph UAM), with five there the next day; 28 still present 2-3 Oct
2007; and 13 on 3–4 Oct 2003 (ph. UAM), with five remaining on 5 Oct).
LESSER SAND-PLOVER [MONGOLIAN
PLOVER] Charadrius
mongolus. Rare
migrant. There are 19 fall records involving 28 juveniles (ph. Lehman
2000c, UAM), all since 1989, between 17 Aug (2004) and 6 Sep (1999). High
counts are of four on 31 Aug 1989 and three on both 2 Sep 2001 and 28 Aug 2007
(ph. UAM). In addition, a late juvenile lingered from 18–26 Sep 2005 (ph. UAM).
Single adults were present 15–17 Aug 2004 (ph. UAM) and 16 Aug 2006. The
subspecies C. m. stegmanni (“mongolus group”) nests in
small numbers on the Chukotskiy Peninsula (Portenko 1981) and casually in
western Alaska (Kessel and Gibson 1978), including at Gambell in Jun-Jul 2006
(ph. NAB 60:594, UAM).
COMMON RINGED PLOVER Charadrius
hiaticula. Very rare
migrant. Single juveniles were present 20 and 25 Aug 1999 (ph. Lehman
2000c, 2006) and 16–18 Aug 2000 (ph. Lehman 2005, 2006), up to three were found
16–17 Aug 2004, and singles were present 20 Aug 2006 (ph. UAM) and 24 Aug 2007
(ph. UAM). This species is known to have bred elsewhere on SLI in 1960 (Sealy
et al. 1971) and is thought to nest almost annually in the Gambell area, with
definite nest records there in Jun 1997 (FN 51:1038) and Jun 2002 (ph. UAM).
This species is a common breeder on the Chukotskiy Peninsula (Portenko 1981).
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER Charadrius
semipalmatus. Rare
migrant. Six or fewer individuals were seen during mid- and late August
most years; a flock of six was present 19 Aug 2004 (ph. UAM). The numbers of
nesting Semipalmated Plovers have increased at Gambell; and breeding was
recently confirmed on the Chukotskiy Peninsula (Karhu 2004).
[EURASIAN DOTTEREL Charadrius morinellus. Despite there being a number of records from
Gambell in late spring, and the possibility that this species may nest casually
on Sevuokuk Mountain (Kessel and Gibson 1978), there are no fall reports.]
TEREK SANDPIPER Xenus cinereus. Casual visitor. An
adult was present 25–26 Aug 1994 (FN 49:85). In addition, one was at “Booshu
Camp,” ca. 29 km south of Gambell, 8 Sep 1975 (not “7 Sep”—AB 30:111). There
are several spring records. The Terek Sandpiper breeds northeast to the Anadyr
River basin (AOU 1998).
GRAY-TAILED TATTLER Heteroscelus
brevipes. Rare
migrant. A total of 57 juveniles (ph. W. Birds 31(3): rear cover,
Lehman 2006, UAM) has been found in fall since 1996, between 16 Aug (2006; ph.
UAM) and 19 Sep (2005). Seasonal totals range up to ten (in 2006), with a
one-day high of four birds on 1 Sep 2006. In addition, an adult was found 25–27
Aug 1998 (ph. UAM). One bird collected on no precise date in Jul 1932 (Kessel
and Gibson 1978) was almost certainly a southbound adult. This species is rare
in spring. It breeds northeast to the northern Anadyr River basin (AOU 1998).
WANDERING TATTLER Heteroscelus incanus. Rare migrant. Only
15 individuals—all juveniles—have been recorded to date between mid-August and
6 September, plus one later bird on 14 Sep 2007 (ph. UAM). In addition, single
specimens were collected elsewhere on the island 16 Jul 1955 and 8 Aug 1957
(Fay and Cade 1959). As with several other shorebirds, this species likely
would prove to be more numerous if the island received coverage from July to mid-August.
It is very rare in spring.
WOOD SANDPIPER Tringa glareola. Casual visitor. A
juvenile was present 28–30 Aug 1996 (FN 51:103). This species occurs more
regularly in spring. It breeds northeast to the western Chukotskiy Peninsula
(AOU 1998).