JPMayer
1978
Journal
Atkasook on the Meade River, N. Slope Borough, Alaska
28 May
ptanmigan-ish. Today two ski-mobiles full of goose hunters appeared at Bunnello from Barrow. They got one en route, and popped at a small flock inland here in camp.
29 May
The wind stopped, and.... lo & behold... we have been inundated by arriving migrants. I got up at 0530 along with Stewart Johnston. Temp = -40C. No wind. No clouds. A beautiful spring morning. I immediately walked out to the airstrip. Calcaris lepophoros were streaming (literally) by, and before I was 50 m from camp a Molailla flann flew over zipping. That was just the beginning- see daily list. By 1530 I had racked up 26 species (compare to 2 yesterday) and even though I walked several km, all species were observed within 500 m of camp, most flying by. Display is not yet in full swing. Several species gave full blown flight displays, but these were scattered individuals. Most birds seem preoccupied with moving and feeding. The displaying species are: Pluvialis squatarola and dominica, Calidris alpina, C. mauri, C. pusilla, Limnodromus scolopaceus, Pterocles sandwicensis, and Calcaris lepophorus, and Phaetophneus niveus. I find it exhilarating to be here today with all the activity. You could not stand in one place for 5 min during the first few hours of the morning without (leaning your head snapped) to the side by a passing frenzy of birds. Small flocks of geese cross across the tundra, low over the ground, rising + falling with the tundra's inflection. And I mean cross-cross, hell for shelter wise. Some head east, some go south, others north or west. Think how much energy they could save if they were to get together and plan, so that there is no need to fly, for example, stay there, instead of this internetwork game of migrating chairs. And the geese are just the beginning. Longspurs dart together into the tundra in flocks of 5-15, 8+9 (but still worthy). Pectoral sandpipers move in all directions, churring. And to round out the ordination, white-fringed geese and black brant are almost constantly visible. So what did I do today? After the early trip to the airstrip, I got out my sound recording equipment to have a hand at taping. But the vocal displays were too infrequent, + the wind distractions incessant, so I gave up. At 1030 (after an hour of fighting with a dead generator, + winning in the end) I put on X-country skis and took off toward the south. I went as far as just beyond TBS ( ), reconning three around 1300. It was slow going, partly because of the constant need and