Yesterday we awoke to nearly 2” of snow at our winter office near the park entrance. There was even more snow on the ground in Kantishna, where our opening crew is currently at the lodges. Such is our fickle pre-spring!
But we do continue to see new birds daily, and even as the snow melts around us, summer’s tell-tail signs abound. Yesterday, while walking down to a local pond with the aim of glassing for my favorite avifauna, ducks, I was surprised to hear the trilling, metallic call of a Rusty Blackbird. At least two were jumping from one dried sedge to the next. This uniformly black bird with piercing yellow eyes has declined by 85-99% over the past 40 years for unknown reasons. It winters in the eastern US and undergoes a transcontinental migration to its summer breeding range in wetlands across Alaska and Canada.
Many Alaskan ecosystems, and certainly Denali, are unique in that they are still “complete,” meaning there are virtually no species that have been eliminated or introduced. We have very few species that are listed as endangered, and indeed, with the removal of wolves from the list, no endangered mammals. But many bird species in the park are on the red-list for Audubon’s Alaska Watchlist, including Rusty Blackbird, Varied Thrush, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Blackpoll Warbler, all of which are estimated to be declining by about 3% annually. Denali still harbors the specific habitats these birds need, but summer habitat constitutes only half of the story. All these species winter in other locations, mostly in South America, where their wintering grounds are threatened by deforestation and expansion or agriculture.
These birds are truly a wonder. The Blackpoll Warbler, for instance, migrates 1,800 miles in one flight across the Gulf of Mexico each year, unbelievable for a bird whose weight totals about four pennies! Many of Denali’s songbirds are still winging their way north. The few species that have landed, exhausted from their journeys, will take a few days to re-provision themselves with what seeds and insects they can find beneath our new snow. Next, the males begin to set up their breeding territories, and, of course, sing their hearts out. How we welcome the return of the morning songbird chorus.
Visit the National Audubon Society to learn more about these amazing birds and how you can help in conservation efforts. And consider coming to visit Camp Denali this early June, our prime birding time. We still have openings for our four night session beginning June 6th, when we will host Stan Senner. Stan is former executive director of Audubon Alaska and is currently working with the Ocean Conservancy in the Louisiana Gulf. Join us as we scout the tundra and marshes for these and other remarkable once-in-a-lifetime birds.
Mention this blog post for 20% off the June 6th session at Camp Denali!
