Alaska Part 2: Igloo Creek and Eielson

The earliest we could get on a bus to Toklat was 9:30, but we wouldn't need to go that far. Our stop was at mile 34 of the road. That was the location of Igloo Creek, probably the best location of an Arctic Warbler. There were 2 birds that I really had my hopes up for: Arctic Warbler and Kittlitz's Murrelet. The Kittlitz would be at Kenai Fjords, but our only shot was Denali for Arctic Warbler.

Arctic Warbler is a very cool bird for the ABA area. It is the only Leaf Warbler that breeds in the United States, but it spends its winters in southeast Asia. Finding it is supposed to be hard. Understandably it does not like to hang out in the open. I wouldn't either if my nature companions were bears, wolves, and plenty of birds that would love to eat me. Even knowing its toneless trill is not enough. They love dense willow scrub along creeks. Icy creeks that are even too cold for fish to live in. Anthony is not a birder, so this was his first taste of the adventure birding I had hyped up to him. This was going to be a different kind of challenge than the Colima Warbler. We had trails and a lot less brush to deal with in Big Bend. How were we going to sneak up on a skittish song bird in a maze of chest high scrub? I kept thinking about contingency plans for missing it at Igloo Creek. Fortunately Tattler Creek, 4 miles down the road, was close and the second best spot. We had to get this bird. The excitement was hard to contain as we boarded our bus.

Caribou were abundant during our bus ride

Here. We. Go.

We got off the bus by ourselves. All eyes were on us as we left, wondering why we were getting off here. Most people don't use the bus to get to trails. They sit on the bus, get off, enjoy the sights for 30 minutes, and head back to civilization. But if they had any idea what was out there they wouldn't be doing that.

This willow scrub is the perfect habitat for Arctic Warbler. Unfortunately it is super dense.

The silence was once again overpowering. This time in the woods it was eerie. Only the call of the occasional Canada Jay could be heard over the crashing Igloo Creek. Armed with bear spray we followed the edge of the creek until all we could do was crash forward. Then we heard it. The toneless trill. Slowly and as quietly as possible we skulked after the Arctic Warbler. Some birders would count it and move on, but not me. I don't count heard only lifers save for night birds like owls or nightjars, but even if I did this wasn't going to settle for just hearing this bird.

But there was no way I was going to see it by wading through the thick scrub. We decided to adapt by hugging the extremely loud creek to cover the crunching of twigs. It made hearing the warbler impossible, though. It opened up a little bit and we were able to sneak in a bit to get almost right up on it, but as soon as we got close it would fly away. Eventually we heard a call up a ridge of loose rock. We should have turned back, but there was no way I was going to do that. Gingerly stepping we hiked higher and higher to try to get above the bird, and it worked. This dude was singing right below us.

This is when that willow scrub gave us an advantage. We would pick up on any movement, and sure enough a greenish brown flash appeared. I like to think my birding adrenaline kicked in because I got right on it, getting incredible looks and the white supercilium to confirm it. I couldn't contain the emotional. I let out a yell of joy and I'm not sure how loud it was, but that was a tough bird to find and we went found it in the Alaskan wilderness.

One of Anthony's best shots. He sniped this Wilson's Warbler

There is an Arctic Warbler somewhere in there. Let me know if you find it because I can't!

Willow Ptarmigans blend in extremely well and are very difficult to spot

It turns out we didn't need to go off trail for it. After crossing an icy steam we walked about 3 miles down the park road, getting amazing looks at Wilson's Warbler. But we heard insane amounts of Arctic Warbler, and we got another great look at another. But there was another treat for us frozen on the ground that we almost missed. A Willow Ptarmigan, an iconic Denali bird, was right below us.

The day was completed by another spiritual moment. A mile after we got picked up by a bus on the road we came to a stop. Sleeping on the ridge above us was a sow Grizzly with a cub. I had never seen a Grizzly before, and I had been dying to see one. It was another one of those overwhelming moments.

But the really special day would come the next day when we went to the Eielson Visitor Center at mile 66 of the park road. There wasn't any scrub this time. It was just open tundra. But when we pulled up and went towards the trail, only to be stopped by a ranger. The trail was closed because about 100 yards away a sow and cubs were grazing. This was the only time we were outside with bears (Mom, I promise we were as safe as possible). This was a breathtaking moment.

A picture doesn't do it justice

Nothing symbolizes wild America like a Grizzly Bear. These larger than life animals used to roam from Alaska into Mexico, even through Big Bend in Texas. But now they inhabit fragments of their old range. To truly experience a Grizzly you have to be in a truly wild place now. And that's where we were, staring at 3 bears with a backdrop of mountains that dwarfed us. Towering grey peaks covered by snow loomed over an animal that already made me feel tiny and insignificant. My mind has never been blown like that.

As we hiked up the Alpine Trail that gained 1,100 feet in .75 miles I couldn't shake this weird feeling I had. We passed Common Redpoll and Horned Larks up to the most incredible 360 degree view I have ever seen. Then I understood what that feeling was. It was bewilderment. We were truly in the wild, stuck in this feeling of awe. An untouched landscape lay before us, populated by animals that could eat us without a second thought, but here we were watching them and watching the mountains. This was another one of moments where I truly felt alive. I can't speak for Anthony but I suspect he felt the same. By the way, huge shoutout to Anthony. I forgot to mention earlier that he is the one who took the vast majority of our Denali pictures. And he killed it.

This is one of the most special places on the planet. Moose, caribou, bears, and wolves roam unimpeded while Golden Eagles soar overhead and Arctic Warblers trill below. They do all of this below towering peaks that reach their crescendo atop one the tallest point in North America. Whatever you do, go to Denali. Paris will always be there. New York will always be there. But with the ever changing climate and ever growing population Denali may not be what it is today. But don't take my word for it, go experience it yourself.

Alaska Part 1: Denali and Savage River

Disclaimer: I will try my best to do this trip justice, but words and even pictures cannot capture how incredible the land, birds, and mammals were.

I had been looking forward to Alaska for a long time. A week in Alaska was scheduled to take Anthony and I to both Denali and Kenai Fjords National Parks. This is my second time going to Alaska, having been with my grandmother in the summer of 2014 when we did the Kenai Peninsula(and it would help guide me down the path to rediscovering my love for birding) so I knew what to expect somewhat. Even then, I was not ready for what was to come.

We left Houston and flew overnight to Fairbanks via Seattle. It was awful. We landed at 2 AM Alaksan time, or 5 AM Central. We caught a small amount of sleep in the airport before getting our rental at 7. We should have been exhausted, right? Wrong. We were buzzing. This was going to be amazing, but were we setting our expectations too high? Only time would tell.

Denali means "the high one" in the Athabascan language. Mt. Denali towers over North America at 20, 310 feet. There is only 1 road in the entire park that stretches 92 miles, but only park buses can access the road after mile 15. In addition there are very few trails to protect the tundra, so off trail hiking is not only allowed but encouraged. The combination of all of that makes for a tough way to see birds, especially given the low density of birds. You can find all of Denali's birds in other places in the state. Make no mistake, I knew Denali wasn't going to be our birding spot, but it still offered great chances at ptarmigans, Northern Wheatear, and Arctic Warbler.

The real highlights of Denali are the mammals. Moose, Caribou, bears, wolves, lynx, and various rodents abound in front world class scenery. The birds drew us in but the mammals were what we were really hoping for, although you know that Arctic Warbler was a priority.

Anyways, we arrived at Denali around 10:30 to a ton of traffic around the entrance. Something was making these cars stop and we were going to go check it out. Standing in the river was an absolute unit of a Moose cow with three calves.The excellent looks were breathtaking. The calves were very scared to cross the river while their mother looked on to encourage them. They tried, but in the 15 minutes we stopped they never crossed. Moose may look big, but they're a monstrosity in person. All we could do was sit there slack-jawed.

Not a bad first sighting in Denali

Our next stop was a wakeup hike along Triple Lakes. The 3.2 mile loop meanders along the Nenana River and 3 lakes that feed into it. These lakes are largely the result of beaver dams. Rain fell as we hiked through the beautiful spruce forest, but the lake stole the show. A beautiful clear blue beckoned for us to hike closer while Swainson's Thrushes and Yellow-rumped Warblers guided us down the trail. I was taken aback by the beauty of a Yellow-rumped in breeding plumage. In Texas we only get them in drab winter plumage and their call is a dull chip, but up north we got a striking contrast of gray, black, and yellow. We were rewarded with our hike by getting a shoreline view of beavers in the lakes and Canada Jays (lifer!) flying from tree to tree.

One of the 3 lakes at Triple Lakes

The weather cleared up for us at the perfect time. We took a bus to mile 15 at the Savage River trailheads to get our first taste of the tundra. The landscape opened up considerably and the Alaskan Range shot up to provide the perfect definition of the "The Last Frontier." Of course my attention was diverted to another lifer, Spruce Grouse, chilling in the road.

We arrived at Savage River to a distant view of another mammal, a Caribou, that was laying along the river. Being the adventurous naturalists that we are, we decided to test the off trail routes of Denali. The willow scrub was much harder to cross than it looked. The wet ground squished under our feet as we waded through chest high scrub. It was great to flush up some sparrows, though. We got good looks at Savannah and White-crowned, but I was particularly pumped to get American Tree Sparrow.

Views from the Savage River bus

After huffing and puffing our way up the ridge we got the look when had hoped for. Relaxing by the Savage River was a bull caribou and we had an outstanding view. We hiked back and started on the Savage River Loop, and this is where the trip really took a turn.

First Caribou of the trip!

Mew Gulls and Black-billed Magpies were the gatekeepers to one of the most stunning views in the world. The slate gray Savage River cascaded between 2 mountains that we competing amongst themselves for all eyes on the trail. Any conversation between Anthony and I died as we tried to soak it all in. For long stretches the only thing that could be heard was the water rushing past us as it tried its best to escape from the road and any sense of humanity. It was not hard to see why. At the end of the maintained trail it was easy to see why. We crested a ridge to see a view that will stick with me until I die. The river below resembled a line drawn by a pencil as it tumbled past an ice patch and into the distant mountains. The short, but lush tundra climbed down the sides of the mountain towards the river. But the most overwhelming thing was the silence. Not even the river was making noise as we were so high up.

Mew Gull

Black-billed Magpie at Savage River

The silence was overpowering. We were really out here. Canada Jays, American Tree Sparrows, and Spruce Grouse gave a lot to reflect on in that moment. Birding is about the birds, but that's not all. It's about the people you go with, the overpowering scenery that makes you never want to leave, the other critters you see along the way, and more importantly it makes us feel like we're truly living life. Believe it or not, that wasn't the last time I would feel that way on the trip. It was fantastic motivation for day 2: the hunt for the Arctic Warbler.

A collection of the views from the end of our Savage River hike

Another Rarity

This has been an insane month. Migration kept be occupied, and I made a few trips that really took it out of me. A Kansas road trip and Big Bend were a ton of fun, but I really didn't have a ton of energy in their wake. With Alaska coming up I really just want to rest. But the travel wasn't over yet. I went to a wedding in San Antonio on June 1, and the late night was enough to discourage me from looking for Golden-cheeked Warblers or visiting the Alamo the next morning. I hauled it back to Houston early Sunday morning and settled in my apartment with an episode of the classic King of the Hill. I was ready for a nap and lazy afternoon after a Chipotle burrito.

I opened Facebok on my phone to a flurry of notifications, all from Texas birding groups. Uh oh. A Red Phalarope had been seen in Jersey Village, a neighborhood in northwest Houston. This is a TBRC review species and it was only a 22 minute drive from where I live. My exhaustion and hunger disappeared. Time to get after it. I didn't even change clothes into something more birder friendly.

I arrived around noon and the heat was stifling. Everyone in range had descended on this small retention pond across the street from the golf course to see this bird. The wetland is not a great birding destination but I'm glad someone went out and took a gander at the local birds because a Red Phalarope is fantastic find. They breed high above the Arctic Circle and winter along the Carolinas and West Coast, although they are scarcely found in the Gulf of Mexico. This was the 49th record in the state and a lifer for me.

First look at the lifer Red Phalarope. What an unbelievable start to the summer, 

There was a large group of birders still there when I arrived, but the bird was not present. We spread out around the pond, and eventually it was spotted! I raced over to some of the closest views of a bird I've ever had. This bird didn't have a single problem being around people. Normally I'm one to enjoy views of a rare bird, but hungry, tired, and pouring sweat I had to head back.

I'm really hoping no rare birds show up this weekend. It's time to study and prepare for the Last Frontier.

Slate-throated Redstart and Red Phalarope?! What is happening!

Absolutely mental

Big Bend Day 3: Rio Grande Village and Final Thoughts

There was no way I could top the prior day's birding effort. I had never been in that bad of pain from blisters so no long hikes were in play. I'm not exaggerating when I say I could hardly walk. That ended up being perfect timing for what he had planned to be a day not centered around hiking. If we could have we probably would have gone to Cottonwood/Santa Elena Canyon, but due to a wildfire that area was closed.

Our plan for the day was to walk around the Rio Grande Village and do the nature trail that follows the river before heading to the scenic Boquillas Canyon. After that we planned to cross the border into a tiny Mexican village. Our final stop was the hot springs along the Rio Grande. If we had time we would stop at Sam Nail Ranch to get some birds.

The Rio Grande Village area of Big Bend is a completely different world compared to the high Chisos. Desert replaces pine trees and Vermillion Flycatchers replace Mexican Jays. But the cool weather is also replaced by serious heat. By about 10:00 the temperature is already above 100.

View from the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail

We arrived around 10:00 due to sleeping in after our insane day the day before. On our way in we were greeted by House Finch and Pyrrhuloxia flying over the desert, but the real highlight was a Lesser Nighthawk that was still active.

The most productive place of the Rio Grande Village has always been the campground for me. Walking through we had Inca Dove, Common Ground Dove, the stunning Vermillion Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe, and Golden-fronted Woodpecker. Cliff and Cave Swallows flew across the river of the trail, and Black Phoebe's flitted around the slower moving parts of the river. But there was one unexpected call that raised my attention, the rattle of a kingfisher! Looking at eBird there was really only one of the 3 Texas kingfishers that it could be: Green Kingfisher, a fantastic surprise.

Vermillion Flycatcher from the Rio Grande Village Campground

On our way to Boquillas Canyon we stopped at the pretty reliable spot for Common Black Hawk. Unfortunately the nest was unoccupied, and we were to sweaty to scare. All that was there was the ever abundant Greater Roadrunner.

Boquillas Canyon is my favorite non-Chisos area in the park. It has high cliffs dotted with caves and the Rio Grande moves at the perfect speed. The silence is deafening but it is continually broken by the croak of a Common Raven or the descending call of Canyon Wrens. The rest of the day was spent not birding, but I highly recommend Boquillas del Carmen, a small Mexican village across the Rio Grande and the hot springs that also show ancient rock paintings. We were too tired and in too much pain for Sam Nail Ranch. It also started to rain, and we were just ready to eat some food.

Insane views of Boquillas Canyon

Time for the final thoughts. In review we got a total of 45 species of birds over 3 different days. The best birds were obviously Colima Warbler and Slate-throated Redstart. Green Kingfisher is a great bird as well. We did miss Ash-throated Flycatcher, a shocking miss. Last time I was there they were abundant. Painted Redstart is a somewhat disappointing miss and I think if we had been a bit more alert we would have found one.

Big Bend is a my favorite place to bird in Texas, but it does have one fault: there is too much to see and do. We easily could have done another 3 days. If we had more time I would have wanted to do Cottonwood/Santa Elena, Blue Creek Canyon, and Lost Mine in that order. Because of that fire we missed one of the best Lucy's Warbler spots in the state.

Rock art at the hot springs

Timing is also critical. We missed out on some birds because we got up late. I'm not complaining. I'll trade Ash-throated Flycatcher for Colima Warbler. I would also suggest going no later than Memorial Day weekend. The difference between the late May and early July temperature is stark, but even when we were there it was borderline uncomfortable in the desert. The afternoons were hot in the Chisos as well, which sapped our energy fast and probably led to missing out on some good birds. I'd say late-April is the sweet spot. You can get singing Colimas on territory and you'll probably get a few degrees cooler even in the Chisos. Plus plenty of migrants will be coming through and you can probably snag a Townsend's Warbler and Western Tanager.

Hopefully I can get a winter visit next. I'd love to chase Golden Eagles, Red-naped Sapsuckers, and Green-tailed Towhees without sweating every ounce of water out of my system. Until next time, Big Bend! Thanks for another stellar weekend!

Big Bend Day 2: The Death March

At 6 AM the alarm went off, but I was already up. I had been yearning for this day since we got off the trail in 2017. It was time to do the Colima Death March. In 2017 TJ and I attempted the hike, but due to being sick and dehydrated we failed to get Colima Warbler. I was heart broken to miss it. But this was my chance at redemption.

The boot of Boot Canyon. This is probably my favorite place in Big Bend.

It's called the Colima Death March because it may be the most physically demanding bird in the ABA area to find. The only place you can find Colima Warbler in the United States is in Boot Canyon, and it breeds from April to August. Allegedly you can find it in Pine Canyon in the Chisos as well, but it is even more remote than Boot Canyon, so finding reliable data is hard. You go 3.8 miles up Pinnacles where you gain 2,400 feet of elevation before descending into Boot Canyon, where you can spend 1.5-3 miles in the canyon before leaving back down Pinnacles or going down Laguna Meadow for 4.5 miles. No matter what you're looking at at least a 10 mile hike. Even being in good shape means you get worn out by about mile 8 when the Chisos start heating up. It is not for the faint of heart.

Boot Canyon is the perfect spot for Colima Warbler. They love the dense oak woodlands that provide tons of cover. The canyon packs a powerful birding punch of some of the most sought after North American birds like Painted Redstart, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Lucifer Hummingbird, and Blue-throated Hummingbird. But getting views of any of these is tough. The canyon is very dense and the hike up Pinnacles drains a lot of focus. Plus it is extremely hot once that sun comes over the mountains. But the birding potential combined with the stunning views makes it a hike that cannot be missed, even for non-birders.

It's amazing how Boot Canyon is so different from other areas of the park, it even feels like a different world compared to the Chisos Basin.

But it gets even more exciting. The 16th state record and about 20th ABA record of Slate-throated Redstart was present for a few weeks in the canyon and looked to be nesting with a mate, which according to the ABA may be the first ever time this has happened in the ABA area. This bird is mythical for me because Mark Adams found one of the first state records during his Texas big year in 2000 that he wrote about in "Chasing Birds Across Texas." To this day it is one of my favorite books I have ever read, and it's one of the biggest influences on my passion of going all over Texas to see birds. Normally they can be found from Northern Mexico to Bolivia, but occasionally they venture into southern Texas, Arizona, and once in New Mexico. Finding one is a big deal, and it's a Code 4 rarity according to the ABA.

Mexican Jays are another rare ABA bird. They can only be found in the Chisos Mountains and the sky islands of Southeast Arizona.

The morning was cool at about 75 degrees as we started our ascent. Says Phoebes and Mexican Jays guided us up the Pinnacles. Acorn Woodpeckers and Bewick's Wrens were common on the trail as well as the Canyon and Spotted Towhees that hopped ahead of us, encouraging us to continue pushing on. Even a Gray Vireo, an uncommon sighting, made an appearance. We met many birders on the trail with the same pilgrimage in mind. More eyes in the canyon means more eyes looking for Colimas. We were the first to summit the Pinnacles, climbing the entire trail in only an hour and a half. We took a breather as White-throated Swifts welcomed us to the top. We settled in for a break to enjoy the scenery before continuing the mission as another group of birders scouted a little before their own break.

The Acorn Woodpeckers were everywhere in the Chisos.

My feet were blistered and in serious pain from the hike the night before and the current hike. The blisters had already popped and were bloody. It was not fun, but pure hype got me through the hike. Then it happened.

An excited yell of  "COLIMA" cut through the silent air at the top of that mountain. If I ran as fast I did in that moment at the NFL Combine I'd be playing for the Cowboys because I flew down that trail. I didn't even need my bins. It was right there. Drab brown bird? Check. Eye Ring? Check. Apricot colored rump? Bingo. This is it. This was my grail bird. I know some of y'all read this and think "what a goober, it's just a bird," but I don't care. I don't expect even the serious birders to understand what this means to me. When I first got into birding the adventure of it all is what captivated me. When I was new to birding and I read about the Colima Warbler I told myself I would do that hike even if it killed me. This is the bird that made me fall in love with birding 3 years ago. It's a bird that sparked a desire to see the natural beauty of Texas, something that I am so thankful to have discovered. The Colima Warbler symbolizes so much to me that I can't help but be dramatic about it.

But the day was not over. We still had a mile and a half to the Slate-throated Redstart. Our descent into Boot Canyon was rushed. Even Gordon and TJ, who had little if any interest in birds, were excited. We picked up another Colima as we made our past the junction with Juniper Canyon. Hutton's Vireos called to each other in the trees. A female Broad-tailed Hummingbird whizzed by and perched on a branch.

Then a flash of red flew across the sky. It was for sure a redstart, but what kind? Painted Redstart, a gorgeous birds, breeds in the Chisos Mountains and in the sky islands of Arizona, but it has white on its wings. This bird had solid black wings. There was little confirmation left to need. We got it, we saw the Slate-throated Redstart. This is the rarest bird I have ever seen in the ABA area, and I saw 2 of them. Amazing. Those two birds made it the best birding day of my life. We watched them fly around for about 45 minutes before making our way back to the basin. We hiked 5 miles in and went 5 miles back out. By that point I was too tired to look for more birds. The excitement had worn off and the heat was a killer, as well as my raw feet. The rest of the day I would hardly be able to walk, even with band aids and a different pair of shoes. Always break in your Chacos before a long hike. As of writing I still feel pain from the blisters when I try to walk, an entire week later. 

Slate-throated Redstart! This is the only Code 4 ABA rarity that I have seen

Which gets me to my next point. We missed a lot of birds in Boot Canyon. After leaving the group behind us got another mega rarity: Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. They also got Painted Redstart, Cordilleran Flycatcher, and Blue-throated Hummingbird. Missing those birds isn't fun, but I don't care in the slightest that I missed them. I got my grail bird, and I saw a bird that is much rarer than the Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher.

The sights, sounds, and experience of all of this made it a day I truly will never forget. There is a reason saying you got a Colima Warbler in Texas raises eyebrows. It pushed me to my limits and I'm a young guy in good shape. When you think of birding as a bunch of out of shape old people looking at bird feeder behind a window, think again. I saw people way older than me powering through to see these birds. It's hard, it's mentally exhausting, but it's an adventure.

We finished the afternoon with 2 appetizers at lunch, a massive chicken fried steak, and the best chili burger I have ever eaten in Terlingua. Huge shoutout to Gordon and TJ for making that hike and dealing with my probably annoying enthusiasm for seeing a 5 inch bird. I do have a hunch that those 2 are quietly becoming interested in the joys of birding, though. 

I hiked over 10 miles to go see 2 species of birds. It was 100% worth it and I can't wait to do it again. I'll let you decide if that's really cool or really crazy. But I'm gonna sit here and smile to myself knowing that I conquered the Colima Death March.