Winter 2006 Juneau Bird Report
Snow Goose: (1) immature found on Auke Lake on 14 December
(GV), photographed on the Mendenhall Wetlands on 19 January (RA,
photo), and last seen on 5 February (DM) – perhaps only the 4th
winter record for Alaska.
Cackling Goose: (2) on Auke Lake on 14 December and
re-sighted on the Mendenhall Wetlands through 15 January (GV) – a
rare winter record for Alaska of this “new” species.
Eurasian Wigeon: (2) males at Fish Creek, N. Douglas Is.,
overwintered with a large American Wigeon flock (PS).
American Wigeon: the Juneau CBC had an all-time high count of (638)
on 17 December, and large numbers of this species overwintered with
a count of (450) on 17 February (PS).
Mallard: the Juneau CBC had an all-time high count of (3988)
on 17 December.
Green-winged Teal: the Juneau CBC had an all-time high count
of (169) on 17 December, and the species overwintered with (130)
counted on 17 February (PS).
Lesser Scaup: the Juneau CBC had an all-time high count of
(24) on 17 December.
Golden Eagle: (1) juvenile at Lemon Creek on 16 February – 1
March (BD, AL, DS, MS photo, PR, PS GV) – a rare over-wintering
record for Alaska (excluding Kodiak Is.).
Peregrine Falcon: (1) at Salmon Creek on 25 February
(PS), a highly unusual winter record for Juneau.
Killdeer: a large flock of (29) at Fish Creek, N. Douglas
Is., on 20 and 27 February (PS), and another flock of (11) at Salmon
Creek on 25 February. Together with known smaller numbers at Lawson
Creek and elsewhere, suggests that Juneau probably had over (50)
over-wintering!
Bonaparte’s Gull: a very late flock of (40) near South
Shelter Island on 16 December (GV).
California Gull: (1) adult at Eagle Beach in late-February (RG)
– a rare winter record for Alaska.
Glaucous Gull: (1) immature at Auke Bay on 14 February (PS,
photo).
Northern Hawk Owl: (1) near Mendenhalll Wetlands on 7
December (EB, JJ) – always a rare SE Alaska record.
Northern Pygmy-Owl: (1) at an Auke Bay feeder on 3 December (GV),
(1) near the Mendenhall Wetlands on 6 and 16 December (GV), (1) at
Switzer Creek on 17 December (MS), (1) near Auke Bay on 17 December
(DR) and 26 December (GV), (1) at Eagle Beach on 22 January (PR),
(1) at the Mendenhall Glacier Forelands on 16 February (PS), and (1)
at Pt. Bridget on 14 February (PS).
Red-breasted Sapsucker: (1) at Auke Bay on 25-27 February (GV)
and another (1) in downtown Juneau, perhaps the first true winter
records for Juneau. If these birds were early migrants, then they
would have been at least 2 full weeks earlier than the previous
earliest arrival date. Amazingly, (1) reported from 22 Mile and (1)
from N. Douglas Is. (PS) on the following day, 26 February!
Northern Flicker: (1) over-wintered at a feeder on N. Douglas
Is. (PS) and another (1) at feeders near downtown Juneau from 13
January through 28 February (MM, MH photo).
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: the Juneau CBC had an all-time high
count of (2) on 17 December.
American Pipit: a flock of (6) at the Mendenhall Wetlands on
17 December (BA) may be the largest tally during winter in Alaska
(excluding Kodiak), and (1) at Mendenhall Wetlands on 13 February
(PS) – a rare late-winter record for Alaska.
Orange-crowned Warbler: (1) lutescens at a suet feeder in
Auke Bay on 12 December (MS, GV, RG) through 5 January (MS photo) –
a rare winter record for Alaska.
Red-winged Blackbird: (7) at Pioneer Home Marsh, Lemon Creek,
on 11 February (GV) and (9) there on 23 February (LE), the largest
wintering flock recorded in Alaska.
Rusty Blackbird: a flock of (6) at Lemon Creek on 12 December
(GV).
White-throated Sparrow: (1) lingered from the fall and
overwintered at a feeder through at least 25 February at Auke Bay (GV).
Swamp Sparrow: (1) lingered from the Fall at a feeder on N.
Douglas Is. through 20 December (PS, photo).
Purple Finch: (1) female-type at a Lemon Creek feeder on 17
December (LE, BW) – a rare Juneau record.
Pine Siskin: surprisingly, almost completely absent from the
Juneau region during December and January, except for an observation
of several flocks totaling about 600 birds at Pt. Bridget on 13
December (PS); finally, in February, numbers were beginning to
appear throughout the Juneau region.
