2023 ARTE documentation

 Summary

All are welcome to help us monitor the Arctic Terns in the vicinity of the lower Skagway River.  We are particularly interested in where they reproduce, and appreciate sightings of courtship, eggs, chicks, and fledglings.

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2023 general observations. 

Anyone can contribute observations.  Skagway Bird Club members through our forum, or from anybody via email to sbc@aptalaska.net

   Information requested:

           date,

           observer name,

           location,

           observation,

           what you think it means (optional)

observers:  Mike Konsler, Eliza Russell, Andrew and Joanne Beierly

CWS = coastal waterbird survey, observers:  Elaine Furbish, Lexi Zolenski, Braden Jones, Henry  Rincavage, Mike Konsler, Isabella Yallapragada, Jen Larsen

April and May

date-observer   /  where     /  birds /  notes

2 May-Mike K.      / Mouth of Skagway River       / terns          / first terns to arrive ?

5 May-CWS      / mouth of Skagway River        / 28  terns     / flying at river mouth and off end of Ore peninsula

5 May-CWS          / ore peninsula,  on ground behind chain-link fence     / 1 pair

5 May-CWS         / ore peninsula, roped off area       / 3 pair        / flew in, courtship behaviors, one adult sitting in depression

8 May-Eliza R. / car-foot bridge, north town /12 terns

13 May-CWS / ore peninsula, roped off area /4 pair + 5 adults       /5 sitting still & low on the ground, 3 standing nearby, and 3 sentinels on the fence or wires overhead

13 May-CWS /ore peninsula, north of roped area       / 7 terns / 5 were flying and swooping as if nesting, with 2 sentinels perched nearby

16 May-Beierlys        /ferry terminal float        /1 pair       /starting to nest at the corner of the ramp for loading-unloading the ferries (photo below)

June

date-observer   /  where     /  birds /  notes

2 June-CWS   /ore peninsula-inside chainlink fence-across from Temsco [chainfence] /2adults /one sentinel adult on fence, one sitting inside fence;  A CWS person approached fence about 100 ft from sitting adult, both terns dove and swooped until person left area

7 June-CEFurbish      /[chainfence])       / 2 adults        / both swooped on passerby, defending eggs behavior

13 June-CEFurbish     / [chainfence]    /3 adults     / 1 adult alarm call brought in others, swooped on person near parked car

16 June-CEFurbish          /[chainfence]   / 2 adults /one adult swooped and made glancing contact with head of passerby

rest of the summer

No further reports, but casual observations at Ore peninsula were that no chicks were fledged there.  Lots of tern feeding activity at mouth of Skagway River, and signs that the colony nested at a river bar somewhere on the lower Skagway River.