16 July 2009 An afternoon off

"Well, I guess the key is to stay flexible and be ready for anything".  I think that was my response to Project Manager, Kristin Timm's question during my PolarTREC interview about how I would deal with situations that suddenly change, like getting stranded somewhere because of a canceled flight or some other missed connection.  Naturally, I assumed that all of my connections would work out and that my next journal entry would be about my first impressions of St. Paul Island.  When working in an extreme environment such as the Pribilofs, it's probably best to be prepared for those situations that suddenly change.

While waiting for my flight to the island yesterday, that kept getting pushed back and back and finally was canceled due to the weather conditions on the island, I suddenly found myself with the afternoon "off" in Anchorage, certainly worse places to be stranded!

After grabbing an early dinner in Downtown Anchorage, I took advantage of the fantastic urban trail system in the city and went for an extended walk along Chester Creek. A great hiking and biking path that cuts through town and meets up with the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. I managed to add several new bird species to the list, including that iconic symbol of PolarTREC, the Arctic Tern! As is well known among birders, the Arctic Tern is a circumpolar species, nesting in the Arctic and then migrating south below the Antarctic Circle for the austral summer. Quite a migration each year, in fact theirs is the longest known migration among bird species.  After a solid six hours of walking, I was ready for a restful evening in my hotel!

I managed to add some birds to my trip list during this late afternoon walk as well as a couple of small mammals. Bird Species list from the afternoon Red-necked Grebe (including several with chicks), Mew Gull, Herring Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Bonaparte's Gull. Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Greater Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Mallard, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Canada Goose, Belted Kingfisher, Common Raven, Black-billed Magpie, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler. Mammals: Red Squirrel, Muskrat