April 20, 2020

Dear friends:

This message comes courtesy of Erik Bruhnke, a VENT tour leader, who has led tours since 2014 throughout the United States, including Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Texas, as well as Panama and Brazil.

Best wishes,

Victor Emanuel

Arctic Warbler in flight © Erik Bruhnke

Arctic Warbler Migration

By Erik Bruhnke

In June 2019, Barry Zimmer and I co-led VENT’s Grand Alaska: Nome Pre-Trip. Our tour covered the beautiful expanses around the remote town of Nome. Every day was a treasure hunt as we looked for Arctic specialties. Our tour was a big success. One of the moments that I found particularly thrilling involved a small bird undergoing the marvel of migration.

On the morning of June 14th, we were birding along the Arctic Ocean shore, aiming our scopes and binoculars over the horizon of icy blue waters.  A Savannah Sparrow called nearby with delicate notes as we focused our efforts in search of loons and more. Our efforts paid off as a rare and distant Arctic Loon came into view. This highly sought-after bird brought smiles to our faces.

After everyone had seen the loon, several small and dispersed dark spots trickled across the sky. All of these spots were flying towards us from the horizon and were coming to shore from the west. Looking through binoculars, I realized these were Arctic Warblers in flight! We had witnessed the arrival of Arctic Warblers ready to establish nesting territories for the brief summer ahead. These were the survivors that had made the journey safely across the frigid waters of the Bering Strait. We had witnessed the wonders of visible migration. 

Arctic Warbler © Erik Bruhnke

Every spring, Arctic Warblers return to Nome and breed throughout central and western Alaska but nowhere else in North America. Outside of Alaska this species’ breeding range is Eurasian. After savoring looks at the Arctic Loon, we focused our attention on the Arctic Warblers flying in. It wasn’t huge numbers, like the flights of birds that can be seen in Texas’ High Island for example, but migration was happening right in front of us. No fewer than sixteen Arctic Warblers flew past us from that one spot. We were at one of the far reaches of the world, and the Zen of the Arctic surrounded us as we stood there. It was humbling to know that the last time these birds were on land was in eastern Russia.

Every day of birding is a treasure hunt, and I feel that birding during migration is one of the finest experiences that one can behold. As humans, we don’t migrate. Many birds do, and it’s breathtaking to witness.