Ken Stenek's Science Class Blog Page

New Bird Site

Ken Stenek — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:46:05 +0000

Due to the popularity of the “Birds of Shishmaref” page to this site, I have started a new blog site with pages devoted to families of birds titled “Birds of Shishmaref”. Students, guests who come to Shishmaref and I will share observations and comments on the blog site and maintain pages of the different families of birds that visit the island. There is already some nice information about the birds there and as the migrants arrive more species will be added.

Migratory Birds Returning to Shishmaref

Ken Stenek — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:06:22 +0000

After the wind storm on Friday (4/18) a large lead opened up just beyond the rafted ice. With this open water, came seagulls. I was first told about sightings on Saturday and then again a student told me he saw some on the ice near the lead on Monday. Tuesday I went out and saw two Glacous Gulls. Glaucous Gulls are the most common gull in Shishmaref and is a major sign that we are switching into spring mode. It won’t be long before other migratory birds make it here in the next few weeks as the snow melts away. There are already open patches of ground showing in some areas.

The Glaucous Gulls join the Snow and McKay’s Buntings, Common Ravens and our two House Sparrows as species here on and around the island.Â Glaucous Gulls are not a new species for my documentation project.

Shishmaref Winter Species List

Ken Stenek — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:19:49 +0000

The following species were identified on Sarichef Island December 1, 2007-February 29, 2008:

Common Raven
Snow Bunting
McKay’s Bunting
House Sparrow-3

Note: Species with numbers behind them show species with less than ten individuals on the island.

Where Did the Shishmaref House Sparrows Come From?

Ken Stenek — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:24:38 +0000

David Sibley, author of The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote an interesting post about the Shishmaref House Sparrows and rose some interesting points regarding the possible origination of these birds. Did they come across the Bering Strait or hitch a ride on a ship from somewhere else? Isotopic evidence would allow scientists a look about how these birds got here.

I have a sinking feeling and I am hoping that I am wrong, that the House Sparrows may have hitched a ride in one of the van boxes that the Army Corps of Engineers brought with them by barge when they worked on the sea wall in Shishmaref. We hopefully will have a specimen to send in to UAF for analysis.

American Lion Skull Found Near Shishmaref

Ken Stenek — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 20:34:22 +0000

Perry Weyiouanna brought in an interesting find Tuesday, February 12th to our school to get some digital photos to send away. I was able to take some photos and sent them to the Museum of the North’s Curator of Mammology Link Olson in Fairbanks. We had originally thought it might have been a young bear but the snout wasn’t long enough and there weren’t enough back teeth.

Link replied that we were way off by a whole family of mammals and that it was a cat. In fact it was one of the largest cats to ever walk the Earth, even 25% larger than modern day African Lions. The American Lion (not to be confused with a Cougar or Puma) roamed North and South America and became extinct approximately 10,000 years ago.

This was an amazing find and scientifically significant.Â It was incredible to think we were holding something that was alive and walking around a very long time ago!Â To see this area as it would haveÂ seen it would have been really something, if onlyÂ I had that kind of psychic ability.

Sunday February 3, Species Count

Ken Stenek — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:36:09 +0000

I went out yesterday and braved the -25 degrees below 0 temperatures to see what species I could find.

I spotted several Common Ravens flying around, a couple of House Sparrows, and the large flock of mixed McKay’s Buntings and Snow Buntings.

In taxonomic order:

Common Raven (Corvus corax)
Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
McKay’s Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Resident House Sparrows

Ken Stenek — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 07:38:51 +0000

This year Shishmaref and the school is pretty lucky to play host to House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). For those individuals who are from the lower 48 these are very common birds and considered pests. Here in Alaska though they are listed as casual by the “Checklist of Alaska Birds” compiled by D. D. Gibson, S. C. Heinl, and T. G. Tobish, Jr. Casual means that they are not an annual visitor; these species are beyond the periphery of their annual range, but recur in Alaska at irregular intervals, usually in seasonal and regional patterns. These birds may have come across the Bering Strait rather than have come up from the lower 48.

In light of our celebration of the life of Shirley Weyiouanna on February 2, 2008, I dedicate these sightings to her as she watches over us. She showed interest in my birding project and pointed out birds that I should be on the lookout for in the spring, this fall before having to move to Nome where she finished her courageous battle against the ugly monster cancer.

House Sparrows in Shishmaref

Ken Stenek — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:11:32 +0000

This October we had House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Shishmaref. There were about 5 birds flying around and I was able to take several pictures of them before leaving for Unalakleet for our school district’s annual inservice/educational meetings on the 22nd. The House sparrow was introduced to North America from Europe and they soon took over the lower 48 and southern Canada. These individuals however probably came across the Bering Strait from Siberia. They have become the bane of cavity nesting birds, so hopefully just a fall visitor.

House Sparrows are listed as casual visitors to Alaska, which means they are beyond their normal range, but may visit at irregular intervals with seasonal and regional patterns. Is this a harbinger of the changing climate in the arctic? We will have to wait and see it they show up again this coming birding season.

Shishmaref Birds Fall Sightings Report

Ken Stenek — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:31:45 +0000

Here is a list of species backed by photographs seen and identified in Shishmaref from August 1, 2007-November 30, 2007. Species with low numbers are noted by an amount following.

Brant
Green-winged Teal
Black-bellied Plover-1
American Golden-Plover
Pacific Golden-Plover
Sanderling-3
Semipalmated Sandpiper-1
Pectoral Sandpiper-3
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Glaucous Gull
Common Raven
Northern Wheatear-1
Gray-cheeked Thrush-1 maybe 2
Wilson’s Warbler-1
American Tree Sparrow-3
Fox Sparrow-1 maybe 2
Lapland Longspur-3
Snow Bunting
McKay’s Bunting
Common Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll
House Sparrow-5

Thought I might have a picture of a Common Redpoll but I cannot positively identify any from my photographs.

Check out the new Birds of Shishmaref Page

Ken Stenek — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 16:02:08 +0000

I just finished a page with the birds of Shishmaref that I have taken photos. Just click on the link above in the menu to view it.