Return to Anchorage

Another short transit today, just a short 150 miles Seward to Anchorage and chance to see if my tidal prediction was accurate. Almost, as my reckoning was that by the time I got back at noon we should be 2 hours short of High Water. The actual state was 3 hours before Low Tide so just a minor miscalculation!!!!

Anyway, the Ocean side path along the inlet that runs to the docklands is pleasant enough, and who knows Tony Knowles (doubt this has anything to do with Snooker) my turn up a bird or two. The bonus was I didn't have to walk there as when the mini-bus arrives at Anchorage, passengers are then taken to their final destination in the city by private car. I had already struck up something of a rapour with Manny, and was he who greeted me off the bus. With a few kind words he was prepared to let me drop my bag at the hotel then transport me to the waterside. Thanks Manny!

At the small footbridge, half a dozen male American Wigeon looked every bit bedraggled, moulting their feathers,

while the only Boneparte's Gull looked pristine albeit far too distant.

Scaup seemed to be doing well in the nesting stakes,

with at least 3 broods of this size floating about, and

the Red-necked Grebes seemed to be enjoying similar success.

Short-billed Dowitcher & Hudsonian Godwit

However, I was not surprises to see the several hundred Waders miles away, but wait a minute, a little further up the beach they seemed to be progressing little closer.

I did manage to loose of a few shots at the closest Hudsonian Godwits and consider them 'reasonable' record shots.

As for getting any closer, that was soon brought to an abrupt end

as these teenagers suddenly appeared out of the bushes and for whatever reason started hitting the rocks with bamboo canes?? The Godwit did stay for a while after that, about a micro-second which was the same as me as I headed back to town and a much needed meal.

It's off to the Pribilof's tomorrow, so watch this space.

and just to update on the Stats, UK have dropped out of the 8,000 bracket while the US, not surprisingly, are rapidly reaching the 'one thousand' mark. Canada too have increased readers in leaps and bounds, while our 2 latest additions have been Guyana and Malawi. Thanks to everyone for tuning in, and please pass the link to others!

Num	Perc.	Country Name
	7527	71.69%	United Kingdom
	928	8.84%	United States
	445	4.24%	Canada
	142	1.35%	France
	135	1.29%	Australia
	115	1.10%	Estonia
	103	0.98%	Germany
	86	0.82%	New Zealand
	82	0.78%	Netherlands
	78	0.74%	Italy
	73	0.70%	Mexico
	64	0.61%	Japan
	46	0.44%	Spain
	42	0.40%	Poland
	40	0.38%	India
	39	0.37%	Brazil
	34	0.32%	Sweden
	31	0.30%	Peru
	20	0.19%	Malaysia
	19	0.18%	Belgium
	18	0.17%	Thailand
	17	0.16%	Romania
	16	0.15%	Switzerland
	16	0.15%	Norway
	16	0.15%	Pakistan
	15	0.14%	Czech Republic
	15	0.14%	Korea, Republic Of
	15	0.14%	Hungary
	14	0.13%	Venezuela
	14	0.13%	Ireland
	14	0.13%	Greece
	14	0.13%	Philippines
	11	0.10%	Singapore
	11	0.10%	Turkey
	10	0.10%	Portugal
	10	0.10%	Chile
	10	0.10%	Hong Kong
	10	0.10%	Madagascar
	9	0.09%	Saudi Arabia
	9	0.09%	South Africa
	9	0.09%	Austria
	9	0.09%	Finland
	9	0.09%	Lithuania
	8	0.08%	Russian Federation
	8	0.08%	Argentina
	8	0.08%	Indonesia
	8	0.08%	Malta
	8	0.08%	Israel
	8	0.08%	Sri Lanka
	7	0.07%	Dominican Republic
	6	0.06%	Bulgaria
	6	0.06%	Denmark
	6	0.06%	Taiwan
	5	0.05%	Croatia
	5	0.05%	Egypt
	5	0.05%	Ukraine
	5	0.05%	Macedonia
	5	0.05%	Colombia
	4	0.04%	China
	4	0.04%	Bangladesh
	4	0.04%	Vietnam
	4	0.04%	Serbia
	4	0.04%	Albania
	4	0.04%	Luxembourg
	3	0.03%	United Arab Emirates
	3	0.03%	Lesotho
	2	0.02%	Oman
	2	0.02%	Ecuador
	2	0.02%	Europe
	2	0.02%	Uganda
	2	0.02%	Mongolia
	2	0.02%	Qatar
	2	0.02%	Tunisia
	1	0.01%	Morocco
	1	0.01%	Jamaica
	1	0.01%	Slovakia
	1	0.01%	Syrian Arab Republic
	1	0.01%	Iceland
	1	0.01%	Puerto Rico
	1	0.01%	Trinidad And Tobago
	1	0.01%	Guyana
	1	0.01%	Zimbabwe
	1	0.01%	Malawi
	1	0.01%	Nigeria
	1	0.01%	Jersey
	1	0.01%	Algeria
	1	0.01%	Virgin Islands, British
	1	0.01%	Jordan
	1	0.01%	Guernsey
	1	0.01%	Georgia
	1	0.01%	Slovenia