Bird photography in Nome?

[Mike Milicia]

I'm interested in going to Nome next year and have read that rental vehicles and hotel rooms can be in short supply in June so I'm trying to plan ahead. Any and all information and tips regarding bird photography in Nome would be greatly appreciated, but I also have a few specific questions :

I can either go the first two weeks or the last two weeks of June. Any reasons to prefer one time period over the other?

Am I likely to find subjects by just driving the roads?

Are there any particularly reliable hotspots that you would recommend?

Any books or web sites with good information?

[Rocky Sharwell]

I have been to Nome twice with Artie...in 2003 and 2006--on almost the exact same dates each trip --Yet things seemed to be around a month behind schedule weather/nature wise in 2006. Flying in to Nome in June of 2006 you could see the Harbor was still frozen over--It was big news when the first barge made it through. Suddenly, there was way more stuff on the shelves in the AC store. There was a year that I did not go and they sandpiper chicks running through flowers at the same time period.

My suspicion is that the mosquitoes might be way worse the last two weeks. I would pick the middle two weeks if at all possible but it is a crapshoot. Birds are way more photographable if they are nesting/courting. I think we had better opportunities in 2003 because of this--but 2006 was still a great trip.

1)I would suggest not going in search of the bristle thigh curlew which involves driving about 70 miles to somethinking called the Coffee Dome-and then a brutal walk up the side of the hill. Going back down was even worse. Artie referred to this as the torture walk--I could not agree more. Cliff Beitel has a great image of this bird which I think he shot back in the days of film.

2)I would be inclined to get a room with a full kitchen or at least a microwave at the Aurora Inn--Nome is not a great place for fine dining. There was decent chinese food at one place but it got old after a while.

3)There is one field a few miles outside of town--The road was still paved-accross from the beach that seemed to be quite good both years. There were also loons in the ponds at the edge of the field.

4)We did a lot of driving--the birds are well camouflaged but can be found. Are you going alone or with others? Extra eyes are a good thing. There is a lot of real estate for them to hide.

5)Bring a good GPS--You can be at a spot in the middle of a tundra field--think you know where you are--and won't be able to get back to the same spot the next day.

6)I really liked Nome--but would be weary of suggesting it to anyone with knee/back/hip issues as walking on the tundra even for a few hundred yards can be tough and can really pound the joints. Also, keep in mind that your regular cell phone will probably not work. I think you cant rent one from the native corporation but I am not sure what sort of range they have.