Brushkana to McLaren River—June 16

After morning coffee, I took a short walk to the river hoping for an American Dipper but dipped (pun intended) on finding one.  Then I returned to the campsite and made preparations to leave.  After sucking in the slide out, I made my usual rounds and to my surprise I had a flat on the left rear tire of the trailer.  So I get out the bottle jack, set it up to use, and it doesn’t work.  I then realized that it was probably out of oil so I got oil and began filling it.  This was a very slow process that I finally had to use the squeeze bladder that I use to wash out my ears.  Finally, I got it full enough to work properly and proceeded to change the tire.  All went well and I started up the road a little apprehensive about not having a spare and wondering if I could find someone to repair it along this very lonely road.  When I got to Gracious House, a lodging place that has not operated in a couple of years, I was surprised to see it was open and a young man on a four wheeler asked what I needed.  I asked if they repaired flats and he said they did.  He began to break the tire down and I could tell it was all somewhat new to him.  Over the next hour he struggled to get it off the rim and when he finally gave that effort up he worked with it half off and finally got it patched.  He charged $20 and I thought that was a bargain based on the effort it took him to finish the job.  Then off I went taking it slow today and checking all the ponds and making very frequent stops.  Within the first hour I had 3 porcupines on the road, a Rock Ptarmigan with half a dozen chicks in tow, a very nice Barrow Goldeneye group and a pair of swans.  I got to watch the goldeneye male do his mating ritual to a female who was not all that interested.      While stopped the man who works at Brahmana campground came by and stopped to see if I need help.  He reported that there was a large group of campers at Clear Creek and that he had reports that the place was a mess.  Sure enough when I arrive at the creek crossing there was indeed a large group of campers.  I’m not sure what they are doing but I have been encountering a quasi-military group on the road.  Anyway that is who was camped at the creek.  So I headed on and not too far from the crossing I heard the distinct call of an Arctic Warbler.  I stopped and was able to find it but not get good pictures.  Then along the eskers (the ridges left by glaciers as they moved in times pasts, the lakes were very active.  In addition to the usual duck species I had a Black Scoter, a pair of Trumpeter Swans with 6 cygnets which I was able to photograph and video as well.  I know they were trumpeter because they called.  There was also a pair of Tundra Swans in the same lake and shortly the male Trumpeter took off and ran the two Tundra Swans off.  Trumpeters are not very sociable.  At the next lake I found a large contingent of Bonaparte’s Gulls and Red-necked Phalarope to cap off a very good day with 22 species and some nice photos.  From there I went to McLaren’s Crossing where I set up camp in the same spot we did in 1998.  This is a beautiful vista of the McLaren Glacier and Alaska Range out across the McLaren Valley complete with braided river.  Across from me is a McLaren Lodge, owned by a young couple and a place I have stayed with birding groups in the past.  This spot is where I would like to have my ashes spread.  I think it would be a wonderful place to spend eternity.  After dinner, a piece of blackberry pie and coffee across at the lodge, and a Messenger visit with Deborah Rose, I took a short ride up the highway to where I knew there would be bank swallows, beaver and hopefully Arctic Warblers.  I was not disappointed and got several good pictures of the beaver having dinner and called in three or four Arctic Warblers and got some good shots of them.  And as a bonus a nice Wilson’s Warbler showed himself and I got a good shot of him as well.  Thus ended a very nice day-- bright sun, mid 70s, no wind, lots of birds, a beautiful campsite.