Weekend in Nome: McKay's Buntings!

It’s not often that folks would consider 15 species for a day of birding a successful outing. When birding Nome in November, however, things are a little different. And when that list includes McKay’s Bunting, Spectacled Eider, Gyrfalcon, and Rock Ptarmigan, the outing is a smashing success!

We just returned from a short weekend trip to Nome to look for McKay’s Buntings on their wintering grounds. At this time of year not much else is to be expected in Nome. However, we had perfect birding conditions and just enough open water to attract a few lingering birds. The day was nothing short of exciting and fun, and a great look at this near-arctic town in winter.