Each day in the field I continue to see new species of animals. There are surprises around every corner. On our drive back to Fairbanks, the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve sits on one side and Gates of the Arctic National Park on the other. Near Atigan Pass, a Golden Eagle flew directly towards our moving car. Amazed, we later saw that it was being chased by a Northern Harrier (Hawk). Later, on the other side of the Pass and in the Boreal forest, a moose stood in the road as we rounded a corner. Considering the demands of life in the arctic, I was amazed by the diversity of life. While it does not compare numerically with ecosystems such as the tropical rainforest or coral reefs, the arctic does have a lot of wildlife. Because the land is so open, much of it is relatively easy to see. In the book "Land of Extremes" Alex Huryn describes the North Slope as a hub for bird migration. "If one plots their migration routes on a map, similar to those showing the routes of airliners between major international airports, the north slope appears to be a hub, gathering numerous converging flight paths across the globe-from Antarctica, New Zealand, Africa, India, China, Japan, North America, and South America." To get to the North Slope, some of the birds have to travel incredible distances each way. For example, one banded Arctic Tern flew 13,750 km from waters off Antarctica and was recovered in the Arctic. The Northern wheatear migrates to North Africa each winter. The American Golden Plover flies to the pampas of Argentina. All of these birds migrate to the north each summer to take advantage of the incredible productivity of the land and availability of habitat.
Like animals that migrated to Toolik and the high arctic , it is time for me to return home. This will involve a somewhat epic migration in its own right. To get from Toolik to Fairbanks, Team Squirrel will drive the Dalton Highway, taking turns at the wheel for about 8 hours. Then I will catch a flight to Seattle, on to Denver, then home in Aspen. Though I felt at home in the conditions I encountered in the arctic, my visit came at the optimal season of the year. The living, especially at Toolik, was easy. Like most of the animals I saw at Toolik, I don't think I am adapted for the rigors of a complete arctic year. Lacking the physiology to hibernate like a ground squirrel, or remain active all winter like ptarmigan or fox, I must migrate south.
Here are some of the animals I encountered during my stay at Toolik. Bird Species list (50)
Lapland Longspurs
Smith's Longspur
American tree sparrow
Rock Ptarmigan
Willow Ptarmigan
Bluethroat
Northern Wheatear
American golden plover
Semipalmated plover
Golden eagle
Peregrine Falcon
Northern Harrier
American kestrel
American Robin
Grey-cheeked thrush
Northern Shrike
Snow bunting
Savanah sparrow
Yellow warbler
Red necked phalarope
Least sandpiper
Long tailed duck
Northern Pintail
Greater scaup
Shoveler
Cackling goose
Canada goose.
White fronted goose
Tundra swan
Short eared owl
Long tailed jaeger
Glaucus gull
Arctic tern
American widgeon
Lesser yellow legs
Wilson's snipe
Yellow billed loon
Pacific loon
Yellow wagtail
Horned lark
White crowned sparrow
Red Breasted Merganser
white winged scoter
Rough legged hawk
common raven
Gray jay
Bank swallow
American pipit
Hoary redpoll
Common redpoll
Arctic ground squirrel
Moose
Caribou
Dall sheep
Vole
Snowshoe hare
Grey wolf
Red fox
Grizzly Bear (tracks)
Arctic Grayling