During our spring Alaska tours, we cover a lot of ground across this huge state. Every year our guides and clients always yearn for more time in Nome, one of the most exciting places to be a birder in North America. Starting in 2021, we've decided to expand our Alaska tour offerings to include a longer visit to Nome and the surrounding Seward Peninsula. With a full week here at the northwestern corner of the continent, we'll have more time to explore lesser known birding sites in depth and linger with ephemeral migrants and breeding bird phenomena -- but don't worry, we'll also pursue typical spring Nome highlights such as Bristle-thighed Curlews, Arctic Loons, Aleutian Terns, Muskox, and more.

On this new itinerary, we plan to survey all three of the major roads in the Nome area (Nome-Teller Highway, Kougarok Road, and Council Road), extending the reach of our birding to the settlements of Teller and Council -- farther than we're usually able to venture during our regular spring Alaska tours. This will enhance our chances at finding White Wagtails (Teller area), breeding shorebirds of rocky montane habitats (Red Knot, Rock Sandpiper, and more), and boreal species such as Spruce Grouse that narrowly make it to the Council area in a belt of spruce forest. Of course, this expanded route will give us more chances to study the regular avifauna of the Seward peninsula as well. And perhaps we'll even stumble into a rarity like a Red-throated Pipit, Great Knot, or Lesser Sand-Plover!

In order to keep tabs on the pulse of spring migration (which lasts all month in Nome), we'll make regular visits to the legendary Nome River Mouth and Safety Sound Lagoon, dynamic coastal sites that often see a great deal of turnover as migrants and breeders move through with the ebb and flow of the tides. Emperor Geese, Red-necked Stints, Slaty-backed Gulls, and other surprises hide amongst the legions of regular migrants and breeding species here. Seawatching will help us search for uncommon oceanic visitors to the area -- perhaps Short-tailed Shearwaters or a Kittlitz's Murrelet will be on offer -- the more relaxed pace of this tour will give us plenty of time for goodies to pass by along the coast of Norton Sound.

Whether you've never been to the Far North before and you're looking for an enjoyable kickoff to your Alaska birding experience, or you've birded Nome and dream of a return visit, consider joining us for a week in one of America's most invigorating birding hotspots. Remember, there's No Place like Nome!

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.