For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE.
See this triplist in printable PDF format with media only on page 1.
Denali National Park is a must-see destination. Even if it weren't for the birds and mammals, the scenery alone was breathtaking. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
Alaska. Just that word alone brings to mind sky-scraping mountains, rocky shorelines, endless spruce forests, and expansive tundra. The state is so huge, in fact, that our tours divide it up into two parts. This part, Part I, visited some of the most remote islands in the state, the famed Pribilof Islands, and ventured north to the breathtaking Denali region.
We kicked things off in Anchorage where, even across the street from our hotel, we found ourselves ticking off species like Canvasback, Barrow's Goldeneye, Common Loon, and our first Bald Eagles. But our flight out to St. Paul Island was when the landscape really started to change for us. We dropped out of the clouds to find ourselves on a volcanic island several hundred miles from mainland Alaska. We donned our coats and hit the ground running, seeing several rare birds that first afternoon. Goodies like Black-headed Gull and even an Eyebrowed Thrush were waiting for us!
Our time on St. Paul Island was spent witnessing several eye-opening spectacles. From the cliff faces hosting hundreds of nesting seabirds, to the rugged beaches and quaint little town, St. Paul really is one of the most unique spots in the state. Cliffs like Ridge Wall and Reef Point put us face-to-face with Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, Parakeet Auklets, a variety of murres, and even the striking Crested Auklets. King Eiders and Ancient Murrelets were seen offshore, marshes hid rare Wood Sandpipers, and even a couple of displaying Red-necked Stints were found at Antone Slough! St. Paul Island is lucky to have several nice ponds and they hosted bathing Red-legged Kittiwakes, Cackling Geese, a Snow Goose, and even a mini-flock of Eurasian Wigeon. The beaches were home to the bellowing Northern Fur Seals, the cliffside vegetation hid Pacific Wrens, and the skies over the island provided some of the most exciting moments of the tour... a crippling view of the mega-rare White-tailed Eagle in the last hour or two we had on the island! What a send-off!
Back on mainland, we shifted gears, readjusted to having trees around, and visited Potter Marsh where we lucked into the continuing Falcated Duck, a very rare vagrant from Asia! As we drove north towards Denali, we stopped at the Sockeye Burn which delivered Western Wood-Pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and even a nest of American Three-toed Woodpeckers! Farther north, even the highway yielded some awesome sightings like a Northern Goshawk overhead and a Spruce Grouse that somehow found us.
We spent a couple of days in the Denali region which was filled with a wealth of birds, some incredible mega-fauna, and scenery that was hard to beat. The Denali Highway took us into the land of Willow Ptarmigan, White-winged Crossbills, and lakes that hosted Red-throated Loons, Surf Scoters, and White-winged Scoters. Gray-cheeked Thrushes sang along the roadsides, Wilson's Warblers teed-up in trees, and yellowlegs perched on the tops of spruces! The following day we took the bus into the famed Denali National Park where we connected with a couple of the classic mammals of Alaska: Grizzly Bear, Caribou, Dall's Sheep, and Moose. Meanwhile, Golden Eagles kept us company, circling overhead.
As we drove back towards Anchorage, we birded near Denali State Park which continued to provide new and fascinating sightings. A singing Alder Flycatcher showed well, a Northern Waterthrush perched in a spruce, a Varied Thrush skipped through the shadows, and a stunning Black-backed Woodpecker perched at eye-level. Back in Anchorage, we connected with American Dipper, Harlequin Ducks, and even a kingfisher at Elmendorf Fish Hatchery. Westchester Lagoon was also very birdy and we added Hudsonian Godwit, some sharp Bonaparte's Gulls, and even the tiny Red-breasted Nuthatch.
It was a whirlwind of mountains, tundra, oceans, cliff-faces, puffins, fur seals, auklets, moose, and bears! But after a few days, Part I sadly concluded. However, on behalf of Field Guides, we sincerely hope you made memories that you'll remember forever. Tom and I had a blast and we hoped you did too! A huge shout-out to Karen in Austin who helped this tour run smoothly. Thanks so much for making this a fun trip and maybe we'll see you again on another tour.
Good birding!
- Cory
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
BIRDS
Any visit to Alaska could produce a rarity from Asia. This time, our tour coincided with the presence of some incredible vagrants including this Falcated Duck near Anchorage! Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
Even though rarities in far-flung parts of the country can be fun, the real joy of visiting the cliffs on St. Paul Island revolved around awesome views of alcids including Horned Puffins. Photo by participant Eileen Wheeler.
Another reason to visit the remote Pribilof Islands is this cute little gull, the Red-legged Kittiwake. This species is one of the most range-restricted gulls in the world. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
On the mainland, the roadsides were repeatedly visited by this classic Alaskan species, the Willow Ptarmigan. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
Seeing a rare shorebird on a speck of land in the Bering Sea might seem out of reach but visiting St. Paul Island might just fulfill that goal! For us, not only did we get views of the Red-necked Stint, we even got to watch as they displayed in flight, something very few people have seen here in North America. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
We lucked out and managed to see the top of the often-obscured Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. Photo by participant Eileen Wheeler.
One of the stars of the show on St. Paul Island was this regal Tufted Puffin. This tour allows us to get within mere feet away from these stunners. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
This alcid, the Parakeet Auklet, is found only in the Bering Sea region. We all enjoyed point blank views along the cliffs of St. Paul Island. Photo by participant Eileen Wheeler.
Visiting the remote islands in western Alaska is a little bit like playing the lottery. On our trip to the Pribilofs, we connected with several rarities like Eyebrowed Thrush, Wood Sandpiper, and this White-tailed Eagle! It was an epic chase and, just in the nick of time, we caught up to this sought-after raptor. We were able to appreciate the subtle fieldmarks between the White-tailed (bottom) and the Bald Eagle (top); the broader-tipped wings of the White-tailed, the slightly smaller size of the Bald, and the less-extensive white underneath on the White-tailed. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
It's hard not to love the Crested Auklet, an alcid with a distinctive tuft springing from its forehead! Views of these from St. Paul Island were superb. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
The Alaska tour often connects with some quality woodpeckers. One such species this year was Black-backed Woodpecker; here's a male photographed by guide Tom Johnson.
Another rarity from Asia we connected with on St. Paul Island was not one, or two, but at least three different Wood Sandpipers! Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
We were able to bird along the Denali Highway where we encountered ptarmigan, a variety of shorebirds, and attractive songbirds like Wilson's Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, and Gray-cheeked Thrush. The scenery was top-notch! Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
Usually not seen in North America, this sneaky Eyebrowed Thrush had gotten lost over the ocean and ended up in the USA! We got distant looks at Polovina Hill on St. Paul Island. Photo by guide Tom Johnson.
When you stick your thumb out, there usually isn't a Tufted Puffin at the end of your finger! Here's Jan at Reef Point, St. Paul Island. Photo by guide Cory Gregory.
MAMMALS
From Black Diamond Hill on St. Paul Island, with Salt Lagoon and crab pots in the background, our group was all smiles! Photo by our local guide with participant Eileen Wheeler's camera.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Totals for the tour: 130 bird taxa and 17 mammal taxa