Subject: Re: Pribilofs
Date: Jun 6 20:11:55 1996
From: steppie at wolfenet.com - steppie at wolfenet.com


>I heard that one of ours has just returned from 2 weeks of birding in the
>Pribilofs. I hope he posts something for the rest of us to drool over!
>
>Scott
>
>_______________________________________________________________
>Scott Ray Washington Birder Newsletter
>Yakima, WA PO Box 191
>email: scray at wolfenet.com Moxee, WA 98908
> http://www.wolfenet.com/~scray/
>_______________________________________________________________
>
>

Tweeters,

A brief report follows: I spent 8 daysat St. Paul on the Pribilofs, spending
upwards of 18 hours a day in the mist and north winds getting good studies
of the masses of Bering Sea seabirds: the auklets, murres, puffins,
kittiwakes and handful of passerines (only 7 spp. in 8 days, but including
Bluethroat and N. Wheatear). Lots of Pacific Golden-Plovers, 1 Mongolian
Plover and several Wood Sandpipers.

Then, I birded n. of Anchorage for a day on the Glenn Hwy - had a great day
with lots of diversity including a N. Hawk-owl. Then a day s. to the Kenai
Fiords. Unfortunately 2/3 of the boatload got seasick, so we turned back
bwefore getting to the Chiswells. Then a day birding Anchorage proper
including Potter's Marsh and the alpine at Glen Alps. Anchorage birders
have, at leasrt seasonally, some wonderful birding; I was very pleased.

Then, off to Gambell on St. Lawrence Island for 5 days to view more
seabirds. Got an Ivory Gull + a zillion more auklets, guillemots, murres,
puffins, eiders and Red Phalaropes. The Northwest Cape is truly world class
birding - with hundreds of individuals of many species passing by every
minute. Seldom an hour goes by without some goody, including orcas,
humpbacks, gray whales, walrus, or any of a number of bird species. Truly an
outstanding spot for a seawatch!

To me, the biggest surprise and most memorable part of the trip was birding
Nome. Diversity is is very high...no wonder Brina Kessel wrote a model
regional account on this area: Birds of the Seward Peninsula. Absolutely
great birding! Lots of large mammals, great botanizing, just an all-round
great area. I got out of our vehicle and heard the Bristle-thighed Curlew
close at hand while taking a leak was wonderful too, thus averting the usual
death marsh over the tussocky tundra for the other 17 folks. The curlew then
landed on the road at point-blank range! The rule at Nome is now to fill up
on liquids so as to have full bladders by the appointed spot 75 miles north
of Nome - Bristle-thighed Curlews will be on cue, guaranteed.

Wonderful trip, but harsh conditions. My hats off to the native subsistence
folk who make a go of it in Beringia.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA