Attu Redux

After an eight-year hiatus, I returned for two weeks, 10-24 May, to
Attu. Attu is the last island in the Aleutian chain and one of two
islands occupied by Japan during World War II. It is uninhabited except
for the 25 or so who staff the Coast Guard Weather station. The runways
are maintained for Coast Guard traffic and could easily accommodate our
Reeve Electra.

Marty had a creaky knee and did not want to go without fully
participating in the hiking/riding, so our son Greg took her place. Attu
was as remembered but with a few more of the World War II buildings
collapsed and with much more snow as a consequence of our early arrival.
The sleeping quarters/common room (lower base) were the same dank and
primitive areas with water flowing on many floors but with a dry roof.
We slept well in sleeping bags on mattresses on double bunks once
accommodated to the nightly sawmill activity from our neighbors. We
dined very well at the upper base, which required a three-day roof repair
of roof damage incurred earlier in the year when winds topped 170 mph.
As on our earlier trip, my caloric intake doubled to fuel the activities
of the day.

During the first week, there were sustained 20-45 mph winds from the W
and SW, often accompanied by driving snow and sleet. This weather was
very good for birding and record numbers of Asian migrants as well as
record numbers of individuals of a given species appeared. Almost all
the participants were in the field every day, unlike our previous trip
when ten or so people "hung out" at lower base waiting for a lifer to be
announced. There are ATVs that can be used to carry handicapped or
injured birders to remote sites and one such lady managed to see eleven
new birds during the stay.

There were 70 in our party, including 12 staff of whom 6 were leaders.
Typically, the group would split into five or six teams and cover
different sites, which were from two to twelve miles from base. The
teams would travel on bicycles, which ranged from old three speed
versions to new eighteen speed mountain bikes and which were distributed
by lot. Most bike travel was on deteriorating gravel/dirt roads that
could have extensive puddles or areas of mud or tundra where one usually
walked the bikes. Some biking was on the runways (1.3 by 1.3 miles in a
T configuration). This was in principle easier but, being more exposed,
seemed to invariably involve combating a fierce headwind. On one day on
the runways, gusts would stop bikers completely and even blow them
backwards! Once at a site the team would fan out and sweep an area on
foot, looking for rarities. This would entail high-stepping through tall
grass and tussocks or through six-inch deep spongy tundra, sloshing
through slimy seaweed or gravel on the beaches, and avoiding nails, rusty
equipment or old overgrown foxholes (the man-made sort). The teams were
in contact with base by radio so everyone would converge to a site once a
rarity was found. Inevitably, this seemed to occur when one was two
miles from one's bike and eight miles from the site. The adrenalin would
then flow and the race would be on. The first few days were difficult,
with sore legs and panting breath, but by the second week, we were
rounding into shape. Exercise prior to the trip helped but did not
prepare one for ten hours in the field. Of course, the ten or so younger
folk were unfazed by the challenge.

When the sun did pop out, there were spectacular views of snow-capped
mountains, pristine lakes and distant islands. The tundra itself is
impressive, with numerous mosses and flowers together with dwarf shrubs
and dwarf willows. The resident blue foxes provided some amusement.
Other than rats and humans, they are the only mammals on Attu.

A list of birds is appended. Some highlights were close flybys and
other close looks at Whooper Swans; a long look at a Pin-tailed Snipe
from about fifteen feet; good looks at Spotted Redshanks, one of my
most-wanted birds; and close views of a Great Knot, both flying and
feeding on the beach. With the exception of the Green Sandpiper, all of
the rarities were seen by almost all of the group. The green Sandpiper
was found eight miles from base at about 6 PM on our third day at Attu.
Only a hardy few, including Greg, pedaled off to see it, the remainder
being too weary. Despite extensive searching the next day, the bird was
not relocated.

The quarters were satisfactory as long as we knew that we had to remain
there. However, when we were scheduled to leave, we were all anxious to
leave them behind. On our scheduled departure day there was a heavy
storm and the plane circled above us but then turned back roughly 800
miles to the Pribiloffs and we had to tramp back to base. The next day,
the plane landed, to loud applause, but after we were aboard a starter
motor was found to have failed on one of the engines. There are no
repair facilities there, but fortunately a spare motor was on board. We
sat there nervously for an hour, praying or attempting to influence the
fates, while the motor was replaced, not wanting to contemplate another
day at base. We finally took off to even louder applause.

The trip was a grand adventure. Marty and I prefer to bird alone and
only go on guided trips when there is no alternative, examples being Attu
and pelagic trips. However, the experience at Attu is so profound that
we would highly recommend it to all birders. When the trip is over, one
is not only pleased with the birds but also has the feeling of having
surmounted a challenge at the edge of one's physical capabilities. In
addition one has made a number of new friends from all walks of life.

John Hirth
June 1998

Birds Seen by John and Greg (high number for a day in parentheses)

Asian species/ Arctic rarities: Laysan Albatross (1), Whooper Swan (4),
Bean Goose (1), Emperor Goose (2), Common Pochard (4), Tufted Duck (8),
Spectacled Eider (1), Smew (7), Mongolian Plover (3), Common Greenshank
(3), Spotted Redshank (3), Wood Sandpiper (81), Green Sandpiper (1),
Common Sandpiper (3), Far Eastern Curlew (2), Black-tailed Godwit (8),
Great Knot (1), Red-necked Stint (1), Temminck's Stint (4), Long-toed
Stint (6), Ruff (1), Pin-tailed Snipe (1), Slaty-backed Gull (1),
Gray-spotted Flycatcher (1), Siberian Rubythroat (1), Northern Wheatear
(1), Eyebrowed Thrush (5), Dusky Thrush (1), Yellow Wagtail (4), Gray
Wagtail (1), Black-backed Wagtail (2), Olive Tree-Pipit, Pechora Pipit
(2), Red-throated Pipit (1), Rustic Bunting (3), Brambling (15), Oriental
Greenfinch (1), and Hawfinch (3). Also Eurasian/Asian subspecies were
seen of Green-winged Teal (14), Whimbrel (1), Common Snipe (5) and Mew
Gull (1).

Other species: Red-throated Loon (2), Pacific Loon (1), Common Loon (1),
Yellow-billed Loon (1), Red-necked Grebe (1), Pelagic Cormorant (8),
Red-faced Cormorant (2), Canada Goose (72), Mallard (7), Northern Pintail
(3), Northern Shoveler (1), Eurasian Wigeon (57), Greater Scaup (18),
Common Eider (23), Harlequin Duck (60), Black Scoter (2), White-winged
Scoter (2), Common Goldeneye (17), Bufflehead (12), Common Merganser (2),
Red-breasted Merganser (8, including one all-white albino), Rock
Ptarmigan (2), Black-bellied Plover (2), Pacific Golden-Plover (17),
Bar-tailed Godwit (2), Ruddy Turnstone (2), Dunlin (12), Parasitic Jaeger
(1), Black-headed Gull (1), Glaucous-winged Gull (38), Aleutian Tern (3),
Common Murre (4), Thick-billed Murre (1), Pigeon guillemot (4), Marbled
Murrelet (2), Kittlitz's Murrelet (4), Ancient murrelet (6), Tufted
Puffin (110), Horned Puffin (3), Short-eared Owl (1), Sky Lark (1),
Common Raven (9), Winter Wren (1), Song Sparrow (4), Lapland Longspur
(11), and Snow Bunting (3).