Nome and the Seward Peninsula: The Bristle-thighed Curlew Tour
DATES
2010
MAY 29 – JUNE 2, 2010
JUNE 3 – 7, 2010
JUNE 9 - 13, 2010
2011
MAY 27 - 31, 2011
JUNE 1 - 5, 2011
COST (PER PERSON)
DOUBLE: $2700
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $400
DEPOSIT: $500
INCLUDES
From Anchorage, 4 nights lodging, all meals from lunch on the first day through breakfast on the final day; air to Nome, transport, guides, taxes, tips.
Not Included: alcohol, personal calls, laundry, other personal expenses
PARTICIPANTS
Limited to 14 participants in two vans.
LEADERS
Forrest Davis. 1 leader for seven or less; 2 leaders for 8 or more.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
Easy with 1 – 2 miles walking per day; most birding by vehicle.
SLIDESHOW
(Run your mouse over any slide to make the caption drop down from the top.)
OVERVIEW
Nome lies on the Seward Peninsula, jutting into the Bering Sea. It's a frontier town in a world where few such curiosities remain. Accessible only by boat and airplane, bordered on the West and South by the Bering Sea, and the North and East by miles of trackless wilderness, Nome is a fascinating and challenging destination. During June the Midnight Sun is at its brightest, the tundra is in full bloom, and the birds and mammals are breeding.
Our tours will cover the prime birding areas along the seacoast, the tundra and the only boreal forest on the Seward Peninsula. Most of the birds are in their resplendent breeding plumages—rarely if ever seen in the “lower 48”. We'll make an extra effort to locate some of the Asian species that regularly occur at Nome. The road system of Nome provides the best access to the Alaska bush without an airplane, and we will drive it extensively.
Nome 1 is typically the best trip for Asian vagrants, although, some are usually found in the second week of June as well. Expected species in Nome: 90+species, including Arctic & Yellow-billed Loon; Bristle-thighed Curlew; Slaty-backed Gull; Gyrfalcon; Yellow and White Wagtail; Hoary Redpoll and Bluethroat. Species we usually see annually or almost annually, especially in early June: Emperor Goose, Steller's Eider, Spectacled Eider, Mongolian Plover, Red-necked Stint. Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Ruff, Terek Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Siberian Rubythroat among others have all been seen over the years. We're always on the lookout for other casual and accidental Asian species as well. Mammals: Grizzly Bear, Moose, Reindeer, Arctic Wolf, Arctic Fox, Muskox, Wolverine and others.
Our lodging is in the Aurora Inn overlooking the Bering Sea. The Inn is only a few years old and is the most comfortable lodging. All rooms have private baths and are very spacious. The weather will be mild for Nome—ranging from 20 to 50 degrees—but will require layering of clothing for maximum comfort.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Arrive about 11:30 AM in Nome. We’ll get settled in at the Inn and have lunch. Birding after lunch along Safety Lagoon. We’ll spend the rest of the day carefully searching the shorelines, lagoons and ponds along the Bering Sea for rarities such as Arctic Loon, Yellow-billed Loon, Red-necked Stint, Ross’ Gull, Spectacled Eider, as well as the many resident shorebirds, waterfowl and seabirds.
DAY 2: Kougarok/Taylor Road: We drive the 85 mile length of Kougarak Road into the high tundra and mountains of Seward Peninsula in search of nesting Bristle-thighed Curlew, Bluethroat and Gyrfalcon, among others. We’ll watch (carefully) for Grizzly Bear and Moose. Other mammals we may see here and in other locations on our trip include: Reindeer, Arctic Wolf, Arctic Fox, Musk Ox, Wolverine, Short-tailed Weasel, Gray and Humpback Whales, Spotted Seal, Harbor Porpoise, Walrus (immature) and others.
DAY 3: Teller Road: We slowly drive out Teller Road, stopping at Wooley Lagoon to see a native whale-hunting outpost on the Bering Sea, while observing nesting Black-bellied, Pacific and American Golden-Plovers as well as Semipalmated Sandpipers and Whimbrels.We should get good looks at Northern Wheatears and Snow Buntings as well. We have had Red-throated Pipit in the mountains adjacent to Wooley Lagoon, and we'll check the area carefully for this bird. At the end of the road, we find Teller itself, an Inupiat village that sits out on a spit in the bay. White Wagtail and many alcids, including Horned & Tufted Puffins, Pigeon & Black Guillemots and Common Murres are regular here. We should see Spotted Seals close to the shore.
DAY 4: Council Road: We drive along Safety Lagoon again, looking for shorebirds, waterfowl, geese, swans, loons. The road to Council can be difficult to traverse at time, but we hope to make it out to the small fishing village in the interior on Fish Creek. This area represents the only Boreal forest on the Seward Peninsula and should yield Varied Thrush, Boreal Chickadee, Rough-legged Hawk and other alpine species. We have heard Boreal Owl as well in the area.
DAY 5: Breakfast and prepare to depart at 8:30 AM for the airport and return to Anchorage where the trip ends.
Road conditions can affect the access to certain species such as the Bristle-thighed Curlew. If the road is impassable, we won't be able to see this bird unless we get lucky and one shows up along the coast or on another road, as happens occasionally.
CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT
Details provided closer to departure date.
SOME RECOMMENDED FIELD GUIDES AND BOOKS
North American Field Guides & Bird Finding Guides:
- Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition. 2006, Jon Dunn, et al., National Geographic Society
- Shorebirds of North America, Europe, and Asia, 1993,
- Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide. Dennis Paulson, 2005.
- The Sibley Guide to Birds, David A. Sibley; Alfred A. Knopf, 2000.
- Seabirds of the World, Peter Harrison, 1997. (available soon again from ABA Sales)
Asian Field Guides:
- A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan, Wild Bird Society of Japan, 1982, Wild Bird Society of Japan
- A Field Guide to the Waterbirds of Asia, Bharat Bhushan, et al., 1993, Wild Bird Society of Japan
- Birds of Russia and Adjacent Territories, V. E. Flint, et al., 1984, Princeton University Press
- A Field Guide to the Birds of China, John MacKinnon & Karen Phillipps, 2000, Oxford University Press
European Field Guides:
- Birds of Europe, Killian Mullarney, et al., 1999, Princeton University Press
- Birds of Europe with North Africa and the Middle East, Lars Jonsson, 1992, Princeton University Press
- The Handbook of Bird Identification for Europe and the Western Palearctic, Princeton University Press, 1998, Mark Beaman and Steve Madge
- A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe, Ian Lewington, et al., 1991, Domino Books, Ltd.
- New Generation Guide Birds of Britain and Europe, Christopher Perrins, 1987, University of Texas Press
The Alaska Experience:
- Living on the Edge, Spike Walker. Wonderfully descriptive book about Dutch Harbor and crabbing in the Bering Sea.
- Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez. Pulitzer Prize-winning non-fiction about the High Arctic. Beautifully written!
- Any book by Dana Stabenow, an Alaska mystery writer whose books are enjoyable a very informative about Alaska native life.
During your free time in Anchorage, don’t miss going to Wave Bookstores on Northern Lights or downtown on 5th Avenue. They have a great selection of Alaska fiction and non-fiction! In addition, there are some excellent restaurants downtown, including Orso, Glacier Brew House, Simon & Seafort’s, and Marx Brothers.
Above birding books can be obtained from Madison Audubon Shoppe, (888) 505-9056, with a 10% discount by mentioning High Lonesome BirdTours. ABA Sales and the various web book dealers are also sources.
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