The Pribilof Islands support perhaps the largest colony of nesting sea birds in the world, as well as a rookery of 1.7 million Northern Fur Seals. During our four days on St. Paul Island we’ll have time to visit—and photograph—these teeming wildlife communities practically from arm’s length. Scientists speculate that the alcid family evolved here in the Bering Sea, and there is simply no better place to see breeding Thick-billed Murres, and Parakeet, Crested, and Least Auklets, as well as quizzical Horned and Tufted Puffins. Cliff-nesting specialties include gorgeous Red-faced Cormorants and Red-legged Kittiwakes (a species that nests only in the Pribilofs and the nearby Russian Commander Islands), as well as Northern Fulmar. Rock Sandpipers and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches (the largest subspecies in the world), Snow Buntings, and Lapland Longspurs, all in display flights and in dazzling mating plumage, are constant distractions. Long-tailed Duck (Oldsquaw) is the common pond duck, but beautiful Harlequin Ducks in the town cove sometimes number in the hundreds. Vagrant birds to St. Paul in recent years have included such sought-after species as Bean Goose, King Eider, Smew, Gray-tailed Tattler, Far Eastern Curlew, Snowy Owl, Common Cuckoo, Sky Lark, Brambling, and Hawfinch (all of these seen by Borderland Tours groups). Arctic Foxes (both blue and silver color phases) are actually commonplace, but the islands’ premier mammal is the Northern Fur Seal. Enormous harem masters, weighing up to 600 pounds, spar for precious space in early spring several weeks before the sleek cows (only 1/5 the size of the bulls) complete their 7,000 mile migration to return to their nativity beaches. Additionally St. Paul, population about 800, constitutes the largest community of Aleut people in the world. We will gain insights into both their traditional culture and the impact of the 20th century as we explore the largest island of the remote Pribilofs, and the tidy, brightly painted village the Aleuts call home. A full day of birding is also scheduled in Anchorage on this trip. Although none of these can be guaranteed, the Anchorage area offers us our best chance of seeing Hudsonian Godwit, Northern Saw-whet and Boreal Owls, and Black-backed Woodpecker of any place we visit in Alaska.

Photo:  Tufted Puffin
Photo by:  Dave Kutilek