Photo: Kaaren Perry Breeding Birds of Alaska's Tundra, Forests, and Fjords Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 08012A Price: $3,545 Deposit: $200 Capacity: 12 Leader:
The Trip  Photo: Mary Deutsche This trip has been canceled. If you have questions, please contact us.
Welcome to Alaska, North America’s ultimate birding destination. By van, boat, airplane, and on foot, we will explore boreal forests, bogs, lakes, glaciers, rolling tundra, mountains, shorelines, and coastal fjords in our search for birds. And we will take in the wildlife and wildflowers along the way. Plan to be entranced by endless miles of unspoiled wilderness, by islands teeming with bird life, wildflowers in peak bloom on the tundra, and by the endless light of the Arctic summer. During the course of our almost two-week odyssey, we hope to see many of Alaska’s specialty birds, many of which can be viewed at close range. We will spend two nights in Anchorage, five nights in Nome, and four nights in the vicinity of Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward. It will still be spring in Alaska, so we’re likely to observe many birds, courting and nesting in their breeding plumages, which rarely or never appear elsewhere in North America. Examples include the northern wheatear, bluethroat, and arctic warbler. We will do a considerable amount of birding on this trip. Novice birders are welcome to sign up for the trip, but given the large amount of time we devote to birding, a strong interest in birds is recommended. We will search for most of Alaska’s specialty birds as outlined below. We will visit seabird cliff rookeries with thousands of murres, kittiwakes, gulls, and puffins. We will search for the rare and endangered bristle-thighed curlew, the rare common-ringed plover, and the very uncommon red-necked Stint. At all times, we are on the lookout for Asian strays such as brambling, Eurasian wigeon, and tree pipit. Our adventure will begin in Anchorage on the shores of Cook Inlet, where we will encounter shorebirds, seabirds, and if we’re lucky perhaps a beluga whale. From Anchorage, we will travel to Nome, located on the Seward Peninsula, on the shores of the cold waters of the Bering Sea. In addition to shoreline birding near Nome, we will explore the interior mountains and rolling tundra via old gold mining routes constructed at the turn of the 20th century. After returning from Nome we will travel south to the Kenai Peninsula where we will explore old growth forests, bogs, and glaciers in the beautiful mountains around Seward. We will finish with a pelagic trip into Resurrection Bay and the fjords that feed into it.
Day 1: Participants should plan to arrive in Anchorage no later than mid-afternoon. We will meet in our hotel lobby at approximately 5:00 p.m. for an orientation and dinner. A taxi or hotel shuttle is recommended for the transfer from the airport to our hotel, where a room will be waiting for you. A brief, self-guided birding excursion from the hotel to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and the Westchester Lagoon before dinner is recommended if there is time. Day 2: In the vicinity of Anchorage, we will check the mud flats of the Cook Inlet for Hudsonian godwit, surfbird, greater and lesser yellowlegs, dowitchers, and other shore birds. We should see numerous bald eagles as we explore the lakes in the area for red-necked and horned grebes, many duck varieties, mew and glaucous gulls, and terns. We will visit nearby mountain forests and meadows for warblers (Townsend’s, Wilson’s, yellow), flycatchers, crossbills, and woodpeckers (three-toed, black-backed), and several sparrow species. Day 3: We continue our adventure with a flight to Nome. At the turn of the 20th century, Nome was the gold capital of Alaska. Today, the town is a major center for the native people of the region, and well known for its associations with the Iditarod trans-Alaska dogsled race. Traveling in vans, we will immediately begin birding the area around the city of Nome, searching out the willow thickets for orange-crowned, yellow, blackpoll, and Wilson’s warblers; gray-cheeked thrush and northern water thrush; golden-crowned, fox, and American tree sparrows; American and Pacific golden plovers; and Lapland longspur. We will also look for several Old World species including yellow and white wagtails.  Photo: Kaaren Perry Days 4-7: There are three main roads leading out of Nome, each extending approximately 75 miles into the incredibly vast and beautiful countryside. Possible mammal sightings include moose, reindeer, grizzly bear, arctic fox, red fox, arctic hare, and musk ox. In particular, we will search for the bird specialties in the area, the beautiful and spectacular bluethroat, white wagtail, short-eared owl, bar-tailed godwit, slaty-backed and Sabine’s gulls, red-throated and Pacific loons, long-tailed duck, and the rare, endangered—some would say mythical—bristle-thighed curlew. The landscape inland from Nome is quite mountainous, with high domes overlooking narrow river valleys. This habitat is excellent for rock and willow ptarmigan, wandering tattler, harlequin duck, golden eagle, northern shrike, rough-legged hawk, and gyrfalcon. Northern wheatear and snow bunting may also be found with a short hike into the mountains. The search for the bristle-thighed curlew involves an optional hike for several miles over fairly difficult, rolling tundra. We will visit Safety Lagoon and Cape Nome, where we often find nesting red-throated and Pacific loons, Arctic and Aleutian terns, common eider, and possibly an Arctic loon or Sabine’s gull. Rarities and surprises, such as red knot, Mongolian plover, red-necked stint, common ringed plover, emperor goose, slaty-backed gull and king or stellar’s eiders are always possible in the Nome area. We may find parasitic and long-tailed jaegers without too much difficulty, and we should get good views of brant, tundra swans, perhaps eurasian wigeon, and innumerable shorebirds of many species. Most of the birds we see will be in their spectacular breeding plumages and many will be displaying and/or doing their mating “dances” in the air, in the water, or on the tundra in front of us. We will also look for gray and/or minke whale, ringed seals, and other large sea mammals. A polar bear was seen in 2005 and 2007 along Safety Lagoon. Day 8: We will return to Anchorage on a commercial flight then head south on the Seward Highway to the Kenai Peninsula. Along the way, if there is high tide, we will watch for Beluga Whales in Turnagain Arm or for Dall Sheep on the cliffs. We will look for alpine species such as Townsend’s warbler, kinglets, pine grosbeak, red-breasted nuthatch, white-winged crossbill, and chestnut-backed chickadees near Alyeska. Then we’ll watch for several varieties of waterfowl as we pass streams and lakes on our way into Seward. Day 9-10: We will bird and hike in sitka spruce and western hemlock forests and along ocean shorelines in hopes of views of harlequin duck, marbled murrelet, spruce grouse, chestnut-backed and boreal chickadees, northwestern crow, pine grosbeak, Townsend’s warbler, three-toed woodpecker, varied thrush, American dipper, red and white-winged crossbills, rufous hummingbird, and bald eagle. Sightings of mountain goat and black bear are possible at Exit Glacier and on the bluffs overlooking Resurrection Bay. We will take a hike into the rainforests to explore a large bog for spruce grouse and other mountain and forest birds.  Photo: Deutsche Day 11: Today, we will take a special eight-hour custom boat tour through the sheltered waters of Resurrection Bay and up into some of the fjords of Kenai Fjords National Park. The park is a natural sensory paradise with craggy sea-stacks, magnificent glaciers, and rugged wilderness islands with towering rain forests. Designed specifically for bird and wildlife observation, our vessel stops for anything of interest, allowing as much time as needed for close observation. Our chances of encountering whales, both humpback and orca, are excellent, and we should also see harbor seals, steller’s sea lions, and Dall’s porpoises. We will traverse through the Chiswell Islands famous for nesting seabirds. We should see hundreds of horned and tufted puffins, common and thick-billed murres, marbled murrelets, pigeon guillemot, red-faced and pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, and perhaps peregrine falcon along with many bald eagles. If we are lucky, we will see Kittlitz’s and ancient murrelets. We may also see short-tailed and sooty shearwater, fork-tailed storm petrel, northern fulmar, rhinoceros auklet, and, with luck, the parakeet auklet. After our pelagic adventure, we will return to our forest cabins in Seward. Day 12: We will spend the morning in and around Seward visiting the Alaska Sea Life Center and research facility built with funds received after the Valdez oil spill and birding a few local areas in Seward. By late morning we will start our return trip to Anchorage. After a few stops along the way, we will arrive in Anchorage no later than early evening. Several late evening flights out of the Anchorage airport are available, or you might prefer to make your own reservations to stay longer in Alaska. Our trip will officially end after dinner on day 12. Our vans will transport you to either the airport or to the hotel of your choice. Getting There Trip members are advised to fly into Anchorage, our starting point, at least a full day before the start of the trip. By planning to arrive early, trip members will have extra time to deal with (unlikely but possible) missed flight connections or lost baggage. The leader will provide trip members with the name of a reasonably priced, centrally located hotel to spend the night before the trip, which is not included in the trip price. Pre- and Post-trip Options: St. Paul Island in the Pribiloffs: A trip to St. Paul Island primarily for birding can be bought as a package which includes airfare, lodging, and guided tour. Many rarities can be seen there. You can check them out on the web at www.alaskabirding.com/. Denali National Park: Denali National Park is 6 hrs by car or 8 hrs by train north of Anchorage. There is lots of lodging available. The very best way to see the park is to take a shuttle bus ride into the park as far as Wonder Lake or Kantishna. The park has some opportunities to see birds but one goes there for the beauty of the mountains and for wildlife which is easily and safely viewed from the bus which stops for all wildlife. Cars are not allowed on the road inside the park itself. You can check the park out on the web at www.nps.gov/dena and the train at www.alaska.com/places/parks/dena/.
The accommodations on this outing are hotel, inn, and remote cabins. They will be comfortable but not luxurious. All are modern and have private bathrooms. Participants are responsible for all dinners. Food for simple breakfasts and picnic lunches is provided each day. In-between meal snacks and beverages are not included in the trip price. There are many restaurant options for dinner near our accommodations.
This is a very active trip with a full schedule of activities. You do not have to be in excellent physical condition to make this trip, but there will be a fair amount of walking, some prolonged standing, and many hours spent riding in a van. Be aware that there will be full days of driving in wilderness areas without facilities. On most days, we will have picnic lunches by the side of the road, on hikes, or in the vans. A spirit of adventure and curiosity, plus a love of birds and wildlife, are essential to making this a memorable trip.
On Sierra Club outings, participants furnish their own personal equipment, including items such as waterproof hiking boots, walking stick, a day pack, a basic first-aid kit, toiletries, simple eating utensils, and a water bottle. You do not need a sleeping bag or tent. You will also want to bring binoculars and/or camera. The Sierra Club furnishes all shared group gear including a group first-aid kit, route finding materials, field guides, maps, and food, unless otherwise stated in the trip brochure. Once you’ve signed up, your leader will supply a complete equipment list. Any questions about the suitability of equipment should be addressed to the leader. With Alaskan weather, anything is possible. Temperatures can range from freezing at high altitudes and high latitudes to the lower 80’s at low altitudes. Expect to encounter cold, rain, wind, and even warm sunshine. Good footwear is critical. For intrepid explorers, an additional pair of rubber boots might even come in handy. Given the season, biting bugs should not be a major problem. Alaska, however, has high mosquito activity compared to other states, so always bring bug repellent. If you are sensitive to mosquito bites, a head net and/or bug shirt may be appropriate.
 Photo: Mary Deutsche The National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America is an all-around, compact field guide for Alaska birding. The pocket-sized western edition of the Sibley guide is also a reasonable choice. The leaders will have more specialized references on birds, mammals, and flora with them. They will provide an optional preparatory list of readings in advance of the trip. Conservation Various guest speakers will fill us in on Alaska's conservation traditions, a talk on the native subsistence lifestyle, for example, should be particularly enlightening. There's no shortage of conservation issues in Alaska these days, global warming and oil for example, and we'll touch on many of them during our travels. Travel in Alaska and the Arctic Sierra Club outings in Alaska are special experiences in true wilderness, but they also carry an element of risk. Trip locales are often remote, away from the amenities of civilization, including sophisticated medical care and immediate evacuation possibilities. Many of our Alaska trips now carry satellite phones, but even with this technology, communication with the outside world can be difficult and emergency assistance can be days away. Weather in Alaska is unpredictable, and inclement weather can be severe. Among other hazards are cold river and stream crossings, tidal activity, calving glaciers, the psychological effects of remoteness, and the presence of large wild animals. You’re in good hands, though, so don't worry: Your trip leaders have vast experience in the Last Frontier, and they’ll provide all the guidance you need.
The cost of the trip includes round-trip air fare from Anchorage to Nome, van travel in the Nome and Seward areas, accommodations beginning with day one in Anchorage and ending on the final day in Seward, breakfast and lunches, and admission to the SeaLife Center. See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
Leader:
General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
|
Mary Deutsche has enjoyed nature and the outdoors all her life, and has been an avid birder for many years. She has birded in many U.S. states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Honduras. All birds are special to her, even though she may have seen them many times before. She loves to observe their behavior and the ways in which they interact with people and their environment. Alaska has become a very special place for Mary because of its vastness, wilderness, and unparalleled beauty. She has been to Alaska several times, and each trip draws her back for yet another visit. Mary also enjoys gardening, reading, travel, and has participated in several medical missions in Central America.
Kaaren Perry has been interested in birds and nature since childhood. She is an avid birder and has birded throughout the United States, Canada, France, England, Greece, and the Czech Republic. For the past 20 years, Kaaren has enjoyed leading local field trips and conducting yearly field classes in the study of gulls, seabirds, and birds of the rocky coast. She was also selected as field trip leader for the Salton Sea and San Diego Birding Festivals and the Western Field Ornithologists conference. Kaaren is the current Vice President of the Sea and Sage Chapter of the National Audubon Society. She has trained naturalists for the chapter's award winning outdoor education program.
As an avid hiker and lover of the outdoors, over 10 years ago, Jean Bronstein decided that those "little brown birds" might be an interesting addition to her hiking. Little did she know one local bird class would lead to a new passion. In preparation for retirement, Jean trained to be a naturalist docent at Ano Nuevo -- an elephant seal reserve -- and enjoys leading and interpreting for visitors from far and wide. Nature travel has been her love for many years taking her to many parts of the world and her avid scuba diving has taken her to many underwater locations as well. Jean especially loved birding in Alaska and seeing the birds "all dressed up" in their breeding plumage.