One of the birding highlights for me was seeing the hundreds of thousands of breeding sea birds. These birds take advantage of the huge cliffs around much of the island, securing a tiny ledge or burrow for the short breeding season.
Breeding won't start until June, which is fortunate as many of the cliffs are still covered in snow…
But the cliffs are still good places at this time of year to see alcids (black and white colored sea birds that are like little penguins) resting and prospecting for nest sites - if you don't mind the combination of wind, cold, and heights…
One of the most common alcids on the island is the Least Auklet - a tiny bird, with some funny whiskers and a knobbly bill…
And if you think that's funny-looking...
Crested Auklet - nasal crests are in this year
Parakeet Auklets have a unique bill shape - almost circular - that helps them catch small crustaceans and jellyfish...
Parakeet Auklets
The island is home to 2 species of Puffin - one of my favorite sights on the cliffs and on the water…
Horned Puffin
Tufted Puffin
Puffins nest in excavated burrows at the top of the cliffs.
The largest alcids are the Murres - there are 2 types on the island, the larger, darker and more common Thick-billed Murre, and the smaller, browner Common Murre...
Thick-billed Murres - at the back are black with a white line above the bill.
Common Murres (2 in the middle) are brown.
Thick-billed Murres pretending to be penguins
Kittiwakes also use the cliffs to nest (both Black-legged and Red-legged). Occasionally, the much larger Fulmars can be seen resting here too…
Northern Fulmar
Fulmars are "tubenoses" - notice the complicated bill structure which has up to 9 different plates. This helps their olfaction, allowing them to locate food (and possibly their nests) over vast ocean distances. Tubenoses spend almost their entire lives at sea, and drink sea water. The bill also incorporates an enlarged nasal gland that helps to remove salt - forming a 5% saline solution that drips out of the nose (on cold days I think that was happening to us on the cliffs too!)
The non-cliff parts of the island are mostly tree-less tundra - which looks like this…
or this...
Volcanic lava fields.
The lava fields are a favorite nesting area for the Snow Bunting…
as well as the Pribilof Gray-crowned Rosy-finch…
These Rosy-finches are significantly larger than their mainland counterparts.
At this time of year, there are many pools and marshy areas created from the snowmelt. These are great places to find shorebirds - like today's Wood Sandpiper, a vagrant from Russia…
Wood Sandpiper
Unfortunately, not all of these rarities stay alive long enough for me to count…
Remains of a Slaty-back Gull - would have been a life bird, if it was an alive bird!
Walking any of these areas requires lots of clothing...
Notice the Neos overboots - popular in Alaska. They're a light, waterproof
material that completely covers your shoes and goes up to your knees.
Much easier to pack than rubber boots!
But it's not just birders that visit the island. Some recent sightings of Daleks over the Bering Sea resulted in an impromptu visit from the Time Lord...
TARDIS / Toilet
I had a great time on the island, saw some amazing birds (I added 11 to my big year list) animals, and scenery and really appreciated being in such a remote location. I was sad to leave today (my flight made it this time!) The same unpredictability of the weather that cancels flights also brings in new birds - Alaska is a fun place if you like not knowing what's coming next...
(Visiting St. Paul requires going through the TDX tour company - an Alaska native organization. They have 3 tour guides out here for the summer - Scott Schuette, Cameron Cox and Doug Gochfeld. All 3 were fantastic and amazing at getting us onto birds. Thanks guys!)
(Visiting St. Paul requires going through the TDX tour company - an Alaska native organization. They have 3 tour guides out here for the summer - Scott Schuette, Cameron Cox and Doug Gochfeld. All 3 were fantastic and amazing at getting us onto birds. Thanks guys!)
+ + +
BIG YEAR LIST: 609
NEW YEAR BIRDS (6): Parakeet Auklet, Bar-tailed Godwit, Pacific Golden-plover, Parasitic Jaeger, Wood Sandpiper, Pomarine Jaeger.
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