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Agenda
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1
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Plan to arrive in Anchorage in the afternoon or early evening. Even
though Anchorage is a large metropolitan area – the only one in Alaska
– there are still lots of great birds around the city itself. This
is Alaska after all! We'll start our birding around
Westchester Lagoon, several miles from the airport. Some of the birds
to be seen here include Red-necked Grebe, Mew Gull, and
Arctic Tern. There should be some shorebirds, perhaps a
Hudsonian Godwit or Black Turnstone. As time permits,
we'll bird along the shore of Cook Inlet. Besides shorebirds and
other aquatic species, we'll have our first exposure to some of
Alaska's breeding songbirds: Alder Flycatcher, Boreal
Chickadee, Wilson's Warbler, 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow,
and Lincoln's Sparrow. The days are long this far north, so
we'll probably have to force ourselves to go to our Anchorage motel
for a good night's sleep.
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2
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We'll start the day at Hillside Park outside of Anchorage, searching
for birds of the boreal forest. Spruce Grouse, American
Three-toed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee, Bohemian
Waxwing, and White-winged Crossbill are all possible.
We'll head toward Seward with a stop at Potter Marsh to look for
Pacific Loon, Horned Grebe, Canvasback,
Red-necked Phalarope, Golden-crowned Sparrow, and
Rusty Blackbird. At Turnagain Arm, part of Cook Inlet, there
may be Beluga Whales and Dall's Sheep. As we continue
south, you'll notice the habitat change as we enter Pacific coastal
rainforest. Some of the species typical of this area include
Rufous Hummingbird, Steller's Jay, Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow, and Northwestern
Crow. Trumpeter Swan, Olive-sided Flycatcher,
American Dipper, and Pine Grosbeak are just a few of the
other birds we may find. We'll check into our Seward motel where
we'll stay for the next three nights. After dinner, we'll do a bit of
birding around Resurrection Bay, where we should see Harlequin
Duck, Pelagic Cormorant, Wandering Tattler,
Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, and some of the
first alcids of the tour.
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Spruce Grouse is always a good find.
--James Leupold
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3
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Today's highlight is a boat trip to Kenai Fjords National Park and the
Chiswell Islands, a seabird breeding site. The trip begins on
Resurrection Bay, where Marbled Murrelets are common, and
continues to some tidewater glaciers. One of our main targets of the
trip, Kittlitz's Murrelet, is often found on the water near
these glaciers. We'll then continue to the Chiswell Islands.
Red-faced Cormorant, Peregrine Falcon, Black
Oystercatcher, Parasitic Jaeger, Mew Gull,
Black-legged Kittiwake, Common Murre, and Horned
and Tufted Puffins are some of the species we should see.
Other possibilities include Northern Fulmar,
Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters, Thick-billed
Murre, Rhinoceros and Parakeet Auklets, and
Ancient Murrelet. Birds are not our only objective – Sea
Otter, Harbor Seal, Steller's Sea Lion, Dall's
Porpoise, Humpback Whale, and Orca can all be found
on this trip.
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Black Oystercatcher is truly stunning with that bright orange bill.
--John Puschock
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4
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As we continue to explore the Kenai Peninsula, we'll look for new
species and enjoy the incredible scenery. Barrow's Goldeneye,
Black-backed Woodpecker, Western Wood-Pewee, Gray
Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Swainson's,
Gray-cheeked, and Varied Thrushes, Orange-crowned
Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, and Pine Grosbeak
are just a few of the birds on today's agenda.
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5
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Today we check out of our motel in Seward and drive to Paxson at the
east end of the Denali Highway, birding along the way. As we head
north, the habitat will change to taiga and hopefully we will have
time to explore the alpine tundra. As we enter these new habitats,
we'll begin to see some new species: Rock Ptarmigan,
Northern Hawk Owl, Long-tailed Jaeger, Arctic
Warbler, and Northern Shrike are some of the possibilities.
The next three nights are at the Denali Highway Cabins near Paxson.
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6-7
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The Denali Highway will be our focus for two great days. One of our
primary targets will be Smith's Longspur in its spectacular
breeding plumage. There are additional superb birds here –
Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, Gyrfalcon,
Long-tailed Jaeger, Northern Hawk Owl, American
Golden-Plover, Wandering Tattler, Bohemian Waxwing,
Arctic Warbler, Northern Wheatear, American Tree
Sparrow, Lapland Longspur, and Pine Grosbeak are
some examples – but you may be distracted many times by the vivid
scenery. We'll watch for mammals such as Moose,
Caribou, and possibly Brown Bear that we have found
previously. If we're extremely lucky we may find a rare Gray
Wolf. We will take a non-whitewater float trip through the Paxson
Wildlife Reserve during one of our afternoons.
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8
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Today, the final full day of the tour, will be the clean-up day,
looking for any birds that may have eluded us up to this point as we
drive back to Anchorage, where we spend the night.
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9
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Our final stop is the Anchorage Airport, with some birding if time
permits.
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Leader:
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This trip will be led by John Puschock, author of a chapter of
the ABA/Lane Birder's Guide to Alaska. John operated four
bird-banding stations in northwestern Alaska and has an excellent
knowledge of the birds of our 49th state. He will have you
in the right place at the right time for the best birding
opportunities and an action-packed, worry-free tour. Audie
Bakewell will join you for one day on the Denali Highway. Audie is
the owner of Denali Highway Cabins and Paxson Alpine Tours, and is the
author of several chapters of A Birder's Guide to Alaska.
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Price:
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Approximately $3995 per person based upon double occupancy. Single
accommodations are likely to be available throughout the tour for an
extra charge -- please inquire early.
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Includes:
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Expert guide service, lodging for eight nights, ALL meals,
entrance fees, and all ground transportation within Alaska. ALL
tips are also included in the tour fee, except for anything that
you may wish to give to your tour leader(s).
Does not include cost of airfare to and from Anchorage, Alaska.
BIRD TREKS
will, upon request, help you obtain the best airfare. Also not
included are the cost of alcoholic beverages and items of a personal
nature.
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Deposit:
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A $1000 deposit will assure your reservation on the tour. The balance
is payable 5 March 2008. Alaska is a popular and spectacular birding
destination. Send your deposit soon to insure your reservation and to
obtain the best possible airfare.
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Extra
Services:
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We offer the services of our exclusive
BIRD TREKS travel agent,
Lori Heathcote, in arranging your air travel. Lori has 22 years
of experience in the travel industry and is a veteran birder. Contact
her through Bailey Travel at 1-800-224-5399, or you can e-mail
lori@baileytravel.com.
By dealing with Lori you have the security of a 24-hour toll-free
telephone number in case of any travel emergency. She can also assist
you with all pre- and post-tour travel plans.
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Refund &
Cancellation
Policy:
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With written notice more than 90 days prior to the first day of the
tour, 100% of your deposit will be refunded, minus a $100 service fee.
With 30-90 days notice, you will receive a 50% refund of the full cost
of the tour. No refund can be made with less than 30 days notice. You
will receive a full refund if you provide a replacement for your spot
on the tour. No partial refund can be given once a tour begins.
We strongly recommend that you purchase trip
cancellation insurance to protect your investment in case of injury or
illness to you or your family prior to or during a tour. Click on the
following link to Access America or contact
BIRD TREKS for information
on obtaining this coverage.
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Robert M. Schutsky
216 Spring Lane
Peach Bottom, PA 17563
Phone: 717-548-3303
Fax: 717-548-3327
e-mail: info@birdtreks.com
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