Saint Paul Island - Alaskan birding at its best

Alaska’s a massively wildlife rich place, but for the last few years there has been one place that has been the aim above any other. Remote, lying midway in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia, St. Paul Island was essentially the reason for my trip here. Probably best known to most for being one of the main harbours in the TV show The Deadliest Catch (and its associated King Crabs), it is also one of the real jewels when it comes to seabirds. Spring and autumn time, it functions (along with Gambell) as North America’s equivalent to Corvo where Asian mega vagrants are what the hardcore ABA listers go there for. St. Paul is essentially a rock of 22 square miles with just a couple of flights a week from Anchorage that are weather dependent, one hotel that is attached to the airport (or is the airport attached to the hotel?), meals served in the canteen of the Trident Fish Factory… you get the idea.

However, my main aim of this summer's trip to Alaska was to see Red-legged Kittiwake on St. Paul Island and that I certainly did. It is probably the most accessible place to reliably see this species, and so due to flight schedules I was able to spend four fantastic days on this rock. Though still outnumbered by Black-legged Kittiwakes quite considerably, there are good breeding populations on the cliffs and they come into the harbour at times, sitting nicely on the jetties. I saw them in several spots, often flying by among the Black-legged Kittiwakes, but also in the town harbour and cliffs at Ridge Wall and Reef Point. Proper quality birds, with that big eye allowing them to feed nocturnally (similar to Swallow-tailed Gulls!): -

Red-legged Kittwake St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Shortly behind Red-legged Kittiwake, St Paul is a mecca for some crippling alcids. And they show exceptionally well too. Most of the cliffs are loaded mostly with Brunnich’s Guillemots and lesser numbers of Guillemot (nice to write these Anglicised having had to call them Thick-billed and Common Murres out in the field!). Plus the two clowns of the Pacific in abundance too, Horned and Tufted Puffins: -

Tufted Puffin St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Horned Puffin St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Brunnich's Guillemot St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

One of the reasons a lot of birders come to St. Paul though is the views of breeding auklets, where elsewhere they’re often distant lumps on the sea, here they are up close and in your face. Parakeet Auklets and the much scarcer Crested Auklets chill out on rock ledges before heading into their nests in deep rock crevices, while the gremlinesque Least Auklets seemed to prefer the boulder beaches to breed. All such good birds, and a massive thrill to see in such good numbers: -

Parakeet Auklet St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Crested Auklet St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Least Auklet St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Red-faced Cormorants were the commonest breeding cormorant on the cliffs, and having only seen them at relative distance in Japan previously, the views on St. Paul of this range restricted species were rather better: -

Red-faced Cormorant St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

St. Paul though has other birds too, and where the four most common species are Grey-crowned Rosy Finch, Rock Sandpiper, Lapland Bunting and Snow Bunting then you know you’re in for a decent haul. Habitat wise, a lot of the island was grassland with nearly fledged Rock Sandpipers hopping about pretty regularly – so you get a bit blasé given elsewhere they’re a target bird: -

young Rock Sandpiper St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Grey-crowned Rosy Finch St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

juvenile Snow Bunting St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Lapland Bunting St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

A lot of the Rock Sandpipers could be found foraging in flocks at Salt Lagoon just outside of town while walking around other lagoons such as Antone Lake and Pumphouse Lagoon provided some pretty mega views too: -

Rock Sandpiper St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Dreamland if you’re into your Arctic waders. There were several Wandering Tattlers seen along the coast – probably about a dozen in total – while Semipalmated Plovers and Red-necked Phalaropes evidently bred on the islands: -

Red-necked Phalarope St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

I also located a flock of seven Pacific Golden Plovers at High Bluffs, on the west side of the island, one afternoon while a Grey Phalarope flew in off the sea there too (as well as there being a big flock of them out to sea from Reef Point too one morning).

adult Pacific Golden Plover St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

There were lots of Harlequin Ducks around the coast, as well as Long-tailed Ducks as well as a couple of White-winged Scoters from Northeast Point one afternoon. Across the island, I saw about 15 King Eiders – including twelve together at Northeast Point – while this one in town on Salt Lagoon was the showiest of the crew: -

King Eider St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

I spotted a couple of Vega Gulls during the trip, a third-summer and first-summer, but both birds were a bit distant among the Glaucous-winged Gulls. An Arctic Skua ditched down on Antone Lake on my last morning, a handful of Short-tailed Shearwaters cruised by offshore while this Short-eared Owl quartered the grassland on the first evening on the island: -

Short-eared Owl St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Other than the birds, the island is packed full of Northern Fur Seal rookeries which meant a good number of the beaches were off limits during my trip. But they showed nice enough, and it was obvious too it was pupping season, particularly at Zapatni Bay. There were also some Harbour Seals and one afternoon while seawatching from Webster, in the northeast of the island, a couple of Fin Whales breached a few times albeit distantly.

Northern Fur Seal St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

The only land mammal that was about, and quite abundant, were the Arctic Foxes. It’s a blue morph that occurs on St. Paul, and there were quite a few family groups about during the trip, particularly in the town as well as a den near our hotel at the airport.

Arctic Fox St. Paul Island, Alaska July 2018

Doing St. Paul as an independent traveller is tricky, and you do have to go through St. Paul Island Tours. It’s not cheap but, as with everything in life, you get what you pay for. I lucked out with a decent group of five of us (two Belgians and two Americans), all of us happy to just keep on going and lap up as much as possible on the island during our four days and three nights. Much appreciation too to the two resident guides there, Claudia and Sulli, who were chilled out, accommodating and showed us the place nicely. It’ll be a trip I remember for as long as I live – such a decent place, and full of birds and remoteness. Thoroughly recommend it above most of the places I’ve ever visited.

Alaska's Kenai Fjords - glacial birding in the rain

On Monday night, I’d stayed just a few miles north of Seward overnight, ready for a full day on the Kenai Fjords on the Tuesday. I’m not usually one for planning things in advance, but I booked this boat trip a month or so back. But one thing I didn’t book was the weather, and so it actually rained pretty much continually throughout the day…

In typical American fashion, everything was laid on for you and hyped up. But it was more than a pleasant day out despite the weather. I imagine that you’d be blown away by the scenery in blue sky days, but I am still left imagining. I’d opted for the nine hour trip, which took in Northwest Glacier – reason for me doing this was that Kittlitz’s Murrelets favour the glacial waters, and shorter trips wouldn’t have given me access to this habitat. And it was a success, with two birds seen relatively well with potentially a couple of others a little bit more distant. This was just one of eight species of alcid that I saw during the day – with the highlight for me being my first Horned Puffins, some of which showed fairly decently in the gloom: -

Horned Puffin Kenai Fjords, Alaska 24th July 2018

I also saw my first Parakeet Auklets, with 15-20 seen in total including a small raft. Tufted Puffins, just like Horned, were really numerous particularly around the Chiswell Islands. Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon and Common Guillemots were present in good numbers too, while there were a few Rhinoceros Auklets around too. If the light had been better, I may have taken a few shots that were worth keeping but, you can’t have everything.

One of the things I did have today though was plenty of Humpback Whale sightings, with five individuals in total. The star performer was this one though, that breached several times in the calm waters coming into Northwest Glacier: -

Humpback Whale Kenai Fjords, Alaska 24th July 2018

There were quite a few Harbour Seals around too, while 10 or so Sea Otters in total including half a dozen dozing about in the harbour as we left first thing: -

Sea Otter Kenai Fjords, Alaska 24th July 2018

Bald Eagles too were fairly common, and included this adult bird as we headed back into the harbour. They were either on beaches or sat up in tall trees like this bird: -

Bald Eagle Kenai Fjords, Alaska 24th July 2018

And so, that was that. Given the pretty inclement weather, I felt I lucked out on the views of the glacier as that area seemed to have a climate all of its own. And while everyone else marvelled at the glacier, I came back from the tour having enjoyed a load of good birds, decent scenery even on a dull day and being given a load of excess chicken wraps (they’d made too many) which meant I didn’t need to buy dinner in the evening. A result all round.

Glaucous-winged Gull Kenai Fjords, Alaska 24th July 2018

Alaska... escaping the heat

I’ve just finished my first full day here in Alaska, and having arrived to lovely blue skies yesterday, it has been a day of cloudiness and drizzle today. Lovely stuff, given the last month or so of relatively oppressive London heat. Alaska had always felt a long, long way from home and I appreciate it is, but with some Icelandic Air flights (via Iceland), I was surprised how short the journey to Anchorage was – just a 6 hour 50 minute flight from Keflavik airport yesterday.

Anyway, Anchorage as a city itself is pretty average. Mind you, every American city is just that. But when you’ve got the calls of Mew Gulls continually and some nice juvenile Bonaparte’s Gulls too (a plumage I’d never seen) then it wasn’t all that bad. Westchester Lagoon was where I started, and the common grebe there was Red-necked, with several pairs and decently sized young. There were also half a dozen Short-billed Dowitchers too, and on the cutoff lake the other side of the highway a Belted Kingfisher and a showy Lesser Yellowlegs were present (as well as about ten juvenile Bonaparte’s Gulls and lots of Mew Gulls). Not a bad couple of hours post arrival.

juvenile Mew Gull Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, Alaska 22nd July 2018

juvenile Bonaparte's Gulls Westchester Lagoon, Anchorage, Alaska 22nd July 2018

And it was onto this morning, where typically I woke up before my alarm at 5am. So after trying to get back to sleep, and failing, I headed back out. After briefly revisiting yesterday’s sites, I went south on the Seward Highway a few miles south of Anchorage. Potter’s Marsh was the spot, and it wasn’t too bad. Redpolls and Audubon’s Warbler seemed to be the most numerous passerines, while a group of waders from the boardwalk were made up of c.20 Short-billed Dowitchers and both species of yellowlegs. Nice stuff, with most of the dowitchers being juveniles. Green-winged Teal were present too, while the bird I’d been searching for – Rusty Blackbird – put in a brief appearance, with two birds flying low overhead before plummeting into the thickets. And that was that…

juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher Potter's Marsh, Anchorage, Alaska 23rd July 2018

I headed south along the Cook Inlet, in the direction of Seward which is where I’m staying this evening. Birding en-route was actually quite slow, with not much on the lakes bar the odd Arctic Tern though I did manage to see my first ‘Sooty’ Fox Sparrow of the trip midway between Portage and Seward. Arriving in Seward, first port of call was obviously going to be the harbour, where there were good numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls – I was actually surprised about the purity of the vast majority of these here, with just a couple of American Herrings and ‘Cook Inlet’ (hybrid American Herring x Glaucous-winged) Gulls present.

The weather wasn’t ideal as I headed south towards Lovell’s Point and the end of the road. Nevertheless, there were still five Harlequins (all female-types) and a few Marbled Murrelets and Pigeon Guillemots offshore. The rest of the afternoon was spent about town, and particularly along Nash Road – where the feeders produced Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pine Siskin and a Rufous Hummingbird that seemed bizarrely out of place in the cold. The beach at the end was good for some nice looks at Northwestern Crow, a tenuous species if ever there was one, as well as some really dark looking Song Sparrows and a load of Glaucous-winged Gulls and Kittiwakes. A family party of Trumpeter Swans showed well by the roadside too, as did a female Common Merganser and her chicks.

Fox Sparrow Seward highway, Alaska 23rd July 2018

Trumpeter swan Seward, Alaska 23rd July 2018

Back at my accommodation, Orange-crowned and Wilson’s Warblers buzzed about, as did a family group of Ruby-crowned Kinglets. All in all, a relaxed and pleasant day rounded off with some Alaskan Cod and chips.

Med Gull madness close to home

Living in Rotherhithe does have some perks. Dockside views, less than a minute's walk to the River Thames and a bunch of nice restaurants. And midsummer Mediterranean Gulls...

This year has been really good for the species so far, and after an adult here in Rotherhithe on 6th July, I found the first juvenile here on Sunday evening (15th July) on a post-World Cup Final scan: -

juvenile Mediterranean Gull (bird 1), Rotherhithe, London 15th July 2018

As usual, this bird was on the River Thames by Greenland Pier and loved the loaves that I dished out for it. And given the extended summer we're having, where I've almost forgotten what rain looks and feels like, the light each evening is pretty lovely when looking north. And it was again the case yesterday after work, where I recorded two juveniles for the first time ever here - Sunday's bird and a new bird (bird 2): -

juvenile Mediterranean Gull (bird 2), Rotherhithe, London 16th July 2018

juvenile Mediterranean Gull (bird 1), Rotherhithe, London 16th July 2018

And then to today, having had a hideously busy and sweaty day at work, whacking a couple of loaves out mid evening was just the tonic. Just like yesterday, there were two juvenile Med Gulls, one new (with a metal ring - that was unreadable) and one from the previous day.

juvenile Mediterranean Gull (bird 3), Rotherhithe, London 17th July 2018

juvenile Mediterranean Gull (bird 2), Rotherhithe, London 17th July 2018

So that's three days and three juvenile Mediterranean Gulls. All in the shadows of Canary Wharf and one of the most urban landscapes the UK has to offer...

The gulls are back in London town

I was a bit annoyed about not being around last Sunday to again do the gulls locally. The less said about a visit the Clevedon the better, but let's just say I wasted a day sitting about and walking around a pretty dire town centre to no avail. And for something I'd had to convince myself to go for anyway.

But a few late weeknights with work nonsense have meant I've been unable to check the local gulls as much as I would have liked. Even so, midweek it was noticeable there were a lot more Black-headed Gulls about (they're largely absent from Rotherhithe for the first three weeks of June each year). And then this evening, on the river near by home, I had this lovely adult Mediterranean Gull - the first one I've had in Rotherhithe this year.

adult Mediterranean Gull Rotherhithe, London 6th July 2018

The plan was that I'd find my first juvenile Yellow-legged Gull of the year, as Jamie and Dante had been to Thames Barrier Park this afternoon and seen four, but it wasn't to be. Though I'm hopeful that'll change over the course of the next few days.

The last day of June mission

I had a pleasant day today around the usual sites in southeast London and saw a couple of nice birds - an adult Kittiwake and the continuing Bonaparte's Gull. But I was on a mission, as today was the 30th June. In both 2017 and 2015, I'd found London's first juvenile Yellow-legged Gulls of the year on 1st July and so I was craving a June record. And with the hot weather, I thought there could be a good chance today...

But ultimately, this was a mission that I'd failed - for this year at least. Another June in London goes by without a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull! A pretty insignificant mission to all but three people, but a mission one of us will succeed in sooner or later.

Anyway, it was a good day nonetheless. Having picked up Karen after her overnight flight back from the US, I headed out to the O2 at Greenwich for a couple of hours while she got a couple of hours of sleep. The low tide gathering of gulls had three ringed Great Black-backed Gulls, with two ringed as chicks in Norway in 2017 and another a Pitsea ringed bird. Also there seems to be good numbers of juvenile Black-headed Gulls already getting into London, so perhaps a decent year has been had. But the real surprise for me here was while scanning the river, I noticed a smallish gull flying west at relative height - the dark grey mantle and black-tipped wings told me it was an adult Kittiwake! Beautiful blue skies and an urban backdrop made the experience all very bizarre, and within a couple of minutes it was all over as the Kittiwake headed off west, spiralling and gaining height over Canary Wharf: -

adult Kittiwake Greenwich, London 30th June 2018

After a spot of lunch, I headed out again and coincided a visit at Crossness with high tide. Barry W was about, so the Bonaparte's Gull was quickly located again as it fed actively around the outfall in the early evening sunshine: -

1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull Crossness, London 30th June 2018

It was good to see this bird again after not being able to get down during the week, and with there now being in excess of 500 Black-headed Gulls at the outfall, there is a degree of concentration needed to stay on it for long once you've located it! Not a lot else around though, with bread hurled out in Thamesmead, Woolwich and Greenwich not producing much at all. 

Bonaparte's Gull Crossness today

Imaginatively titled as it is, it does what is says on the tin. I'd been at the Year 11 Prom last night until 1am dealing with the usual shenanigans, so it wasn't until 10am that I surfaced this morning. I was out the flat within the hour, and headed on the usual southeast London birding (gulling) circuit that I seem to do every weekend day. Thamesmead was the first stop, and the gulls weren't feeling the bread I lobbed out off Princess Alice Way.

So on to Crossness where the tide was on its way out slightly. Still pretty high, and as I walked east towards the outfall it was obvious there were lots of Black-headed Gulls about, considerably more so than last Sunday. There'd been a couple of Med Gulls the last couple of visits, and every visit is seeing an increase in the numbers of juvenile Black-headed Gulls - which are underrated lookers. So it was just one of those days, where I started scanning for something different as I always do. After c.5 minutes, on the water at mid distance, was a gull that took my interest... that immediately screamed only one thing, a 1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull. This time, the dark nape was one of the first things that grabbed me (as well as the small size) before I looked at its thin, black bill.

Always worth getting closer looks, I chucked a couple of slices out and the commotion was enough for it to come in - showing its lovely underwing as it did so. And yes, there is was - another Bonaparte's Gull found! The third one I've found here, and the fifth I've seen at Crossness since finding the first for London as recently as 2012. A mega track record for this site, especially considering we're talking about a North American species in the southeast of England. And bizarrely too, the second Bonaparte's Gull I've found in 2018 after the one at Killybegs in February. It'd be nice to find something different next!

1st-summer Bonaparte's Gull Crossness, London 23rd June 2018

It's always a good day when you see or find something locally here in London's bird abyss, so after an hour or so - having watched it from 12.15pm to 1.10pm - I left for home and an enjoyable brunch with Karen. There was a Little Egret about too, and the first Redshank I'd seen on the Thames for a month or so, so assume the first autumn returner.