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ADAK I Birding Focused Sorry - Full/Waitlist
May 15-22
8 days - $3,700

ADAK II Birding Focused
September 11-18
8 Days - $4,200

Adak Island has been turning up some very interesting sightings in the past couple of years, tempting us to venture out there. This spring we are planning a lower cost exploratory trip to hone the logistics, then another trip to experience fall migration.

Situated in the western Aleutians, Adak Island is currently the westernmost location in Alaska where birders can travel freely. (It’s actually the westernmost town in the United States, and the southernmost town in Alaska.)  This former World War II military base was used to fight the Japanese in the Aleutian battles at Kiska and Attu, and then converted to a naval base after the war.  Adak was decommissioned in 1997 and the Aleut Corporation opened facilities to serve tourists just a few years ago. We’re planning these trips to bird the migrations in hopes of seeing Asiatic birds dropping in from Japan, Russia and points even farther west. Birding groups have turned up some excellent finds in Adak in recent years.  The regular birds are quite exceptional, such as Whiskered Auklet, Laysan Albatross, Aleutian Tern and Rock Ptarmigan. But the truly exciting birds seen in Adak over the recent years come from further away and include: Arctic Loon, Tufted Duck, Smew, Garganey, Spot-billed Duck, Common Pochard, Whooper Swan, Tundra Bean-Goose,  Lesser Sand-Plover, Ruff,  Wood, Terek & Marsh Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Gray-tailed Tattler, Common Snipe, Red-necked, Little, Temminck’s and Long-toed Stints, Black-headed & Slaty-backed Gulls, Common Cuckoo, White Wagtail, Eyebrowed Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, and Oriental Greenfinch – among others!

The island has 16 miles of road and multiple trails and beaches. This installation at its peak housed over 6,000 military and their families.  The place is currently an odd mixture of institutional development falling into disrepair as the famous weather reclaims many of the structures, contrasted with the vast North Pacific Ocean, black sand beaches and volcanic peaks. We’ll stay in the well-maintained housing and travel by a combination of walking and driving. If the seas are calm and enough people are interested, we may charter a boat trip for closer looks at the Whiskered Auklet and other offshore birds.  The cost of this optional, unscheduled trip is not included in the price and will be paid by participants at the time we take the boat trip.

All meals included.