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Wilderness Birding Adventures 2008 |
1-907-694-7442
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Alaska Birding and Wildlife Adventures Since 1986 |
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PRIBILOFS I PRIBILOFS II The Pribilof Islands of Alaska are a small cluster of volcanic islands located about 250 miles north of the Aleutian Chain and 300 miles west of the Alaska mainland. They are often described as the “Galapagos of the North.” St. Paul is a top North American birdwatching destination in Alaska and not to be missed. The Pribilofs are the only North American location where the Red-legged Kittiwake can be seen reliably. Other birding opportunities include Red-faced Cormorant, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Parakeet, Least and Crested Auklets, Horned and Tufted Puffins. All of the eiders are possible, as well as many Asiatic shorebirds, waders, waterfowl, passerines and raptors. Rare birds are found here each year during spring migration. St. Paul Island in Alaska’s Bering Sea is home to millions of seabirds nesting in easily observed colonies along the steep shores of the island. The seabird rookeries have to be seen to be believed! Photographers will revel in the up-close opportunities to photograph the seabird colonies and arctic foxes. As if that weren’t enough, the Pribilof Islands also are one of Alaska’s best birding hotspots for rare Asiatic birds, many blown off course during their migration or dropping in just briefly on their way to other breeding and nesting destinations. Below St. Paul’s cliffs, the beaches serve as haul-outs and rookeries for thousands of North Pacific Fur Seals. The Aleut culture of the village of St. Paul and the Russian and American history of the Fur Seal harvest and trade are fascinating cultural highlights of this trip. The advantage of traveling to St. Paul on a WBA trip is that you are traveling as part of a group of sharp-eyed birders with a superb birding guide, maximizing our chances of finding rare birds. Some of the time we will be with other visitors on the local tour buses, and other times we will be out on the island on our own. We will use our flexibility as an independent group to make the most of our birding on St. Paul. We depart for St. Paul in the late morning, arriving on the island mid-afternoon. After checking into the accommodations, we bird as late as we wish to. On our 4-day May trip, we’ll spend the next two and a half days birding until we catch our late afternoon flight back to Anchorage. The July trip will spend 3 days on the island. Note: meals are not included in the trip price. Combination Suggestions:
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Fauna: In late May, males of the island’s Northern Fur Seal population begin to arrive on the beaches in preparation for the June arrival of the females. A complex social system dictates each male’s position on the beach and his opportunities to breed with the females. Breeding and pupping both occur on the island during the summer season, and the beaches are off limits during the summer to prevent disturbance to these annual land-based cycles. Most of the year, the animals live at sea. In addition to the fur seals, the island is also surrounded by a rich abundance of other marine mammals, such as Harbor Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Walrus, Gray Whales and Killer Whales, and fish and shellfish. Terrestrial mammals include Arctic Fox and a large herd of Reindeer first introduced to the island in 1911 as a commercial venture. And of course, the island is full of birds. Nearly 250 species of bird have been documented on St. Paul. The sea cliffs are packed in the spring and summer with colonies of seabirds, including the Red-legged Kittiwake. The Pribilofs are the only place in North America to reliably see this species. Excellent access to the sea cliffs provide photographers and birders with unsurpassed opportunities to photograph Tufted and Horned Puffins, Common and Thick-billed Murres, Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes, and Parakeet, Least and Crested Auklets. During our May visit, we will hope to see some of the rare Asiatic birds that show up each spring during migration. The natural history of the island is phenomenal.
Human History: The cultural history of the island is equally fascinating. Aleuts were the first human occupants of the Pribilof Islands. In the 1780s, Russians laid claim to Alaska in their eastward expansion in pursuit of seal and sea otter furs. Russian fur traders “discovered” St. Paul and St. George Island in 1786. The Russian-American Company colonized these two islands and enslaved Aleuts to harvest the seals and process the furs. When the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, the U.S. government continued to operate the Pribilof Islands as colonies for the economic enterprise of harvesting furs and maintained the Aleut inhabitants in indentured service for that purpose. The U.S. government issued a 20-year lease to the Alaska Commercial Company in 1870 to administer the islands. The company provided food, housing and medical care to the Aleuts in exchange for the seal harvest. The second 20-year lease was awarded to the Northern Commercial Company in 1890, but overharvesting during that period resulted in poverty on the island. Then the 1910 Fur Seal Act ended private leasing, placing the people and seals under the control of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. Conditions for the Aleuts were poor. During World War II, as combat with Japan moved into the outer Aleutian Islands, these wards of the government were evacuated from the Pribilofs and placed in an abandoned cannery in Southeast Alaska. In the 1980s, Pribilof Island Aleuts received monetary compensation for the unfair and unjust treatment they were subject to under federal administration between 1870 and 1946. It was not until 1985 that the government ceased to operate the commercial fur seal harvest and oversee all occupants of the islands. The Aleut residents continue to harvest up to 1,645 fur seals annually for subsistence purposes. The locals also depend upon fish, crab and marine invertebrates from the surrounding waters, reindeer, plants and berries for subsistence food.
The Community Today: St. Paul in 2002 had a population of 522, 87 percent of whom were Native. It is the largest Aleut community in the world. The community sits on a peninsula at the south end of the island and has 167 homes and a port used by the commercial central Bering Sea fishing fleet, two seafood processing plants, a National Marine Fisheries facility, an historic Russian Orthodox church (the primary church in the community), a hotel, as well as other infrastructure. Tourism brings about 700 visitors to the island each spring and summer. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 resulted in formation of the Tanadgusix Corporation (TDX) on St. Paul, owned by the Aleut resident. TDX owns most of the island and we will be guests of the Native corporation.
Our Time on St. Paul
Flights: We will fly from Anchorage to St. Paul Island around 10:55 a.m. and we will be checking in for the flight one hour ahead. You will be allowed to check two bags and one hand-carry item. Assume that carry-on items must fit under the seat ahead of you as some of the planes have no overhead bins. Items such as tripods must be gate or airplane checked if they do not fit under the seat. A sandwich will be provided during the flight. The flight usually stops in Dillingham or King Salmon, arriving in St. Paul between 2:45 and 3:30 p.m. Dress for wet, windy weather upon arrival; you will walk off the plane right onto the tarmac.
Hotel: Our accommodations will be in the Airport Hotel. The rooms are set up in a suite style configuration, with two rooms per bathroom. All rooms fit two people and you can expect to be sharing a room. During May, single supplements may be available for $65 per night (plus tax). Handicapped facilities are extremely limited on the island and the Airport Hotel is not handicapped accessible.
Meals: Meals are taken at the local restaurant in the same facility as the hotel. The meals costs are $8, $14 and $18 for breakfast, lunch and dinner respectively. However, meals are served buffet style and many people find that two meals a day, supplemented with snacks, is plenty. We will bring some snacks; you may wish to bring some of your own as well. The hotel has a microwave where you could prepare an instant soup or similar alternative to the restaurant buffet. Snacks can also be purchased at the store. Mealtimes at the restaurant are set at 7-8 a.m., noon to 1, and 5:30-7 pm. Each guest pays for his/her own meals.
Activities: The advantage of traveling to St. Paul on a WBA trip is that you are traveling as part of a group of sharp-eyed birders with a superb birding guide, maximizing our chances of finding rare birds. Some of the time we will be with other visitors on the local tour buses, and other times we will be out on the island on our own. As participants in the TDX tourism program, we will travel around the island on their 22-passenger, bathroom-equipped buses to visit the various points of natural and cultural interest, and to bird extensively. This is how we will spend most of our time on the island. We will also be able to take walks from various points around the island. Some of the walks are short and easy. Others may be longer and harder; for example, one walk is 4 miles on a jeep trail along bluffs, while another is 3 miles to Kittiwake Lake and the Lava Flows over rough terrain. Additionally, if the group is interested we will have the opportunity to enjoy a Native dance performance on the 2nd day and to tour the Russian Orthodox Church.
Sources: State of Alaska Dept. of Community and Economic Development; Tanadgusix Corporation. Get ready to visit and bird one of the most fascinating destinations in North America!
Birding Focused
BIRDING FOCUSED
WILDERNESS WILDLIFE & BIRDING
INTERNATIONAL
