Sunday 1st June - Tuesday 17th June
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Barrow extension:
Monday 16th June - Friday 20th June

Whiskered Auklet extension:
Thursday 19th June - Tuesday 24th June

One of the wildest and most exciting places on Earth, Alaska offers the birdwatcher an unrivalled experience, with spectacular scenery providing homes to a mouth-watering variety of birds and mammals. With long daylight hours, mostly flat easy walking, and lodges that provide a high level of comfort, there’s no better way to enjoy North America's ‘Last Frontier’.

This ‘Great White Land’ comes alive during the short arctic summer when the abundance of food attracts millions of birds to their breeding grounds. During our tour we will visit all the very best areas in order to find the states most sought after specialities, and take in some of the world’s greatest gatherings of seabirds. From the famous Pribilofs, to Nome, Seward, Denali and a cruise into the Kenai Fjords National Park we will be looking for birds such as Bristle-thighed Curlew, McKay’s Bunting, Smith’s Longspur, Red-legged Kittiwake, Emperor Goose, Aleutian Tern and more Auklets, Murrelets, Puffins and seabirds than ever thought imaginable. An extension to Barrow should yield the declining Spectacled Eider plus Snowy Owl, while a very special extension to Dutch Harbour gives the once in a lifetime opportunity to see extremely rare and localised Whiskered Auklet. With possibilities of Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Moose, Dall’s Sheep, Humpback Whales, Steller’s Sea Lion and Otters, this is one trip not to be missed!

Our Tour Itinerary

Day 1
We will take a flight from London Heathrow bound for Anchorage where we will arrive in the evening. Night Anchorage.

Day 2
This morning we will start off our Alaskan adventure with some local birding that should introduce us to a variety of species such as Red-necked Phalarope and Red-necked Grebe, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Green-winged Teal and Lesser Canada Goose. Above should be Violet-green and Tree Swallows, while scrubby areas should hold American Robin, White-crowned Sparrow, Pine Siskin and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Mid morning will see us take our flight some 1,300km to St Paul Island, part of the famous Pribilofs. Situated in the cold waters of the Bering Sea, these islands play host to a staggering 3 million seabirds, and it is this awesome spectacle that has made the Pribilofs justifiably famous amongst the birding world. After our arrival we will check into our superb hotel which will be our base for the next two nights. Our first afternoon should find us such delights as Grey-crowned Rosy-Finch, Lapland Longspur and Glaucous-winged Gulls.

Day 3
Today we will endeavor to visit the very best seabird cliffs on St Paul, where every conceivable rocky ledge seems to be occupied with countless puffins, auklets, guillemots and cormorants. Imagine the feeling as you get close up views of Horned and Tufted Puffins, Crested, Parakeet, Rhinoceros and Least Auklets, Thick-billed Murre, Red-legged Kittiwake and Red-faced Cormorant. The Kittiwake is a rare specialty of this and just a few other remote islands, as is one of the land birds that we will be making a special effort to find – the gorgeous McKay’s Bunting. Searching the barren stony ground for this exciting bird we should also come across plenty of Snow Buntings, while nearby pools attract waterbirds and waders including King Eider, Long-tailed Duck, Semipalmated Plover, Wandering Tattler and Least Sandpiper and very likely a rarity or two from Siberia. A Northern Fur Seal colony will prove an added attraction and we should also be able to catch up with the beautiful Harlequin Duck, Bufflehead, Short-eared and Snowy Owl and a variety of gulls such as Glaucous-winged, Glaucous, Slaty-backed and Vega. Hopefully we can finish off by finding the Pribilof race of Rock Sandpiper and Winter Wren or the dark looking subspecies of Arctic Fox.

Day 4
After our final morning birding on this wonderful island we will take lunch and then catch our afternoon flight back to Anchorage for an overnight stay.

Day 5
This morning and early afternoon we can once again bird the Anchorage area before taking a late afternoon flight to Nome in the far west of Alaska where we stay for an exhilarating four nights. Night Nome.

Days 6 - 8
Nome is the best place of all to search for arctic specialities as well as offering great opportunities to find Asian vagrants. It is here that we will look for the very rare and much sought after Bristle-thighed Curlew, by no means an easy bird to find. With plenty of similar looking Hudsonian Whimbrels to sift through our work will be cut out, but what joy when we eventually find one of the world’s least known birds. There will plenty of other exciting species to keep the adrenalin flowing such as Emperor Goose, Red-throated Loon, Aleutian Terns, Golden Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Gyr Falcon, Tundra Swan, Brant, Rock and Willow Ptarmigan, American and Pacific Golden Plovers, Wandering Tattler, Surfbird, Black Turnstone and stunning little Sabine’s Gulls. Long-tailed and Arctic Skuas vie for our attention along with Whistling Swan, Red-throated and Pacific Loons, Surf, Black and White-winged Scoters and land birds such as Golden-crowned, Red Fox Sparrow, and American Tree Sparrow, Hoary Redpoll, Bluethroat, the local form of Yellow Wagtail (Alaska Wagtail) and Grey-cheeked Thrush will all be sought. Nights Nome.

Day 9
After a last day of trying to catch up with any species we may have missed, or searching out any recently reported vagrants, we will take an evening flight back Anchorage for an overnight stay. Night Anchorage.

Day 10
Departing early we set off south along a stunningly scenic road towards the little town of Seward. As we bird along the way we can hope for new species such as
Belted Kingfisher, Canvasback, Redhead and in damp areas with surrounding scrub, we could find Rusty Blackbird, Dark-eyed Junco, Black-billed Magpie, Wilson’s Warbler and Black-capped Chickadee. Along the way at the aptly named Beluga Point we will make a short stop in the hope of seeing one of these beautiful white Whales. The habitat now includes great areas of spruce forest and species to look for will now include Spruce Grouse, Northern Goshawk, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Varied, Hermit and Swainson’s Thrush, Grey and Steller’s Jay, Northwestern Crow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Pine Grosbeak, Olive-sided and Alder Flycatcher, Chestnut-backed and Boreal Chickadee, Townsend, Yellow-rumped, Blackpoll and Orange-crowned Warblers, and on offshore waters possibly another chance for Aleutian Tern and Kittlitz’s Murrelet. This is also a good area for Black Bear and so we will need to keep vigilant. Night Seward.

Day 11
Today will prove to be one of those unforgettable experiences as we cruise out into the Kenai Fjord National Park. Our boat will be chartered exclusively for us and the focus of today will be the huge variety of seabirds and marine mammals that abound in these food rich waters. With the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, and blue-white glaciers that extend out into the icy waters, we will begin our search for sought after species such as Pigeon Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet, Ancient, Marbled, and Kittlitz’s Murrelets, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorant, Short-tailed Shearwaters and the impressive Bald Eagle. Careful observation could also find us a playful Sea Otter, Steller’s Sea Lion, Minke Whale, Dall’s Porpoise or an awesome Humpback or Killer Whale. Night Seward.

Day 12
This morning after some final birding where we could catch up with any species we may have missed, say perhaps Rufous Hummingbird, one of several possible races of Canada Goose, Barrow’s Goldeneye or Sooty Fox Sparrow, we will depart for Anchorage for our last night. Night Anchorage.

Day 13
Today we head north for the famous Denali National Park where we will spend the next 2 nights. Along the way roadside pools can be full of wildfowl and wading birds which might include Bufflehead or the delightful Red-necked Phalarope. We are now entering an area of outstanding natural beauty where mammals and raptors are much more common, and the great Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, dominates the landscape. Night Denali.

Day 14
With all day to explore this spectacular park using the park bus system we will travel through impressive passes to Eielson some 70km. The awesome Gyr Falcon will again be in our sights, and we could easily come across Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Say’s Phoebe, American Pipit, Hairy Woodpecker, Great Grey Shrike, White-winged Crossbill and many good chances for mammals such as Grizzly Bears, Caribou, Hoary Marmot, Snowshoe Hare and with luck a pack of Grey Wolves, a species which still survives here in good numbers. Night Denali.

Day 15
From Denali we will head east along the Denali highway towards the town of Paxson. Searching bogs and some of Alaska’s 3 million lakes for exciting species such as Upland Sandpiper, Horned Grebe, Trumpeter Swan and a profusion of breeding ducks, we should also come across many Beavers dams and hopefully one or two of the owners. There will of course be other birds to look for including Northern Waterthrush, and singing Arctic Warblers, and this is going to be our best chance of finding the diurnal Northern Hawk Owl, a superb bird that normally proclaims its presence by sitting right out in the open on top of a Spruce Tree. If time permits we will start our search the rare and elusive Smith’s Longspur a stunning species sadly in rapid decline. Night Tangle River.

Day 16
After a final morning looking in all the damp grassy areas for Smith’s Longspur we will head back to Anchorage, via the most incredible glaciers imaginable. Those leaving the tour will take a flight back to London Heathrow arriving in the morning of the following day.

Extension to Barrow: 3 days
Day 17
Those continuing on our extension we will take a morning flight north across the Arctic Circle and Brooks Range to the small town of Barrow beside the Arctic Ocean. This unspoilt wilderness of vast flat tundra is “the land of the midnight sun” although fog can often be a problem. If the pack ice is breaking up we can search open areas of icy water for ducks, divers and if we are really lucky a Polar Bear! Night Barrow.

Day 18
The continuous daylight will allow us plenty of time to search the bird rich tundra. Our main target species which we hope to find on a small melt pool will be the very attractive looking Spectacled Eider, yet another species in serious decline. There will of course be plenty else to see and if the lemming population is good we could thrill at the antics of a hunting Snowy Owl, while Skuas patrol overhead and waterfowl and wading birds parade around in full breeding plumage, none better than the gorgeous female Red (Grey) Phalarope. With all four eiders possible including stunning King Eider and Steller’s, we could also be lucky and find the superb Yellow-billed Loon or Sabine’s Gull. Further searching should reveal Greater White-fronted Goose, Pomarine Skua, Black Guillemot, Buff-breasted, White-rumped, Pectoral and Baird’s Sandpipers, all making for a very unforgettable experience. Night Barrow.

Day 19
After our final morning we take a flight back to Anchorage. Time permitting we can search out areas around town for any species we want to see again or maybe even find something new. Later in the day, those wishing to depart the tour will take a flight back to London arriving early morning the next day.

Whiskered Auklet Extension: 4 days
Day 20
Those wanting to go on the very exciting extension to see the highly localised and very attractive Whiskered Auklet, will fly to Dutch Harbour on the Aleutians.
Night Dutch Harbour.

Days 21 - 22
This incredibly rare bird can only be seen on a few remote islands, the most accessible of which is on Dutch Harbour in the Aleutians. We will look for this attractive species from a boat trip and it is likely that we can also see Cassin’s Auklet. It is the prized Whiskered Auklet that will be the focus of this trip but regular occurrences of fog could mean that the plane may get delayed, or rough seas could prevent the boat trip. With this in mind there is now accommodation and services set up for visiting birders offering a very rare opportunity to see something few other birders have ever seen and most can just dream about. Nights Dutch Harbour.

Day 23
After some final birding we will fly back to Anchorage for our very last overnight, ending one of the most spectacular tours ever to this incredible part of the world.

Leaders: Steve Bird and Gina Nichol plus Forrest Davis local expert guide.
Main Tour Cost: £5200.00pp
Barrow Extension: £1450.00
Whiskered Auklet: £1995.00
Single supplement: Main tour £500.00, Barrow £160, Dutch Harbour £175
Deposit: £500.00
Maximum group size: 10 Excluding leaders

Included in cost: Return flight from London Heathrow to Anchorage, Alaska, all meals, accommodation based in twin rooms en-suite, transport in a variety of vehicles, all entrance fees, internal flights, boat trips, and services of the leaders.

Not included: Insurance, drinks, tips and items of a personal nature, and optional tips for the local guides.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Bluethroat and Crested Auklet: Carl Sheely
Horned Puffin: Phil Witt
Bristle-thighed Curlew, Spectacled Eider, Polar Bear: Colin Bradshaw
Grizzly Bears: Marianne Phillips
McKay's Bunting: Phil Davis
All other photos: Forrest Davis