July 10: Gavin Bieber on his just-completed tours to the Pribilof Islands and Point Barrow, Alaska
The 2016 Alaska Majesty Tour extensions to both the Pribiofs and Barrow were incredible. We arrived in the Pribilofs to full sun and remarkably warm temperatures. The Bering Sea was flat calm for our entire visit and the tundra wildflowers were out in a riot of color (a show that normally would be in place during mid-July). The local breeders like Red-legged Kittiwake, Red-faced Cormorant, Rock Sandpiper and Crested Auklet all posed nicely for our cameras this year.
Despite the nearly perfectly calm weather we even managed to spot a few rarities, with a passing fishing ship dragging hundreds of Northern Fulmar and a Laysan Albatross, and a fly-by Gray Wagtail that flew right over our parked van! Our post tour extension to Barrow was superlative, with repeated views of all four species of Eider in excellent plumage including the dazzling Steller’s and Spectacled, several Snowy Owls, displaying Pectoral Sandpipers, a pair of Yellow-billed Loons and even a vagrant Barn Swallow, likely of the white-bellied Asian subspecies.
These two outposts act as a perfect complement to the mainland tour, offering excellent views of some of the hardest to find breeding species on the continent, and truly unique scenery.
Posted: July 10, 2016