2007 Tour Narrative
In Brief: Birding in autumn on the Bering Sea islands in Alaska has the potential to produce quite the selection of “mega-rarities.” Our Fall Gambell 2007 tour did just that, finding North America’s third-ever Willow Warbler (all four North American records are from Gambell) and making a last-minute, unscheduled, “unofficial” emergency extension for a day to St. Paul Island, which produced great looks at North America’s first-ever Brown Hawk Owl. Back at Gambell, other goodies included Siberian Accentor, two Dusky Warblers, and two Little Buntings, plus several Lesser Sand-Plovers, Gray-tailed Tattlers, and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, as well as a host of western Alaska specialties. (The fall of 2007 was a banner season at Gambell, with earlier- and later-season records there of North America’s first-ever Yellow-browed Bunting, a Pallas’s Bunting, Brown Shrike, Common Rosefinch, and multiples of Pechora Pipit (2+), Willow Warbler (3), Dusky Warbler (4+), Siberian Accentor (3+), and Little Bunting (6+).)
In Detail: The pre-tour extension recorded several of Nome’s early-autumn specialties: Arctic Loon, Gyrfalcon, and Bar-tailed Godwit, plus a suite of mainland species not to be expected offshore at Gambell (plus a couple surprise Mallards—ooh-la-la!!). Then off to Gambell, and its three major “boneyards,” ponds, marshes, and incredibly rich offshore waters. The regular early-fall landbird migrants were passing through in small numbers: Arctic Warblers, Eastern Yellow Wagtails, an uncooperative Bluethroat, several Red-throated and japonicus American Pipits, and Gray-cheeked Thrushes. White Wagtails nested successfully somewhere locally this year and we saw multiple birds every day. At the seawatch, huge numbers of the eight regularly occurring (nesting) species of alcids were augmented by a cooperative Black Guillemot, a fly-by Kittlitz’s Murrelet, and two Ancient Murrelets. We also had a few sightings each of Steller’s Eider and Yellow-billed Loon. Shorebird numbers were a bit low this year, but we saw the expected, rare-but-regular Asian species. Nesting Snowy Owls were a real surprise, and the silly-looking, goggle-faced youngsters were hard to take too seriously! And honorable mentions go to the cute boneyard rodents and to the fine showing of whales off the Point.
But, again, it was probably the rare passerines that took top honors this year, highlighted by a very lost American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, and Pacific-Slope-type Flycatcher. OK, just kidding!! Most of the tour participants probably preferred the great looks at the Willow Warbler (the second of three individuals to turn up this fall at Gambell; the only previous North American record was of an individual found here on our 2002 tour), two Little Buntings, two Dusky Warblers, and a fairly brief Siberian Accentor. Add to that the copious amounts of food prepared by Chef Gavin, plus the ease of reaching many of our birding destinations via ATV, and it was, overall, a fine early autumn 2007 visit to Alaska’s Bering Sea region!
Paul Lehman
Updated: February 2008