Alaskan Splendor
The 2026 Alaska Majesty Tour commenced in Nome, where we enjoyed great views of a suite of fantastic birds such as Arctic Warbler, Willow Ptarmigan, Aleutian Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, a pair of White Wagtail, nesting Red-throated Loons and the dazzling Bluethroat (still in its active song flight courtship stage). Out on the shores of Safety Sound, we also were happy to connect with unusually high numbers of migrant Sabine’s Gulls, here foraging on racks of seaweed that washed up on the beach. A bit further along we reached Skookum Pass, awash with early spring wildflowers and hosting a lovely pair of Northern Wheatear.
We then moved inland, traveling through the amazingly scenic Alaska range and the Denali region. Here we found a Northern Hawk Owl hunting in an open spruce bog along the Denali Highway, a young Boreal Owl in a nest box in Fairbanks, and this handsome male Harlequin Duck foraging in a rushing rocky stream. As is often the case in the interior the endlessly amazing scenery and full views of the mighty Mount Denali might have even eclipsed the birding. Around Anchorage we found a nesting pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers, and a tame male Spruce Grouse (after some herculean efforts by Ben).
Our final area for the main tour was Seward, where we found the beautiful Resurrection Bay under full sun this year, with Humpback Whales, some close Orca, and an amazing 10 species of alcids including more than two dozen Kittlitz’s Murrelets. The adjacent forests have a strong Pacific Northwest feel to them, and here we enjoyed views of singing Sooty Fox Sparrows, Varied Thrush and a pair of Chestnut-backed Chickadees that were gathering dog hair to line their nests. Here too was a wonderful pair of charismatic mammals – with multiple Sea Otters on our boat trip and a very confiding River Otter just outside of town.
The variety and abundance of birdlife, interesting plants (like this Western Columbine) and wildlands that we see on this tour is staggering, and contribute to one of the best birding tours available in the United States.
