ALASKA 11–24 June 2010 Extension to 27 June Leaders: James P. Smith and Peter Basterfield

The spectacular scenery of Alaska ranges from snow-covered peaks to flower-laden tundra with vast glaciers flowing into forest-lined fjords. For the birder interested in North American birds, it is a 'must go' state as it has a number of speciality birds, including Bristle-thighed Curlew, Rock Sandpiper, Aleutian Tern, Varied Thrush and Golden-crowned Sparrow. Additionally, there are a number of Eurasian species that occur nowhere else in North America and, of course, there are the seabirds: millions of auks, auklets and murrelets. For those who wish, there will be a three-day post-tour extension to visit the Pribilof Islands, home to vast colonies of seabirds, several of which will not be seen on the main tour, and marine mammals.

Day 1 The tour begins with a flight from London to Anchorage via another US city. Night in Anchorage.

Day 2 After breakfast we will bird around Anchorage, looking for species like American Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadee and White-winged Crossbill. We will also visit Westchester Lagoon looking for late migrant waders and ducks before driving to Seward through the wonderful mountain scenery of the Kenai Peninsula. We will arrive late afternoon in Seward where we will explore the forest of huge Sitka Spruces: here many Pacific Northwest species just get into southeastern Alaska. Some of the species we will search for are Rufous Hummingbird, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Brown Creeper, Varied Thrush, Townsend's Warbler, Pine Grosbeak and a Fox Sparrow sub-species known as 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow, which is a potential split. Night in Seward.

Day 3 Today we will visit Resurrection Bay and Blying Sound south of Seward where Harlequin Duck, Wandering Tattler and Northwestern Crow can all be found. If the weather is clear the scenery is spectacular and we should see at least one magnificent glacier. We'll make a boat trip to visit several large seabird colonies where we should find Pelagic Cormorants, Horned and Tufted Puffins, Brünnich's, Common and Pigeon Guillemots and numerous Black-legged Kittiwakes. Marbled Murrelets occur nearby in good numbers and we'll also search for Rhinoceros Auklet and Ancient and Kittlitz's Murrelets. At the farthest point of our boat trip we'll be in deep water, where we could see both Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters as well as, possibly, Fork-tailed Storm-petrel. Numerous marine mammals are also present and we can expect Steller's Sea Lion, Sea Otter and several whale species, hopefully including the magnificent Orca. In the evening, we will drive north a few miles to look for owls, including Boreal, Northern Saw-whet and Great Horned Owls: the first two may be found in the nestboxes provided. We might also see American Dipper here. Night in Seward.

Day 4 This morning we will revisit Resurrection Bay to look for any species we may have missed and check Potter's Marsh for any interesting waterfowl, such as breeding Canvasback, before returning to Anchorage. En route, we will look for Trumpeter Swan, Steller's Jay, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Golden-crowned Sparrow. Night in Anchorage.

Day 5 We'll begin our 250-mile drive north to Denali National Park this morning, a spectacular trip that often offers some of our best views of Mount McKinley, North America's highest mountain. Once north of Talkeetna we'll enter vast areas of black spruce and willow, keeping out a keen watch for Spruce Grouse along the road and Bohemian Waxwings perched on top of trees. We'll arrive at Denali around dinnertime. Night in Denali National Park.

Day 6 Denali National Park is closed to most vehicles but a series of shuttle buses run about every half hour to points within the park, with a complete round trip taking about eight hours. We'll use these buses to visit areas which hold our main target species: Barrow's Goldeneye, Gyrfalcon, Golden Eagle, Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, Rock and Willow Ptarmigans, Wandering Tattler, Long-tailed Skua, Common (Mew) Gull, Northern (Great Grey) Shrike, Horned Lark, Hermit and Swainson's Thrushes and Lapland Longspur (Bunting). We will also enjoy the scenery and may see large mammals possibily including Grizzly Bear, Dall's Sheep and Moose. Night in Denali National Park.

Day 7 We leave Denali early and spend the day birding the superb Denali Highway. This is a well-graded dirt road running 130 miles through virtual wilderness. We'll look here for a variety of birds including Trumpeter Swan, Upland Sandpiper, Northern Hawk-owl, Alder Flycatcher, Say's Phoebe and Rusty Blackbird. The scenery along this road is simply stunning as we switch from boreal forest to tundra against the backdrop of the Alaskan mountains. The undulating tundra at the eastern end of the highway is the best area for Smith's Longspur. Finally, we will reach Tangle Lakes Lodge where the eerie calls of Common Loons (Great Northern Divers) can be heard right next to our cabins.

Day 8 This morning we will take a pre-breakfast walk along the willows near Tangle Lakes in search of nesting species such as Gray-cheeked Thrush and Fox Sparrow, before returning to the lodge for our meal. We then drive back to Anchorage, birding en route, looking for Sharp-tailed Grouse in brush and open areas. Driving through miles of black spruce we'll watch out for forest species we may have missed and this will be our best chance for Northern Hawk-owl. Scenically this will be another spectacular day with views over the mighty Wrangell Mountains. Night in Anchorage.

Days 9–11 This morning we'll fly to Nome on the Bering Sea where we'll have three full days to explore the many exciting birding areas around town and elsewhere on the Seward Peninsula. We should see a number of waterbirds including Red-throated and Pacific Divers and possibly even Emperor Goose. At Safety Lagoon, Aleutian Terns breed and we will watch them being harassed by Parasitic Jaegers (Arctic Skuas). The two roads out of Nome go to Teller and Taylor, both passing through tundra rich in breeding waders, including American and Pacific Golden-plovers. In the surrounding hills and along willow-lined rivers we may find Gyrfalcon, Rock and Willow Ptarmigans, Yellow and White Wagtails, American Pipit, Bluethroat, Northern Wheatear, Arctic Warbler, American Tree Sparrow and Hoary (Arctic) and Common Redpolls. We'll also make a concerted effort to look for the near mythical Bristle-thighed Curlew, a few pairs of which nest in the remote mountainous landscape north of Nome. Other birds we may see include Rough-legged Hawk, Sandhill Crane and Slaty-backed Gull. Three nights in Nome.

Day 12 After a final day in the Nome area we'll take an early evening flight back to Anchorage. Night in Anchorage.

Day 13 This morning we will return to the airport for either the return flight to London (arriving in the morning of Day 14) or, for those taking the extension, the flight to the village of St Paul on the Pribilof Islands.

Days 13–14 At St Paul, where we will stay for two nights, we will discover the full richness of a Bering Sea seabird colony. This is home to numerous members of the auk family, with literally millions of Brünnich's and Common Guillemots, Crested, Least and Parakeet Auklets, plus Horned and Tufted Puffins. Additionally, the highly localised Red-faced Cormorant and Red-legged Kittiwake can be found in good numbers, as well as Rock Sandpiper and Glaucous-winged Gull. There are very few breeding passerines, with the exception of Grey-crowned Rosy-finch and Snow Bunting. Skies are often cloudy, but photographic opportunities are excellent as we can get very close to the off-duty birds. Our visit to St Paul will be mainly for the nesting species but late June can still be a good time for Asian vagrants and anything is possible! There are also herds of Northern Fur Seals here (including new-born pups), which are easily viewed from hides so there will be some non-avian distractions! Two nights on St Paul.

Day 15 We will have most of the day on St Paul before taking an early evening flight back to Anchorage. Night in Anchorage.

Day 16 After a final morning in Anchorage, we will catch an overnight flight, via another US city, back to London, where the tour concludes on Day 17.

General Information The climate can vary from cold and wet to quite warm. There will be a moderate amount of walking and sometimes this will be in hilly and wet terrain. There are no special medical requirements. Visas are not required. Accommodation standards are good with most motel rooms having two beds, en-suite shower and WC (except Denali and the Pribilofs, where there are shared facilities) and TV. Food is excluded from the tour price but is relatively cheap and we will all be taking breakfasts and evening meals together at restaurants at the discretion of the leader. Allow about £20 per day for food depending on your requirements.

Group size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 9 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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