St. Paul Island Birding Blog
Tufted Puffin, St. Paul Island. Photograph by Scott Schuette.
June 28th to July 6th- It's not Spring or Summer, but it might be Fall
The past week or so has not produced anything of much rarity, but it has seemed to signal the beginning of the fall season with a few shorebirds and several passerines showing up on the island most days. Little in the way of waterfowl has been seen lately, but an Aleutian Cackling Goose showed up along the High Cliffs on July 5th and was subsequently seen again on the 6th to make all of the Europeans present on the island quite happy. On the shorebird front most so far have been adult Western Sandpipers but also showing up on July 5th were two Ruddy Turnstones at Marunich, the first of many to come this fall. Seabirds and gulls have put on a pretty good show as of late with a Vega "Herring" Gull, up to 3 Slaty-backed, and at least 2 Sabine's Gulls present in the vicinity of East Landing. An adult American Herring Gull showed up there as well on the 4th. The rarest seabirds to show up recently were a pair of fly-by Marbled Murrelets at Southwest Point on the 5th, while Short-tailed Shearwaters, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, Ancient Murrelets, and Pigeon Guillemots continue to be seen at various points around the island. Passerines have been better recently with Common Redpoll present at several sites most days since the 28th, a Bank Swallow has been seen on the 4th and 7th and a Barn Swallow of unknown origin was seen at Cup and Saucer on the 6th. The 6th also produced the season's first Arctic Warbler at Reef Point of the American race, and a Gray-cheeked Thrush was found in the Quarry later in the day. West winds are supposed to come through again soon breaking the week of north winds, so hopefully a few rarer migrants are on their way.
June 21st to 27th- Spring is over, but is still doesn't feel like Summer!
Well it's almost July now, and with a few shorebirds already starting to return south it seems that spring has passed. With temperatures still in the low 40s and occasional sleet/snow it still doesn't feel too much like summer though. The week itself was pretty uneventful birdwise; the best birds being the continuing Red-necked Stint at Webster Lake which was joined by a second on the 21st, and staying through at least the 23rd, and the pair of Lesser Scaup, which continued on Little Polovina Lake until the 23rd. This week also saw the arrival of Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels off of East Landing on the 26th. Only a few non-breeding waterbirds are still around, with a flock of 8 Aleutian Cackling Geese on the 23rd, a few King Eiders including at least one male, the adult Yellow-billed Loon at the Webster seawatch, a flock of 8 Sandhill Cranes on the 21st, and an Arctic Tern on the 24th. A few shorebirds and gulls have also made appearances recently, with a Wandering Tattler around East Landing from the 21st to the 26th, 3 Western Sandpipers in various locations on the 27th, and at least two Red Phalaropes continuing at Webster Lake. At least 1 Vega Herring, 1 Slaty-backed x Glaucous-winged, and 2 Slaty-backed Gulls have also been seen around town. The only passerines seen in the past week that don't breed on the island were a few Bank Swallows present in multiple locations on the 22nd, 25th, and 26th.
June 20th
The morning was still partly foggy but by the afternoon the fog had
mostly lifted and birds could actually be seen more than a hundred feet
away. As such, a few new birds were found with the highlight being a
Red-necked Stint at Webster Lake in all its spring glory. The pair of
Tufted Ducks continue on Webster Lake as well, and were joined by a
Bufflehead, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Red Phalarope, also finding the
lake to their liking. Next door at the Webster seawatch both Common and
Yellow-billed Loons were present along with a continuing Pigeon
Guillemot. Our theme of rare American waterfowl this spring continues
with a pair of Lesser Scaup on Little Polovina Lake in the evening,
while the increased visibility allowed for a few seabirds to be seen
from shore including a pair of Ancient Murrelets in the outer harbor,
multiple Parasitic Jaegers harassing the kittiwakes off of East
Landing, and a pair of Rhinoceros Auklets also off of East
Landing.
June 17th-19th
The west winds continue to hammer the island, and the birds continue to
be absent. Of course continuous fog all three days didn't help but the
lack of birds is still frustrating. Few new migrants have arrived, and
the few that have arrived are all waterbirds, with most being ducks.
The only notable bird among them was a Dovekie, the second of the
season, found and photographed in the Least Auklet colony along Zapadni
Point. Waterfowl showing up in the past few days have included an
Aleutian Cackling Goose near Marunich, a pair of Tufted Ducks at
Webster Lake, a Bufflehead at Webster Lake, a Common Goldeneye at
Webster Lake, and four Red-breasted Mergansers at Marunich. The first
Sandhill Cranes in some time also showed up on the 17th. Little else to
get excited about lately. An Arctic Tern flew past Tonki Point on the
17th and an American Herring Gull was on Sheep Lake on the 18th, while
at least one Red-necked Grebe and King Eider continue around the
island. Hopefully a cuckoo or a flycatcher will show up soon before the
spring completely passes us by.
June 14th to 16th- Good winds, no birds
The past several days have consisted of steady winds from the
west/southwest, and almost no birds have arrived on them. Heavy fog has
been hampering our ability to see much on the island. Overall few birds
in the areas we can check have led to the best birds of late being the
continuing Tufted Ducks at Webster Lake, and the continuing
Yellow-billed Loon at the Webster seawatch at least through the 14th.
Arrivals have included a Short-billed Dowitcher fly-by at Hutchinson
Hill on the 14th, a Vega Herring Gull on the 16th at Marunich, and 3
Sabine's Gulls among the kittiwake flock in the Salt Lagoon on the
15th. Outside of waterbirds, landbirds have been few and far between,
but a Short-eared Owl was seen over Cup Lake on the 16th, a Bank
Swallow was flying over Rocky Lake on the 14th, and a female repoll,
which was most likely a Hoary, was seen in the quarry on the 14th.
Hopefully this dramatic decrease in birds with good winds isn't a
signal that the spring migration is over.
June 13th- Common Rosefinch and a couple others from across the sea
The westerly winds that have been present for the past couple days now finally paid off when a female or young male COMMON ROSEFINCH was found on the eastern side of Hutchinson Hill in the late morning. The bird cooperated nicely so that good photos and awesome looks were had by all of the birders on the island today. Also showing up today were a pair of Tufted Ducks on Webster Lake and a Gray-cheeked Thrush at Polovina Hill. The Yellow-billed Loon continues at the Webster Seawatch while a couple Pacific Loons showed up along the coast as well today to join the Red-necked Grebes and King Eiders which are still around in decent numbers. Migrant shorebirds have pretty well left the island but today did produce a Wandering Tattler at Marunich and a Pacific Golden-Plover on Hutchinson Hill while Eurasian Wigeon and Red-breasted Merganser rounded out the waterfowl and a couple Bank Swallows on Rocky Lake sum up the passerines. Winds keep from the south to the west for several days still so hopefully there is more to come.
June 12th- Nothing, west winds apparently don’t mean birds
The total species list for today was the lowest since May 14th a result of the poor weather conditions and the lack of birds seemingly present on the island along with incomplete coverage of all the spots by birders. Perhaps of greatest interest were 3 male Mallards seen near Pumphouse Lake in the evening a surprising number of birds this late in the spring while a first summer Slaty-backed Gull continues around the island and the variegatus Whimbrel reappeared along the Salt Lagoon. Seems pretty bleak with our west winds but maybe they are just on their way right now.
June 11th- Not much, but any day with Snowy Owl works for me
Today’s birding was hampered by continuous fog throughout the morning, afternoon, and evening with little new being found and few birds continuing from previous days. By far the best bird was a Red-necked Stint photographed at a snowmelt pond in the quarry but subsequent searches of local wetlands and the Salt Lagoon failed to reproduce the bird. Slaty-backed Gull continues to be seen more frequently around the island, this time it was a third-summer bird on Zap Beach in the morning. A Snowy Owl flew over the road near Ridge Wall in the morning while a Bank Swallow and 2 Red Phalaropes were found in the Webster Lake area to provide the day’s only other new birds.
June 10th- The rarities leave but a few birds are still around
Checks of both Hutchinson Hill and Marunich failed to produce the rarities from the past two days so it seems that the winds shifting to a southerly direction have moved them on to new locations. Unfortunately there wasn’t much to take their place with the best new birds being a Common Snipe present all day in Antone Slough and a pair of Common Loons present at Tonki Point in the afternoon. Also around today were a Vega Herring Gull and a Slaty-backed Gull along the shoreline, a continuing male Eurasian Wigeon in the wetland at Tonki Point, a variegatus Whimbrel which is still calling Tattler Cove in the Salt Lagoon home, and a Short-eared Owl which was flushed from the road near the airport. Winds are supposed to keep to the south and west for some time into the future so hopefully that will bring us some birds in what seems to be a late spring.
June 9th- The Rufous-tailed Robin continues and some loons pass by
The RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN continues today on Hutchinson Hill and was seen in the evening by the recently arrived WINGS group to everyone’s delight. The Common Sandpiper also continues into the evening at Marunich while at least one variegatus Whimbrel is still present on the island at the Salt Lagoon. New arrivals were sparse but a Snowy Owl was seen in the Polovina area and two Pacific Loons were present close to shore at Lukanin Beach in the morning while a Yellow-billed Loon at the Webster seawatch in the evening was a first of season. The winds are suppose to go back to being from the west or southwest in the next couple days but for now we have northern and eastern winds which are unlikely to produce much of interest.
June 8th- RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN!!!!!
- Rufous-tailed Robin, 3rd North American record. Photograph by Cameron Cox.
A RUFOUS-TAILED ROBIN (Luscinia sibilans), perhaps the best bird to ever be found on St. Paul Island in the spring, was found today. It was located late this evening by Luke DeCicco on Hutchinson Hill and was eventually seen by everyone who didn’t choose sleep instead of see the bird. With one hypothetical record from Attu in June 2000 and a bird collected on Attu only a week ago this will provide the third record for the Western Hemisphere. There were other birds today though even if none of them were anywhere near as good, the best being a Common Sandpiper found at Marunich in the afternoon. Also seen today from Asia was a Goosander (nominate Common Merganser) as well as a Vega Gull and both a 1st year and adult Slaty-backed Gull. Other arrivals included a Common Loon, both a minima and a leucopareia Cackling Goose, and a Short-eared Owl while the variegatus Whimbrels continue along with the Sandhill Cranes, Rhinoceros Auklet, and Tree Swallow. Hopefully there are more birds out there to find in the days to come.
June 7th- Rock Sandpiper is the best bird, ouch
Talk about a lull, today was extremely quiet. The only arrivals being a few Sandhill Cranes along the road to Southwest Point, some Pacific Golden-Plovers at Northeast Point, and a mainland Rock Sandpiper at the snowmelt pond north of Webster Lake. Otherwise the Long-billed Dowitcher at Rocky Lake continues along with the 3 variegatus Whimbrels around the Polovina area and the Tree Swallow at Webster Lake. Hopefully there is more than this on the island.
June 6th- Black-tailed Gull and a few other asiatics
Well what we were hoping for did come to some fruition today when several Asian birds appeared on the island. The best was certainly a BLACK-TAILED GULL which was first seen flying past Marunich in the afternoon and later re-found in the harbor where it was well seen by everybody. Along with the gull a Brambling was found in the evening next to the Webster House and a Wood Sandpiper flew over the quarry. At least 3 variegatus Whimbrels were seen in the middle of the island today as well signaling a little more Asian diversity while a Western Sandpiper and Long-billed Dowitcher also appeared to add to our shorebird day list. Passerine diversity still wasn’t great but earlier in the day in the quarry the male Varied Thrush was joined by a female while a Tree Swallow appeared next to Webster Lake and an Eastern Yellow Wagtail was in the same area. Hopefully more birds will turn up soon.
June 5th- Wind, wind, and more wind
Well the winds kept going until the evening so little was found today but we are all expecting stuff to be here tomorrow for us. However, likely moved from another location on the island to the quarry by the winds was a male Varied Thrush seen there in the afternoon. The only other birds to speak of were a Red Phalarope at Antone Slough and still 2 Bar-tailed Godwits continuing in the Salt Lagoon.
June 4th- Good signs but not much to see
The storm is here but with winds at 40-50 mph sustained there aren’t many birds around to find it doesn’t seem. But positive signs are there that some things are getting blown in. Among the better signs is a Common Snipe that was found on Northeast Point behind the seal rookery and an adult Black-headed Gull at Big Lake which could have been new or the bird that was previously seen on the island. Also appearing to arrive today was a group of 25 Red Phalaropes along North Beach, an Arctic Tern at Big Lake, and several Bank Swallows around the island. In the passerine department a Golden-crowned Sparrow reappeared in the quarry and a Red-throated Pipit was flushed from Lukanin Point in the morning. The winds are still blowing though and should slow down by tomorrow so the birds should be close behind.
June 3rd- Here comes the storm
The positives from yesterday barely carried over to today. A Whimbrel was seen flying over Northeast Point which could have been either the Siberian or American race while a Pectoral Sandpiper showed up in a snowmelt pond near Webster Lake. The Bar-tailed Godwits continue in the Salt Lagoon and were joined in the evening by an Arctic Tern that was resting with the resident kittiwake flock. The only passerine seen today that wasn’t a breeder was a Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco. A heavy storm is supposed to be coming in from the northwest tonight so hopefully the birds will be arriving from across the water soon.
June 2nd- Well maybe you can find birds on a north wind
Winds are still from the northeast to north but birds are showing up which can only mean migration is really on. New birds for the season today included an a Short-billed Dowitcher along the coast north of Webster Lake, a Common Snipe seen by FWS personnel near Zapadni Beach, an Arctic Tern at Polovina Point, several Bank Swallows at various locations around the island, and a Red-throated Pipit flushed from a snowmelt pond north of Webster Lake. Late reports from some guests also added a Dark-eyed Junco at Reef Point and a Sooty Fox Sparrow at Tolstoi Point yesterday. The Bar-tailed Godwit group in the Salt Lagoon increased to 7 today but few other shorebirds of note seem to be present around the island right now. Beyond that Cackling Geese and Brant continue in the waterfowl department while both redpolls and American Pipit continue in the passerine department to add the usual assortment of birds on the island.
June 1st- A little more variety and an old friend reappears
The poor wind conditions continue but more birds seem to be appearing on the island either through more searching by us or despite the conditions. The best bird of the day was the continuing Bristle-thighed Curlew which was relocated to the north of Webster Lake in nearly the exact same spot as the 30th in the evening. The only season first was provided by a Wilson’s Warbler which was in the quarry along with a singing Golden-crowned Sparrow and a probable female McKay’s Bunting which was originally seen a few days ago but could not be determined at the time. Also of interest was a flyover Tringa sandpiper at the quarry which makes the second likely sighting of a Wood Sandpiper in the last week that could never be confirmed through re-finding the bird, it seems they won’t be so easy this year. Along the waterbird lines a 2nd-summer Slaty-backed Gull showed up this morning in the Salt Lagoon while the continuing 5 Bar-tailed Godwits there were joined by a 6th and a Black-headed Gull was reported from the High Bluffs area of the island by FWS personnel. A quick check of the weather forecast gives us hope as winds are suppose to shift to the West and Southwest for much of the week.
May 31st- American birds on a North wind
The winds are still coming in from the northeast mostly and there are still very few birds arriving on the island. An American Barn Swallow was seen flying below the ridge wall in the morning and an American Mew Gull was seen in the morning at Reef Point and later in the day near the airport. Very little else seems to have arrived or appeared today. The only other migrants to speak of are a Brant and Pectoral Sandpiper which are being seen at a snowmelt pond north of Webster Lake and increasing numbers of Cackling Geese (mostly of the Aleutian variety) which now total perhaps 40-50 birds in groups scattered around the island. Only typical species are present otherwise but we are hoping these winds will break or shift in the next day or so and bring us some new birds.
May 30th- Seawatching and luck get the birds today
The hybrid bunting continues in its lava field home near Southwest Point and a Hoary Redpoll is still hanging out around some diesel tanks in town and that about sums it up for the passerines currently known to be on the island. The biggest news from the first part of the day though was a Dovekie seen briefly off of Northeast Point in the morning providing the first record for the island is quite some time for this species though it is likely annual in very small numbers. Providing the evening’s excitement for the three people lucky enough to see it was a Bristle-thighed Curlew that showed up along the rod just east of Webster Lake. Also showing up off of the coast were Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaeger and the first two Sabine’s Gulls of the year. Not much else new for the day though and with the current north-northeast winds suppose to stay in place for the next day or two at least I don’t expect to see much showing up out here anytime soon.
May 29th- Swallows survive and a McKay’s appears
The winds turned more northeast today and the lull in the birds continues. At least 2 Tree Swallows were still hanging on at Webster Lake in the morning and a pair of Gadwall were in a wetland near the end of the airport’s runway. The best news of the day was a McKay’s Bunting seen by FWS personnel near Southwest Point which initiated a long search of the lava fields that produced only a Snow x McKay’s Bunting hybrid, so close. Eurasian Wigeon and Tufted Duck are still present and Pacific Golden-Plovers are still passing through but little else seems to be arriving out here in the middle of the Bering Sea.
May 28th- A Cuckoo perhaps and nothing else
It seems east winds apparently mean no birds. The winds that started yesterday and the subsequent seeming lack of birds continues and seems to be getting worse. Almost no migrants are around the island right now, no Pacific Golden-Plovers, no Sandhill Cranes, almost no migrant passerines. Its been probably the worst day of the year as far as species goes with only 40-50 seen and nothing of Asian origin confirmed save the continuing female Tufted Duck that could be from either direction. The only bird of note was a probable Cuckoo sp. that was seen in early afternoon in the lava fields at Southwest Point. The bird could not be relocated and the lone observer couldn’t be sure of the ID but whether it was a superbly early cuckoo or something else it as surely an interesting bird that got away. Otherwise King Eiders continue around town and the kittiwakes and fulmars are really ramping up their nesting behavior but not much else is going on around here.
May 27th- It’s all about the American birds
Well the winds shifted to the east today and it doesn’t seem as though this will be good for the birds on the island. A few new birds for the season showed up like Common Loon and Long-tailed Jaeger but not much else. The best birds found were a Golden-crowned Sparrow that was in the same area as the Gray Wagtail at Marunich in the evening and the first Winter Wren detected this year which was in the southern section of the quarry. Otherwise a pair of Gadwall (rare in the Pribilofs) near Webster Lake and the continuing Black Turnstone this time at Marunich and continuing Siberian Whimbrel on Northeast Point rounded out the only notables of the day. Tree Swallows continue to be present at North Beach while Short-tailed Shearwaters are still showing up in small numbers around some of the island’s seawatches. “Vega” Herring Gulls seem to have disappeared the past day or so and Glaucous Gulls seem to be leaving the island’s shores, hopefully a few new birds will show up soon for the birders currently on the island.
May 26th- It’s all about the shorebirds and Snowy Owls
Shorebirds were the theme for today along with my personal nemesis bird, the Snowy Owl. Besides shorebirds and owls the day was pretty slow with a pair of Lesser Scaup found on Webster Lake, 7 Ancient Murrelets in the harbor at point-blank range, continuing Tree Swallows numbering over 20, and the Hoary Redpoll which continues to delight people along the town cliffs above the harbor. The highlight of today for everybody else came on the way to dinner when a COMMON SANDPIPER was flushed from the parking lot at the Trident Processing Plant where we eat our meals. Also seen today was yesterday’s male Ruff in full breeding regalia but this time it stayed so that we could all enjoy the bird. Also in the same pond as the Ruff were 3-4 Long-billed Dowitchers which are an unusual spring sight here in the Pribilofs while in the evening a Siberian Whimbrel was seen along the road to Northeast Point just past Webster Lake. For me however, the bird of the day was Snowy Owl which was represented by two arrivals near Northeast Point that gave me my long awaited first. Watching the second bird fly off of Hutchinson Hill out over the Bering Sea and just keep going was one of the coolest things I have seen on this island.
May 25th- Gray Wagtail, need I say more?
The bird of the spring so far and perhaps the spring as a whole when it is all said and done was found today at Marunich, a GRAY WAGTAIL. The bird was located along the rocky coast feeding along the kelp line and stayed around long enough for every birder on the island to see it. All other birds seem to be of little consequence in comparison to this bird but the first Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the year also showed up at Webster Lake to make it a two wagtail day while at least 10 or so Tree Swallows continue in various locations around the island along with a new American Barn Swallow near Zapadni Beach and both Common and Hoary Redpolls continue around town and Reef Point. Little is happening in the waterbird department on the island currently but a Rhinoceros Auklet seen from Southwest Point today was the season’s first and 2 Red Phalaropes showed up exhausted along the island’s southern shore likely blown in by the wind.
May 24th- Bluethroat and Lesser Sand-Plover with a few other arrivals
Species wise today was perhaps the best day of the year so far and with a changing of the winds towards the Southwest this afternoon birds seemed to be dropping in later in the day. The two best birds found for the day were a Bluethroat which gave nothing more than unsatisfactory looks at Reef Point in the afternoon and evening and a flyby Lesser Sand-Plover seen by only one person at Pumphouse Lake. Beyond the best birds a Northern Wheatear continues at Reef Point from yesterday evening while both a Hoary and a Common Repoll were found together in town providing the first records of both species this spring. A Tree Swallow invasion is in effect with well over two dozen birds present around the island as well as an American Barn Swallow, a very rare visitor to the Pribilofs. To add to the passerines was an American Pipit found on Northeast Point in the evening. Shorebirds were present though few new birds seem to be arriving. Species of some note seen today included multiple Wandering Tattlers, 10+ Bar-tailed Godwits, the continuing Black Turnstone from earlier this spring at the snowmelt pond north of Webster Lake, 10+ Western Sandpipers, a Dunlin in the Salt Lagoon, and the season’s fourth Wilson’s Snipe at Antone Slough. A few Vega Herring Gulls continue around the island and both Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers were seen today while the King Eider flock near town was estimated at over 200 this afternoon. Let’s hope these new winds bring us something good.
May 23rd- Finally a McKay’s
Today produced little in the way of new birds until the early evening when a late run to Marunich to check on conditions there produced a few arrivals along the road just north of the airport. A flock of 3 Common Redpolls were flushed from the roadside only to be upstaged by a male McKay’s Bunting which flushed from the roadside a short distance further but could not be relocated to show to everybody else on the island, such is the way it goes out here.
May 21st- A migrant passerine and the wrong Snipes
Birds are still not turning over with the continuous north winds we have been receiving but a few new birds showed up today despite the weather. In the morning a Northern Wheatear was found in the lava fields above Southwest Point while also in the morning a total of 3 Wilson’s Snipes were located in two separate locations. A Brant continues as do Black Scoter in the harbor and the Tufted Duck but little else was found on the rounds today.
May 20th- Bar-tailed Godwits and not much else
We are still very early in the season but today brought a few signs of what will hopefully be coming through later in the week/month. Both a Greater White-fronted Goose and a minima Cackling Goose were found near Webster Lake on a snowmelt pond. Pacific Golden-Plovers numbered over 50 around the island and the first Bar-tailed Godwits showed up with t least 7 present. Also seen were multiple Ancient Murrelets which have become uncommon breeders on the island in the past several years and a Short-eared Owl which is hanging out around Telegraph Hill just outside of the town itself. The male Tufted Duck continues around the island and a Short-tailed Shearwater flew past North Beach this afternoon but little else of note comes to mind right now.
May 19th- Arrival (Tufted Duck, etc…)
I left Tucson, AZ on the 18th after having graduated from the University of Arizona so it was a bit of a shock when I arrived on St. Paul Island today to snow and 30+ degree temperatures. Off the plane the first birds were Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch and Lapland Longspur, a sign of things to come. I met up with the other two guides who had arrived earlier, Dylan Radin and Cameron Cox, and Dylan took me into town to set me up for the season. Of course a pair of Tufted Ducks were in the harbor outside our apartment so I checked them out for a minute then I went back to unpacking. From there we headed out to the northeast with the clients who had also arrived with me. Birds weren’t too common but things like Eurasian Wigeon, King Eider, Slaty-backed Gull, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger, and a solid count of 41 Sandhill Cranes. Not too much, but a solid first day out here in the Bering Sea.
