Compare Alaska: Birding the Top of America by Tropical Birding

Day 1: Arrival in Anchorage.

After arriving in Alaska’s largest city, you will transfer to our hotel for the night.

Days 2: Anchorage to Nome.

We’ll take the first available morning flight to the outpost town of Nome, where we’ll spend four nights. A legendary birding location, and rightfully so, the mix of limited range Asiatic species that barely make it into the US, along with highly sought after arctic breeders gives Nome some truly spectacular birding!

Days 3-5: Nome area.

One of our days in the Nome area will be spent driving inland along the Kougarok Road. Famous as the most accessible place to search for nesting Bristle-thighed Curlews in the world, we will spend a good deal of time searching for this elusive bird. There are also a number of other mouth-watering possibilities to keep us occupied, including (if we are lucky) nesting Gyrfalcon, Rough-legged Hawk, the gorgeous Bluethroat, and Hoary Redpoll.

For the remainder of our time in Nome we’ll explore the other two roads out of town. With anything from breeding plumaged Red Knots and Rock Sandpipers singing practically at our feet to the hilarious antics of Rock and Willow Ptarmigans to large flocks of seaducks and loons, there is no shortage of superb birding to keep us occupied. You know something is going right when one of the most common birds is Long-tailed Jaegers, which soar delightfully close overhead. Species we’ll keep a special eye out for include Aleutian Tern, Arctic Loon (the Nome area being one of the best in the US to look for this species), royalty in the form of Emperor Goose and King Eider, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

Aside from all the birdlife, Nome also doesn’t slack off in the mammal department. Nowhere else will we have as good a chance for the bizarre Muskox, looking like something out of the ice age, and herds of Caribou or the off chance of a Grizzly Bear will keep us on our toes. We’ll spend these three nights in Nome again.

Day 6: Nome to Anchorage

After a final morning in Nome, we’ll take an afternoon flight to Anchorage, where we’ll spend the next two nights.

Day 7: Around Anchorage.

The day will be spent around Anchorage surveying wetlands surrounding Alaska’s largest city for resplendent Red-necked Grebes and gorgeous Barrow’s Goldeneyes; while the tall boreal forests on the edge of the city play host to photogenic birds like Steller’s Jays and Wilson’s Warblers. A second night will be spent in Anchorage.

Day 8: Anchorage to Barrow.

An early morning flight will take us north from Anchorage – far to the north – to the last frontier of the Last Frontier. Barrow is famous not only as the northernmost point in the United States, but also as an excellent location to truly experience the arctic. We’ll have plenty of time to look for some of the most charismatic species on the continent. Headlining these will be Spectacled and Steller’s Eiders, and we’ve timed our visit here to give us the best opportunity of seeing these rare ducks in their full breeding regalia. Three nights will be spent in Barrow.

Days 9-10: Barrow.

There is a lot more besides, to birding in Barrow, and we could also see such sought-after species as nesting Snowy Owls, all three species of Jaegers, Yellow-billed Loon, and Hoary Redpoll. By virtue of its high-arctic location Barrow also gives us our best shot at a number of breeding shorebirds, from gaudy Red Phalaropes to more subtly patterned Pectoral and Baird’s Sandpipers and an outside shot at Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Depending on the sea ice conditions we may also have a chance at seeing one of the most charismatic mammals in the world, the gigantic Polar Bear. And even if the conditions aren’t ideal for the bear we have a good shot at seeing Bearded and Ringed Seals, and maybe an Arctic Fox or some lemmings. These nights will be spent in Barrow.

Day 11: Barrow to Anchorage.

After a final morning in Barrow, we’ll take an afternoon flight to Anchorage, where we’ll overnight.

Day 12: Anchorage to Seward.

We’ll spend most of the day taking a leisurely drive along the scenic Turnagain Arm and Kenai Peninsula to the town of Seward, birding roadside marshes, waterfront, and coastal humid forest along the way. The northernmost extension of the Pacific Northwest rainforest, this habitat will be in stark contrast to most of the others on the tour. This translates into quite a few species that won’t be seen elsewhere, including colorful Townsend’s Warblers and Steller’s Jays, erratic Red Crossbills, “Sooty” Fox Sparrow, tiny Rufous Hummingbirds, and if we’re lucky the Beluga Whales that sometimes cruise the Turnagain Arm. The night will be spent in Seward.

Day 13: Kenai Fjords National Park to Anchorage.

Imagine a wall of ice 700 feet high, just off a boat bobbing in impossibly blue water. No, you aren’t in Antarctica, you’re sitting next to a monstrous glacier not far from Seward, Alaska! Glacier viewing won’t be the only highlight of the day’s foray into Kenai Fjords National Park, though – impressive seabird colonies that can include up to eight or more species of alcids, thousands of Black-legged Kittiwakes, the rare and local Kittlitz’s Murrelet, and potentially several species of whales are all on tap as well! Both the scenery and birding in the Fjords will be among the best of the entire tour. After returning to port we’ll head back to Anchorage for the final night.

Day 14: Departure.

The tour ends this morning in Anchorage. The hotel provides a shuttle bus to the airport.