GAMBELL,
ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND
Red-necked Stint Gray-tailed Tattler
Photo: Ashok. Khosla Photo:
Carl Sheely
DATES
I: MAY 23 – 29, 2008
II: MAY 28 – JUNE 3, 2008
III: SEPTEMBER 1 – 7, 2008
COST (PER PERSON) (2008 prices)
DOUBLE: $3625 SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $375 (if available)
DEPOSIT: $500
SPECIAL DISCOUNT PRICE FOR COMBINING GAMBELL AND NOME: $5250 double occupancy
INCLUDES
From Anchorage, 6 nights lodging, all meals from 1st night dinner through
final day's dinner, use of ATV's (2 person per ATV), land use fee, transport, guides, taxes, tips.
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OVERVIEW
St. Lawrence Island lies in the Bering Sea just off the Siberian coast. Gambell is a small, timeless Eskimo village subsisting much as it has for thousands of years. On some days, Siberia can be seen clearly 35 miles in the distance. Whale, walrus, seal, polar bear and birds account for most of the native diet. High Arctic and Asian vagrants are the draw at Gambell. Most of the Asian species recorded in North America have been seen in Gambell and its environs. We will spend much of our time within a couple of miles of the village. There are huge colonies of Parakeet, Least and Crested Auklets on the cliffs within walking distance. Northwest Point provides a "super-highway" for seabirds passing very close by the island in migration and usually yield Arctic Loon, Yellow-billed Loon , Dovekie, Emperor Goose and Ivory Gull as well as many other seabirds and ducks. The centuries old bone yards often hide vagrant passerines, e.,g, Eurasian Bullfinch, Hawfinch, and Common Cuckoo. The marsh about two miles from town is superb for shorebirds and typically yields several of the Asiatic shorebirds.
Fall
trips afford the opportunity to discover first North American records, as has
happened for the past three years during the period from about August 20
– October 30. Wryneck, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Yellow-browed Warbler, Stonechat, Middendorf's, Grasshopper-Warbler, Rosefinch, Pechora Pipit, Reed Warbler, Pallas' Reed-Bunting are only a few of the many extraordinary species found in Gambell during the fall migration. On our Fall trip, we should have time on our return to Nome on our last day to go out to Safety Sound to see the spectacular waterfowl migration.
Our accommodations will be simple, but comfortable in Gambell. Walking on Gambell is very strenuous because of loose gravel. In order to make Gambell more accessible, we provide ATV's for our customers, two persons per ATV's. Other groups have finally starting offering ATV's as well, but generally on "as needed" basis. Ours are always available, allowing rapid access throughout the area. Our cook and primary leader will be David MacKay (an excellent cook, as any of you who have stayed with in Alamos, Mexico will know), and co-leader will be Phil Davis, a very accomplished birder and secretary for Maryland Ornithological Society.
ITINERARY
DAY ONE: We'll meet in Anchorage at the Coast International Hotel at 6:30 PM for dinner downtown at Orso, one of the finest restaurants in Alaska. After dinner, we'll do an hour or so of birding. We can usually find a pair of nesting Pacific Loons close-by and, if we're lucky, nesting Northern Goshawk.
DAY TWO: Breakfast at the Coast.. Meet in the lobby about 7:30 AM for trip to airport. Phil Davis will accompany Gambell 1
folks to Nome. It's important that all bags be ready in the lobby at 7:10 AM so that we can get to the airport in plenty of time. Anchorage Airport
is already busy with the tourist season starting. We fly to Nome at 9:20 AM,
arriving about 11:00 Am. Bering
Air will pick up our bags while we walk across the parking lot to their
terminal. We get our tickets and,
weather permitting, the group will
depart sometime around noon arriving in Gambell in time for lunch. Please
remember baggage restrictions and extra cost if you go over. You can leave bags
at the Coast or Bering Air.
QUARTERS: You'll be met by our High Lonesome guides and some locals at the airport. Your gear will be moved to our quarters in the Sivuqaq Inn (907) 985-5335 (lounge phone) via ATV's. We will assign people to rooms when we arrive at the Inn. It is important to have warm clothes with you so that you
can put them on at the airstrip since the trip to the Inn, though short, can be
quite invigorating! Take some of
your layers off for the flight, then put them back on when we arrive.
MEALS: Meals will be coordinated with the other groups so that everyone isn't eating at the same time since we'll be sharing meal space. Until we have coordinated, we can't tell you the exact times but will as soon as we know. Typically, though, breakfast will be around
7:30AM, lunch about 1:00 PM and dinner about 6:30 PM.
DAY TWO-SIX: BIRDING: We will be in radio contact
all the time. Sometimes, we will
split up to cover more ground. We
will stay in contact as well with other groups on the island.
LOCATIONS:
SEAWATCH: Takes place out on Northwest Point, just outside of town and
past the dump. There is an
excellent place to observe the variety of seabirds, eiders, ducks and alcids
that cruise by very closely. It can be quite cold and windy on the point since weÕll be facing directly towards the mountains of Siberia, 35 miles away. We often sees whales surfacing within
100 yards of the shoreline.
NEAR BONEYARD: The boneyards are the native's dumps used for centuries to dispose of whale, walrus and sea lion carcusses. The natives dig in the boneyards, looking for "old" ivory which is quite valuable. The Near
Boneyard merges with the village on the SW side, a couple of hundred yards from
the Inn. Typically, we find
Red-necked Stints beginnning courtship here. In addition, this is the location of many of the
vagrant passerines that move through starting in the last week of May and
continuing the first few days of June.
FAR BONEYARD: Flush up against the mountain,
this boneyard is about a 3/4 of a mile from the Inn. It has been very productive for passerines, and we will
check it several times daily. There are a couple a smaller boneyards between the moutain and the
village that sometimes yield birds of interest.
THE NEAR MARSH: Lies between the Far Boneyard and the
Lake. As snow melts from this
rather small area, shorebirds begin coming in to feed and rest, usually in ones
and twos. Many of the best
shorebird sightings occur at this marsh.
THE FAR MARSH: Lies at the south end of the Lake,
about 2 miles from the Village. This marsh is much larger than the Near Marsh, but it can be difficult
to negotiate because the water can be over your knees in places. There is an excellent vantage point
from the road running along side. Another locations for shorebird vagrants.
THE FAR LAKE: Lies about 1/2 a mile beyond the big
lake and is usually frozen in until the very last days of May or the beginning
of June. Has been the location of
some significant sightings.
THE ALCID CLIFFS: These run all along the mountain from
the lake to the Sea. We'll visit them in an effort to get better looks at the rare, breeding Dovekie. The mountainside has also been productive
at times for good birds.
WEATHER: The weather is always an issue on Gambell. We hope for strong Southwest winds to
push in Asian vagrants migrating up the Bering Sea. Westerly and Northwesterly winds are pretty good as
well. Southerly and Easterly winds
are likely to bring in birds from headed for the Alaska mainland. There's not a thing we can do about the weather except to hope for the best.
The rule of the thumb for flying in
and out of Gambell is that the top of the mountain is visible from the
village. Bering Air has a
representative on the island who makes the call to Bering telling them if its
ok to fly. We have no control over
this process. Bering will fly if
they think its safe. Sometimes,
the mountain will clear for a brief period, then disappear again while the
planes are enroute. The good news
is that we only need concern ourselves with this process on our first day and
our last. Please remember that we do go not cover additional costs incurred due to weather or mechanical delays. If you got a good travel insurance policy, youÕre good shape for getting reimbursed for any additional costs.
DAY SEVEN: Flights back to Nome will be between 11:00 and 3:00. Much depends upon weather, and we'll let you know the day before about approximate time. Please be packed and ready to go by 9:30 AM. WeÕll let you know when the plane is coming in.
Upon arrival in Nome, Bering Air can check your bags for the day. We'll pick them up for check in at Nome Airport for our 9:00 PM or so departure if you're flying out this evening. Those staying for Nome can check in at the Aurora Inn after arrival (907) 443 3838. Lunch and dinner in Nome. We should get some productive birding time in along Safety Sound when we return from Nome. There are a couple of interesting shops as well.. Victor's Russian shop in a trailer on Lomen Street, off of Bering St. and toward the airport is one of our favorites.
CLOTHING &
EQUIPMENT
NOTE: Temperatures and, more important,
wind chill factors vary widely and can get down in the low teens or less. So,
bring warm clothes that will allow you to layer. We will send a more extensive list prior to departures.
á Layered Clothing
á Full suit (jacket and
pants) of waterproof rain/wind gear. (Note: Ponchos and rain chaps are
inadequate.) Rain jacket makes
good outer layer - hooded is preferable.
á Synchilla Fleece or Wool
garments (Keep you warm and retains insulating quality when wet)
á Wool, capilene or
polypropylene long underwear, tops & bottoms.(light-weight)
á Medium-weight, wool
socks (Bring extras) (Goretex liners provide good protection & warmth)
á Warm hat & gloves
á Sturdy and
Waterproof Over-the-Ankle Hiking
Boots (we suggest NEOS or Wellies)
á Rain Hat (if parka not
hooded)
á Hat with visor for sun
á Extra pair of
prescription glasses, contact lenses, sunglasses
á Tennis, running or sturdy comfortable walking shoes
á Insect
repellent (DEET 20% or more/ Itch Relief Cream) Note: Citronella
is ineffective
á Sunscreen (sun is very
bright when snowy and can produce significant sunburn)
á Jeans, Khakis for
general wear
á Binoculars (Scope if you
prefer to use your own)
á Day Pack/Fanny Pack
á Water Bottles
RECOMMENDED
GUIDES
v Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Third or Fourth Edition, National Geographic Society.
v The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2000, David A. Sibley; Alfred A. Knopf
v Birds of Europe. 1999, Kevin Mullarney, et. al., Princeton University
v Guide to the Birds of Alaska, Fourth Edition, 1995, Robert H. Armstrong; Alaska Northwest Books
v Shorebirds
of North America, 2005, Dennis Paulson, University of Washington Press
v Mammals of Alaska 1996 Alaska Geographic Society
v Field
Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers, 1996, Verna E. Pratt, Alaskakrafts, Inc.
v Guide to Marine Mammals of Alaska, 1997. Kate Wynee, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
READINGS: THE
ALASKA EXPERIENCE
v Living
on the Edge. Spike Walker. Wonderfully descriptive book about Dutch Harbor
and crabbing in the Bering Sea. .
v Arctic
Dreams. Barry Lopez. Pulitzer Prize-winning non-fiction about the High
Arctic. Beautifully written!
v Any
book by Dana Stabenow, an Alaska mystery writer whose books are enjoyable a
very informative about Alaska native life.
If you have some free time in Anchorage, don't miss going to
Cook Inlet Book Store on 5th Avenue.. They have a great selection of Alaska
fiction and non-fiction!
Above birding books can be obtained from Madison Audubon Shoppe,
(888) 505-9056, with a 10% discount by mentioning High Lonesome BirdTours. ABA
Sales and the various web book dealers are also sources.
FOR RESERVATION
OR FURTHER INFORMATION
HIGH LONESOME BIRDTOURS
570 S. Little Bear Trail, Sierra
Vista, AZ 85635
Phone (520) 458-9446 or
1-800-743-2668
Email: hilone@hilonesome.com
Website: www.hilonesome.com
