- RBA
*ALASKA
*St. Paul Island; Pribilofs
*5/24/03
*AKSP0305.24

- Birds Mentioned:
Pacific Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Short-tailed Shearwater
"Aleutian" Canada Goose
TUNDRA SWAN
American Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon
Mallard  
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Greater Scaup
TUFTED DUCK
King Eider
Pacific Golden-Plover
COMMON GREENSHANK
WOOD SANDPIPER
Wandering Tattler
Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Western Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Dunlin
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
COMMON SNIPE
Red Phalarope
BALD EAGLE
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
"Vega" Herring Gull
Glaucous Gull
Pigeon Guillemot
Ancient Murrelet
Least Auklet
Horned Puffin
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
Tree Swallow
American Pipit
HERMIT THRUSH
EYEBROWED THRUSH
"MYRTLE" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
Common Redpoll



-transcript
hotline: St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska (internet only)
date: May 24, 2003
coverage: St. Paul Island
compiled: 12:00pm ADT,  May 24, 2003
compiler and transcriber: Derek Lovitch (waxwing7000@yahoo.com)

This is the St. Paul Island birding update for May 17, 2003 through May 23, 2003 sponsored by St. Paul Island Tour. For tour information or to make travel arrangements see www.stpaulislandtour.com or call 1-877-424-5637

Winds were predominately out of the east or northeast this week, with little precipitation and lots of sunshine. Nevertheless, we had "good" birds from both sides of "the pond." By Friday, the winds were beginning to show the forcasted shift to the northwest (and predicted to be followed by west, and then southwest winds) which is exactly what we hope for.

A single PACIFIC LOON was noted on 5/17, while up to 5 RED-NECKED GREBES continue to be seen. The first observation of SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER of the season were 4 on the 20th.

A lone "ALEUTIAN" CANADA GOOSE was spotted on 5/17 and 5/19, while a pair of TUNDRA SWANS dropped in on the 20th. One drake AMERICAN WIGEON and a scattered few EURASIAN WIGEON are lingering, but 5 Americans were seen 5/22. One drake MALLARD was present May 19-20. 3 female BUFFLEHEAD lingered through 5/17. One female COMMON GOLDENEYE stopped by on 5/19. After a high count of 12 GREATER SCAUP on 5/21, only 6 remained by week's end. Our trio of TUFTED DUCKS (2 male, one female) continue, as do a scattered few KING EIDER.

Migrant PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS are being seen daily, with this week's high count being 8 on 5/18. Certainly a highlight for our first tour group was a COMMON GREENSHANK discovered on 5/20, and present at least through the 22nd. 2 WOOD SANDPIPERS have been present all week. Migrant WANDERING TATTLERS are now being seen daily, with this week's high being 4 on 5/18. 1 WHIMBREL stopped in for a brief visit on 5/19. BAR-TAILED GODWITS arrived this week: On the 19th, 8 were observed on the mudflats of Salt Lagoon but spotted flying north past Northeast Point a few hours later. However, 7 more showed up on the 20th, and 14 were present by week's end. One WESTERN SANDPIPER was found on the 20th, while 5 migrant RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen in the 19th, and 2 were found on the 23rd. 1 DUNLIN was noted on the 20th. 2 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER continued from last week through the 20th, while a lone bird (possibly a different one) has been seen since 5/21. 1 COMMON SNIPE was flushed on 5/17, and a lone migrant RED PHALAROPE was found on the 21st.

Any raptor observation is welcomed here, so an adult BALD EAGLE seen on the 21st was exciting. One POMARINE JAEGER was spotted on the 23rd, while single PARASITIC JAEGERS were spotted on 5/20 and 5/22. 4 LONG-TAILED JAEGERS were noted on the 22nd, and one was seen on the 23rd. 3 "VEGA" HERRING GULLS were seen on 5/17, and the lone 1st year GLAUCOUS GULL continues. A few PIGEON GUILLEMOTS are still being seen, while 8 ANCIENT MURRELETS were spotted on the 23rd. The last of our breeding seabirds to return, HORNED PUFFIN, was first spotted on the 19th. The SNOWY OWL show at the Northeast Point of the island has continued all week. While the peak count was 7 on 5/21, by weeks end only 2 remained. However, the highlight was certainly the observation of a Snowy catching a LEAST AUKLET. A single SHORT-EARED OWL was spotted on the 23rd.

A single TREE SWALLOW flew through on the 21st. One AMERICAN PIPIT was noted on 5/19. Easterly winds produced two "good" North American passerines this week.. First, a HERMIT THRUSH was found on the 22nd, and lingered through week's end. Any warbler is a "good bird" our here, and a singing and flycatching male "MYRTLE" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was no exception. Meanwhile, the turn to northwest winds on Friday immediately produced results from the "other side" with the discovery of 2 EYE-BROWED THRUSH on the 23rd. And finally, one COMMON REDPOLL was reported on the 21st.

This is Derek Lovitch for Gavin Bieber, and Marfa Rukovishnikof of St. Paul Island Tour. Hope you enjoyed reading about our sightings . . . maybe we'll see you out here! Until next time, Derek