- RBA
* ALASKA
* St. Paul Island; Pribilofs
* 8/2/03
* AKSPO308.02

-Birds Mentioned:
 Short-tailed Shearwater
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
King Eider
Harlequin Duck
Pacific Golden Plover
MONGOLIAN PLOVER
Semipalmated Plover
Wandering Tattler
Gray-tailed Tattler
Whimbrel (ssp. hudsonicus)
BAR-TAILED GODWIT
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
LITTLE STINT
Pectoral Sandpiper
Rock Sandpiper (ssp. tschuktschorum)
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red Phalarope
Herring Gull (ssp. vegae and smithsonianus)
SLATY-BACKED GULL
Pigeon Guillemot
Least Auklet
Crested Auklet
RHINOCEROS AUKLET
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
RED CROSSBILL
Common Redpoll


-transcript
   hotline: St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska (internet only)
   date: August 2, 2003
   coverage: St. Paul Island
   compiled: 12:00am ADT,  August 2, 2003
   compiler and transcriber: Derek Lovitch (waxwing7000@yahoo.com)

This is the St. Paul Island birding update for July 26 - August 1, 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 mostly west to southwest this week, and light to moderate. However, we did get a little wind from just about every direction during the course of the week. . Southbound shorebirds are increasing while breeding species, especially LEAST and CRESTED AUKLETS are getting tough to find on the cliffs. LAPLAND LONGSPURS and SNOW BUNTINGS are beginning to form post-breeding flocks around the island. Meanwhile, our finch irruption has apparently tapered off for now.

Over 30 SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS were tallied on 7/27. One FORK-TAILED STORM PETREL was spotted on the 26th.

The single female KING EIDER that has been with us all summer continues, and the group of 5 subadult males picked up an additional female on the 31st. A survey of the less-visited northern shore of the island tallied a season high of 357 HARLEQUIN DUCK.

A summertime treat was a very bright alternate-plumaged adult MONGOLIAN PLOVER that spent the 27th and 28th with us. 11 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were noted on the 30th, likely representing some migrants as well as a concentration of the few breeding pairs here and their fledglings.

A WHIMBREL of the North American subspecies hudsonicus was spotted on the 30th. The single BAR-TAILED GODWIT found last week continued through the 26th. Two ROCK SANDPIPERS of the mainland subspecies tschuktschorum were noted on 7/27.

The unidentified stint from last week lingered until the 29th, after being declared a LITTLE STINT.

Other high counts for shorebirds this week are as follows:

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER: 7 on 7/31.
WANDERING TATTLER: 11 on 8/1.
GRAY-TAILED TATTLER: 2 on 8/1.
RUDDY TURNSTONE: 937 on 7/26.
WESTERN SANDPIPER: 7 on 7/26.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 9 on 7/28.
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER: 5 on 7/26.
RED PHALAROPE: 40 on 8/1.

Casual in the Pribs was a fresh juvenile smithsonianus HERRING GULL seen twice this week, while an adult of the more usual vegae subspecies was seen on the 27th. Single second summer and third summer SLATY-BACKED GULLS continued to be seen daily this week.

One PIGEON GUILLEMOT was noted on 7/27, while one RHINOCEROS AUKLET was spotted on the 30th.

Single RED CROSSBILLS were noted here and there this week, while 3 were seen together on 7/27. It seems they tired of eating Nootka Lupine seeds and moved on. Meanwhile, only a few scattered COMMON REDPOLLS were noted this week.

---REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: As I prepare for the first ever fall bird survey on St. Paul (beginning August 25th), I am trying to compile notes and records from prior visits. If anyone has visited the Pribilofs in the fall, I would be interested in hearing from you. I can be reached via email at waxwing7000@yahoo.com---

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