- RBA
* ALASKA
* St. Paul Island; Pribilofs
* 8/23/03
* AKSPO308.23

-Birds Mentioned:
Short-tailed Shearwater
King Eider
Peregrine Falcon (ssp. pealei and tundrius)
Pacific Golden Plover
MONGOLIAN PLOVER
Semipalmated Plover
Lesser Yellowlegs
Wandering Tattler
GRAY-TAILED TATTLER
Bar-tailed Godwit
Ruddy Turnstone
Western Sandpiper
LONG-TOED STINT
Least Sandpiper
Baird’s Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER
Dunlin
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Red Phalarope
Parasitic Jaeger
Herring Gull (ssp. vegae and smithsonianus)
SLATY-BACKED GULL
Parakeet Auklet
Least Auklet
Crested Auklet
RHINOCEROS AUKLET
Bank Swallow
NORTHERN WHEATEAR
Yellow Wagtail
American Pipit
Common Redpoll


-transcript
   hotline: St. Paul Island, Pribilofs, Alaska (internet only)
   date: August 23, 2003
   coverage: St. Paul Island
   compiled: 12:00am ADT,  August 23, 2003
   compiler and transcriber: Derek Lovitch (waxwing7000@yahoo.com)

This is the St. Paul Island birding update for August 16 - 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.

Light to moderate Southwest winds once again dominated this week. However, a fairly weak front pushed through mid-week, producing some northwest winds that in turn produced some good shorebirding. Migrant passerines are beginning to show up as well.

Days in mid-to-late August with moderate to strong winds will produce thousands of SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS. Up to 100 per minute were tallied multiple times this week.

Another female KING EIDER joined the oversummering 7 Kings this week.

Exciting for the Pribs were multiple PEREGRINE FALCONS this week. One, and quite possibly two, immature "PEALE’S" were seen this week, with the last sighting being on the 18th. Meanwhile an adult male tundrius breezed by on the 16th.

A juvenile MONGOLIAN PLOVER dropped in on the 20th.

Two juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS arrived on the 20th, and one was seen again the next day. Two GRAY-TAILED TATTLERS on the 17th was the high for the week, but the first juvenile Tattler of the season was also a Gray-tailed on the 22nd. The lone juvenile BAR-TAILED GODWIT continues through week’s end.

The bird of the week was a juvenile LONG-TOED STINT that was discovered on August 16. It continues through week’s end, and was even videotaped. After a lull in the action, SHARP-TAILED SANPIPERS returned this week, with one juvenile on the 19th. 5 Sharp-tails were seen by the 20th, but only 2 were found by the 21st.

A single juvenile DUNLIN was noted on the 19th. Last week’s juvenile RUFF continued through the 17th.

Other high counts for shorebirds this week:

PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER: 20 on 8/20.
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER: 2 on 8/20.
WANDERING TATTLER: 6 on 8/16.
RUDDY TURNSTONE: 494 on 8/17.
WESTERN SANDPIPER: 4 on 8/20.
LEAST SANDPIPER: 1 on 8/16-17.
BAIRD’S SANDPIPER: 1 on 8/16 and 8/20.
PECTORAL SANDPIPER: 18 on 8/20.
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER: 2 on 8/19-20 and 22.
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE: 12 on 8/21.
RED PHALROPE: 118 on 8/21.

There has been a dearth Jaeger sightings this year. However, two PARASITIC JAEGERS (one dark adult and one light adult) were spotted on the 21st.

A single adult "VEGA" HERRING GULL continued through the 17th, when it was replaced by a 3rd year bird of the subspecies smithsonianus on the 18th. An adult Vega was seen on the 21st as well. Three to four different SLATY-BACKED GULLS are hanging out around the island.

Only one LEAST AUKLET was seen this week, flying by on the 17th. Very few PARAKEET and CRESTED AUKLETS are still being seen. A single RHINOCEROS AUKLET was noted again on 8/17.

Two BANK SWALLOWS whipped through on the 17th, while one was noted on the 19th, and 5 were seen on the 20th.

NORTHERN WHEATEARS are beginning to show up. One juvenile was noted on the 16th, while another juvenile found on the 17th continued through week’s end. A juvenile YELLOW WAGTAIL found on the 20th was seen again on the 21st and a single AMERICAN PIPIT flew over on the 21st.

The family group of COMMON REDPOLLS continue, while other redpolls were sighted sporadically around the island this week as well.

***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