St. Paul Island, August 2015 3/3

Aug 12

SW Point

Arctic Fox

the fox appeared to be tame, and possibly lame.

Arctic Fox

This other individual looked up from the rocky shore. Maybe it is waiting for its next meal to fall from the sky. I saw two sets of bird skeletons on the 1 km trail to the hill by Antone Lake. So it is possible to find a fallen bird.

Arctic Fox

Wandering Tattler

like it does in Vancouver area, walks along rocky shores.

Wandering Tattler

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

juvenile on a board that reads '' Our Wildlife, Our Future.''

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Reef

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Thick-billed Murre

Salt Lagoon
Cory agreed to take me and another photographer here to see if we can find something different. When we arrived, dozens, maybe even 100 Red-legged and Black-legged Kittiwakes gathered on the sand spit. And of course Rock Sanpipers and Ruddy Turnstones were around. 3 Western Sandpipers and a Gray-tailed Tattler were also foraging. The tattler somehow disappeared soon after it was spotted and was not seen again in the evening.

Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone

As the rising tide came in, Kittiwakes started circling above the channel where the lagoon is connected to the Bering Sea.

Then the kittiwakes dove in. Fish! Lots of them! 

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Aug 13

Antone Lake

After several tries, we finally arrive early enough to have time to do the hike. Visibility is limited, otherwise this would be a good place to get Horned Puffin shots. Unlike Reef, where nest holes are out of view, many nests can be seen from the top of the hill.

Horned Puffin

Horned Puffin

Horned Puffin

Horned Puffin

 Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

 Red-faced Cormorant

Red-faced Cormorant

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Red-legged Kittiwake

Red-legged Kittiwake

Snow Bunting

first year

Snow Bunting

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

SW Point

Snow Bunting

Adult

Snow Bunting

 Salt Lagoon
Even more Kittiwakes are fishing today at the rising tide. Didn't see any Red-legged Kittiwake diving though.

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged Kittiwake

Gray-tailed Tattler

breeds in Siberia and migrate through the pribilofs in springs and falls.

managed to take a few photos before this one takes off,

Gray-tailed Tattler

Rock Sandpiper

Rock Sandpiper

City Tour

Russian Orthodox Church and Old King Eider Hotel. Now only Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch stay in the old hotel.

 Hospital is one the left side of the road, and across it is a cemetery. Pretty convenient.

Aug 14

It was rainy, misty, windy and low light the whole morning, so no birding. We just stayed in King Eider Hotel/Pen Air waiting area. One end of the L-shaped hallway leads to the airport and the other to hotel rooms.

St. Paul Island, August 2015 2/3

Aug 10

Even though it's the second day and we haven't been to every location, Reef has become our favourite puffin photography location for many reasons. It is only a 5 minute drive from the only restaurant on the island- Trident. Besides that, there is a seal blind nearby where Arctic Fox is common and Northern Fur Seal is abundant.
Reef also provides relatively safe standing spaces within 50 m from parking lot.

Horned Puffin

Horned Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Common Murre

Common Murre

Thick-billed Murre

Very similar to Common Murre overall, but TBMU has some white at the base of its beak while COMU doesn't.

Thick-billed Murre

Red-faced Cormorant

juvenile bird has white cheek

Red-faced Cormorant

Lapland Longspur

has moulted into non-breeding plumage like most songbirds on the island.

Lapland Longspur

And here are some pictures of the seals at the blind.  Since the 1950s, their population has dropped by more the 50%, and continues to decline at an alarming rate of 5.2% every year.

Northern Fur Seal

Northern Fur Seal

Reef

looking toward Otter Island in the distance and the closer Sea Lion Rock.

 Reef

seabird cliffs

 Reef

stands like this are used for counting seals.

Southwest Point

Fulmars, kittiwakes, murres, and puffins nest here as well. 

Northern Fulmar

Northern Fulmar

Northern Fulmar

Rock Sandpiper

Good numbers of them can be seen walking along and on the trail.

Rock Sandpiper

Rock Sandpiper

Rock Sandpiper

SW Point

Aug 11

In the morning, we checked out Northeast Point. Not the best place cliff birds, but I added King Eider(no photo) for life and Barrow's Goldeneye for the trip.

Barrow's Goldeneye

the only goldeneye seen on the island during my stay.

Barrow's Goldeneye

Reef

Yay, we are back again.

This time, 3 foxes greeted us. All of them were napping next to the seal blind.

Arctic Fox

Most of them are dark.

Arctic Fox

Arctic Fox

Some are, eh, in a colouration that I don't really know how to describe.

Arctic Fox

Common Murre

Common Murre

Common Murre

Crested Auklet

Crested Auklet

Parakeet Auklet

Parakeet Auklet

Red-faced Cormorant

Red-faced Cormorant

Red-faced Cormorant

Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Tufted Puffin

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Pribilof subspecies

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Northern Fur Seal

Northern Fur Seal

SW Point

Seals are often seen on the way to the SW Point.

Northern Fur Seal

Northern Fur Seal

Northern Fulmar

Most breeding pairs on St. Paul are light morph.

Northern Fulmar

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

All photos by Hung-Ming Tsai and myself(Ben Tsai)