Spent the previous night in Anchorage,AK while waiting for today's flight to St. Paul Island(SNP). St. Paul is the largest Pribilof Island, known for its fur seal and seabird colonies, located about 480 km west the coast of mainland Alaska. The Pribilofs are a group of 5 volcanic islands, St. Paul, St. George, Otter, Walrus and Sea Lion, of which only the two biggest islands, St. Paul and St. George, are inhabited.
During our stay, Aug 9-Aug 14, not many vagrants were seen because the spring season has passed and fall season hasn't started yet and the weather on most of the days were calm with a bit of sun on an island that is overcast almost everyday in the summer!
Guides Alison V. and Cory G., of TDX company, take turns leading the group. Both are knowledgable of the wildlife on the island and the island itself. They each keeps a blog that you may want to read.
Guides Alison V. and Cory G., of TDX company, take turns leading the group. Both are knowledgable of the wildlife on the island and the island itself. They each keeps a blog that you may want to read.
Snowy Owl
One of the 2 raptors we saw. the other one is a young Bald Eagle. We could not relocate the owl again after the first day.
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| Snowy Owl |
Thick-billed Murre
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| Thick-billed Murre |
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| Thick-billed Murre |
Horned Puffin
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| Horned Puffin |
Breeding adults have interesting horns extending from their eyes.
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| Horned Puffin |
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| Alison and Horned Puffin |
Tufted Puffin
as cliff-nesting birds are the target species of this trip, and TUPU is one of the most abundant one. I will be posting more pics of them. Skip them if looking at how many fish are in their beaks bothers you.
as cliff-nesting birds are the target species of this trip, and TUPU is one of the most abundant one. I will be posting more pics of them. Skip them if looking at how many fish are in their beaks bothers you.
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| Tufted Puffin |
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| Tufted Puffin |
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| Tufted Puffin |
Parakeet Auklet
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| Parakeet Auklet |
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| Parakeet Auklet |
Northern Fulmar
breeds at Ridge
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| Northern Fulmar |
Red Faced Cormorant
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| Red-faced Cormorant |
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| Red-faced Cormorant |
Black-legged Kittiwake
this species is abundant on the island
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| Black-legged Kittiwake |
Harlequin Duck
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| Harlequin Duck |
Pacific Wren
pribilof subspecies
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| Pacific Wren |
Red-necked Phalarope
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| Red-necked Phalarope |
All photos by Hung-Ming Tsai and myself(Ben Tsai)
I like Tufted Puffin.
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