KAMCHATKA CRUISE JULY 2007 TOUR NEWS

Birdfinders have just returned from Kamchatka and the Commander Islands in Russia where we have been double-checking all the arrangements for our 2008 cruise. A selection of our photos can be found in the photogallery from which you can see that it was an overwhelming success. In chronological order, on arrival in Kamchatka we saw numerous Arctic and Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warblers as well as Far Eastern Curlew, Siberian Rubythroat and Rustic and Yellow-breasted Buntings. On board our comfortable ship we spent a day exploring southern Kamchatka seeing Black-tailed, Glaucous-winged and Vega Gulls and several magnificent Steller’s Sea-eagles before heading out into the Bering Sea. At sea Laysan Albatross, Mottled Petrel, numerous Short-tailed Shearwaters and Fork-tailed and Leach’s Storm-petrels were seen.

Arriving on Medny Island (one of the Commander Islands) we were treated to close up and personal views of Horned and Tufted Puffins, Common and Brünnich’s Guillemots, Pelagic and Red-faced Cormorants and Black-legged and Red-legged Kittiwakes, whilst on our shore excursions we found numerous Pechora Pipits, Lapland and Snow Buntings. Moving on to the main island of the group, Bering Island, we made another inland excursion finding Rock Ptarmigan, Rock Sandpiper and Mongolian Plover whilst visiting the site of Vitas Bering’s grave. Moving on, we visited a Steller’s Sealion colony and also saw Harbour and Northern Fur Seals and were privileged to see a pod of Killer Whales. Finally, we visited the capital of the Bering Islands, Nikolskoy, with its thriving community and excellent nearby bird colonies where Ancient Murrelet and Crested and Parakeet Auklets were all added to our lists. Back on Kamchatka, we visited new areas close to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka (known affectionately as PK!) where the highlights were Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Olive-backed Pipit, Red-flanked Bluetail, Rufous-tailed Robin, Taiga Flycatcher and Grey Bunting.

Next year’s cruise is sure to be popular in itself but, in addition, we will also be offering an alternative tour with flights to Kamchatka then spending a few days on the peninsula before flying out to Bering Island for a few days. We will be staying with local families and making boat excursions out to the islets in the evenings where we will enjoy close-up views of all the auks, cormorants and kittiwakes seen on the cruise but in addition will witness Least and Whiskered Auklets returning to their burrows. We will make a more extensive journey into the tundra and drive overland to a huge Northern Fur Seal colony. Back in Kamchatka we will head north into the peninsula where we will look for such fabulous birds as Grey-tailed Tattler and Grey-streaked and Siberian Flycatchers and subject to weather, take a helicopter trip to view Black-billed Capercaillie displaying. Finally, on our return journey via Moscow, we will have the opportunity to visit the famous Red Square and Saint Basil’s cathedral in this vibrant city. Please contact the Birdfinders office for details.