Re: [mou-net] RFI Seward, Alaska pelagic trips
After an inland passage tour and train from Seward to Anchorage we rented a car and drove to Homer. Because every other boat company was shut down for bad weather, we hired a private taxi boat to take us to Gull Island in rain and wind for just couple hours to see Puffins and other nesting birds. Would highly recommend seeing the boat first before buying tickets. This was a tiny wood boat with nothing enclosed. We were very wet and cold, but we got very close to the birds. Thrilling in every way, white knuckles and all. Excellent woman captain kept us safe and knew the birds we were looking at. Charlene Nelson Grant County MN > On Jul 2, 2018, at 11:32 AM, Steve Weston wrote: > > I have been out twice both times, I believe, were with Kenai Fjord Tours > and both were the long trip. They were awesome. > > The first (2005) was a strictly birding trip and when we got on we went > over our wish list with the skipper and he commented on the chances of > seeing the half dozen birds that we had. We had just been to Nome and > Gamble and the list was shortened by what we had seen. He was great on > pointing out birds, even going out of the way to get a better look at some. > There were some 30 people on the trip and only the 4 of us and another > couple were interested in the birds. Birds on the trip included: > White-winged Scoter, Sooty Sheerwater, 3 cormorants, including Red-faced, > Black Oystercatcher, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemnt, Marbled Murrelet, > Rhinoceros Auklet, Horned & Tufted Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwake, and > Arctic Tern. The others saw the Kitzlitz, but I did not get a satisfactory > look. Most sightings were called out from the bridge. > > The second trip (2014) was not at all a birding trip, but I saw most of the > same birds, missing the Oystercatcher and Red-faced Cormorant and adding > the Parakeet Auklet. The other bird that I added from shore was Cassin's > Auklet, which was not expected. I confirmed with a local expert that it was > quite an unusual sighting. > > The trips were notable for the whales, seals, sea lions, and other mammals. > > > Steve Weston > On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN > swest...@comcast.net > > On Sun, Jul 1, 2018 at 6:51 PM, Karl Roe wrote: > >> Hi all, >> I will likely have a chance to do some birding in Seward, Alaska for one >> day later this month. I'm interested in information/advice/personal >> experience you might have with taking boat tours into Resurrection >> Bay/Kenai Fjords NP. There seems to be a lot of one-day tours available and >> I'm finding it hard to choose. If you have done a boat tour from Seward I'd >> like to hear about your experience. What was the tour company and how long >> was the trip? Time of year? Cost? Was the focus of the trip on birds or >> more general sight-seeing? Were there any guides aboard with knowledge of >> local pelagic bird species? >> Thanks in advance! >> -Karl Roe >> Minneapolis >> >> >> Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net >> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html >> > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] RFI Seward, Alaska pelagic trips
I have been out twice both times, I believe, were with Kenai Fjord Tours and both were the long trip. They were awesome. The first (2005) was a strictly birding trip and when we got on we went over our wish list with the skipper and he commented on the chances of seeing the half dozen birds that we had. We had just been to Nome and Gamble and the list was shortened by what we had seen. He was great on pointing out birds, even going out of the way to get a better look at some. There were some 30 people on the trip and only the 4 of us and another couple were interested in the birds. Birds on the trip included: White-winged Scoter, Sooty Sheerwater, 3 cormorants, including Red-faced, Black Oystercatcher, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemnt, Marbled Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Horned & Tufted Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Arctic Tern. The others saw the Kitzlitz, but I did not get a satisfactory look. Most sightings were called out from the bridge. The second trip (2014) was not at all a birding trip, but I saw most of the same birds, missing the Oystercatcher and Red-faced Cormorant and adding the Parakeet Auklet. The other bird that I added from shore was Cassin's Auklet, which was not expected. I confirmed with a local expert that it was quite an unusual sighting. The trips were notable for the whales, seals, sea lions, and other mammals. Steve Weston On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net On Sun, Jul 1, 2018 at 6:51 PM, Karl Roe wrote: > Hi all, > I will likely have a chance to do some birding in Seward, Alaska for one > day later this month. I'm interested in information/advice/personal > experience you might have with taking boat tours into Resurrection > Bay/Kenai Fjords NP. There seems to be a lot of one-day tours available and > I'm finding it hard to choose. If you have done a boat tour from Seward I'd > like to hear about your experience. What was the tour company and how long > was the trip? Time of year? Cost? Was the focus of the trip on birds or > more general sight-seeing? Were there any guides aboard with knowledge of > local pelagic bird species? > Thanks in advance! > -Karl Roe > Minneapolis > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] RFI Seward, Alaska pelagic trips
Back in 2005, we stayed a few days at the Kenai River Lodge http://www.alaskabirdingtours.com . The owners were bird guides (and fishing guides). Ken Marlow guided on land and his son Neil operated their pelagic boat and guided me and my wife. They were very knowledgeable and we enjoyed our time with them. Not sure what a pelagic trip would cost since it was part of a total package. If that is peak fishing season, the boat will probably be booked. Just another option for you. From: 30511775000n behalf of Sent: Sunday, July 1, 2018 8:20 PM To: mou-net@lists.umn.edu Subject: Re: [mou-net] RFI Seward, Alaska pelagic trips We went with Kenai Fjord Tours on a trip I recorded as taking 8 hours, about 6 years ago. The vessel was Alaska Explorer. Don't know the cost as it was part of a 10 day tour. We went to the Northwestern Glacier and saw great birds, as well as the glaciers, plus humpback whale, fin whale, Dahl's porpoise, see otter, black bear, harbor seal, Stellar's sea lion, coastal mountain goat. Ann Hobbs Silver Spring, MD > On Jul 1, 2018, at 8:54 PM, Eric Jeffrey > <00bbd9252660-dmarc-requ...@lists.umn.edu> wrote: > > I also went with Kenai Fjord Tours. Time did not permit the 9 hour tour, but > we took the longest trip we could and it was well worth it. Our crew was also > very good about pointing out birds, and I agree it is worth letting them know > your interest. They do have some birding-specific tours, or did, but I > thought they were not often. You should also stop at exit glacier just > outside Seward. If you are driving down from Juneau, it is a great drive. > > Eric Jeffrey > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Jul 1, 2018, at 8:32 PM, Florinus Kooyman wrote: >> >> I did a trip with Kenai Fjord Tours about four years ago, a 9-hour trip to >> the Northwestern Fjords. This trip will set you back at least $200 per >> person, but it is an experience you will never forget. The marine and bird >> wildlife is magnificent. I very much recommend that you take the longest >> tour, as I did, since it will take you to places that the shorter tours do >> not, and will likely give you lifers that you won't get elsewhere (I got a >> Kittlitz's murrelet at the furthest point of that tour, at a tidewater >> glacier). The scenery is amazing, even in cloudy weather. Probably most >> people on board will not be birders, so by all means tell the captain that >> you are a birder and ask him to point out the birds that he sees. The >> captain on my trip was an amazing source of information on the birds and >> wildlife. Spend the money, you will not regret it. >> >> Florinus Kooyman >> >>> On Sun, Jul 1, 2018 at 6:51 PM Karl Roe wrote: >>> >>> Hi all, >>> I will likely have a chance to do some birding in Seward, Alaska for one >>> day later this month. I'm interested in information/advice/personal >>> experience you might have with taking boat tours into Resurrection >>> Bay/Kenai Fjords NP. There seems to be a lot of one-day tours available and >>> I'm finding it hard to choose. If you have done a boat tour from Seward I'd >>> like to hear about your experience. What was the tour company and how long >>> was the trip? Time of year? Cost? Was the focus of the trip on birds or >>> more general sight-seeing? Were there any guides aboard with knowledge of >>> local pelagic bird species? >>> Thanks in advance! >>> -Karl Roe >>> Minneapolis >>> >>> >>> Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net >>> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html >> >> >> Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net >> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
