Wildlife Viewing Seasonal Calendar

January wagtail, and red-throated Sitka black-tailed pipit. deer on Kodiak Island are often forced into rivers. Sea otters occur in bays An impressive northward May coastal beach fringe forest by on Kodiak Island, along the migration of gray whales heavy winter snows at higher south side of the Kenai and occurs through Unimak Pass. Moose calves are born in tall- elevations. Alaska Peninsulas, and along shrub thickets and muskegs. the north side of Unimak Brown bears emerge from Sitka black-tailed deer fawns The entire world population Island to Izembek Lagoon, hibernation during April and are born on Kodiak Island. of emperor geese winters and near Adak. They can be May. They feed on grasses along the Aleutian Islands. seen year-round. and sedges in moist tundra Steller sea lions begin pupping and coastal wetlands during at established rookery sites on Watch for northern hawk Snow buntings return in large this season. rocky coasts. owls sitting in the tops of flocks. Look for them in open spruce trees and along power habitats, tundra fields, around Arctic ground squirrels Spring migration continues. lines in forested areas. towns, and coastal areas. emerge from hibernation. Migrant shorebirds and Large numbers of king eiders They may be seen in tundra waterfowl are abundant. In forested areas, black- appear along the coast in areas of the mainland. Seabirds arrive at their nesting capped and boreal chickadees, preparation for spring colonies. Large rafts of Spring bird migration common redpolls, gray jays, migration to Arctic Canada. puffins, murres, and auklets downy woodpeckers and intensifies as brant, snow, can be observed around black-billed magpies can be Common ravens begin emperor, and greater white- offshore islands. Black-legged observed at birdfeeders. building nests. Watch and fronted geese pass through in and red-legged kittiwakes listen for their aerial courtship large numbers. Tundra swans begin occupying cliff ledges. During January, smelt begin antics and unique calls. Bald return to the region in large running in large rivers. eagles return to their nesting numbers. Look for them Most songbirds arrive. In territories and can be seen along the coast and ice-free forests and tall-shrub thickets, February along the coast or major wetlands. listen for the melodious songs rivers. of American robins, varied The Alaska Peninsula caribou Large flocks of tundra swans thrushes, orange-crowned, gather along the Naknek herd begins migrating from April yellow, and blackpoll wintering to calving areas River and near the King warblers. Northern water during February. Scattered Beluga whales follow smelt Salmon airport. Listen and thrushes, redpolls, Savannah, bands may be observed on runs up several rivers and may watch for the aerial display white-crowned, golden- tundra flats inland from the be observed 15 miles up the (“winnowing”) of common crowned, fox, and song Bering Sea coast. Naknek River at King snipe around marshes and sparrows are also common. Salmon. They have been muskegs. Flocks of snow buntings, rosy recorded over 500 miles King salmon begin running in finches, and occasionally Many Eurasian species turn inland along other rivers. major rivers. McKay’s buntings can be seen up in this region during in tundra areas. These birds Male walrus begin hauling out spring. Among those June also visit birdfeeders around at established areas including occurring regularly are smew, Cold Bay. Round Island in the Walrus tufted duck, falcated teal, Beluga whales visit the Islands State Game Refuge. garganey, Eurasian wigeon, mouths of major river March Their haulouts may contain common pochard, Steller’s systems in Bristol Bay tens of thousands of animals. sea eagle, eye-browed thrush, (especially the Kvichak and Beluga whales are occasionally Siberian rubythroat, white Nushagak Rivers) to feed on seen at mouths of some large migrating salmon.

2015 Killer whales may be July prior to migrating south. Brant, emperor and Canada observed nearshore visiting Silver salmon begin spawning. geese, Steller’s eiders, and seal and sea lion rookeries to Several thousand walrus haul northern pintails congregate prey on pups during summer. out on Round Island in the September in Izembek Lagoon near Cold Walrus Islands State Game Bay. Birds of prey frequent Harbor seals begin pupping at Refuge. On the Pribilof Harbor seals shed their coats Cold Bay and other coastal established rookery sites along Islands, northern fur seals and haul out in large numbers areas to hunt waterfowl. Look rocky coasts. A young pup is begin pupping. along the coast during late for gyrfalcon, peregrine able to swim almost August and September. They falcon, and bald eagle. As immediately after birth. Brown bear can be seen are especially sensitive to Bristol Bay freezes up, most fishing for salmon below falls disturbance at this time. water birds disperse. Caribou calving occurs in wet or riffles where migrating tundra areas in late May and salmon are concentrated. Moose, caribou, and deer Ducks, geese, and swans early June. They are begin rubbing the velvet off migrate to more southern particularly sensitive to Flocks of sooty and short- their antlers by rubbing them areas along the Pacific Coast disturbance during calving. In tailed shearwaters arrive in against trees and shrubs. of North America. However, late June, caribou cows with Bristol Bay after migrating emperor geese and many sea calves begin congregating in from their nesting grounds in Large concentrations of waterfowl occur in coastal ducks move westward out the tundra areas. Chile, Australia, and New Aleutian Islands chain or east wetlands. A large portion of Zealand. into the Gulf of Alaska. Snow This is the best month to visit the Pacific population of geese flocks migrate south the spectacular seabird Individual flocks may contain brant passes through Izembek along the north coast of the rookeries of this region. millions of birds. Waterfowl Lagoon near Cold Bay. Peak Alaska Peninsula en route Puffins, murres, auklets, and broods are a common sight in concentrations of molting from staging areas on the kittiwakes begin egg-laying freshwater and coastal Steller’s eiders occur in Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. and incubation. wetlands. Southward Izembek Lagoon during migration of shorebirds September. In late October and early Several seabird species that begins. Small flocks may November, brant leave only occur in Alaska and Sandhill cranes migrate appear in wetland areas. Izembek Lagoon in a massive Siberia can be seen, including through this region in large exodus for a nonstop flight red-legged kittiwakes, crested, Arctic char move into rivers. numbers. Impressive across the Gulf of Alaska to least, parakeet, and whiskered movements can be observed coastal California and Mexico. auklets, red-faced cormorant, August along the coastal lowlands of Kittlitz’s murrelet, and eastern Bristol Bay. November Aleutian tern. Caribou begin migrating to their wintering areas. Brown Sharp-tailed sandpipers visit Most brown bears dig winter The Pribilof Islands (part of bears begin feeding more Southwestern Alaska before dens and enter a period of the Alaska Maritime National heavily on berries, but fishing migrating to South Pacific dormancy. Walrus males leave Wildlife Refuge) and Walrus activity also peaks at some islands for winter. Look for Round Island to join females Islands State Game Refuge salmon streams. Beavers them in freshwater and in the Bering Sea pack ice. are the most accessible begin renovating their lodges coastal wetlands. viewing areas in this region. and storing food for winter. In winter, seabirds move off- October shore and into passes between Most songbirds continue to Waterfowl begin congregating the Aleutian Islands. Auklets, sing during egg-laying and in preparation for fall Caribou begin rut. Males puffins, murres, kittiwakes, incubation. Listen for the migration. Brant begin often display aggressive eiders, long-tailed ducks, and eerie calls of common, Arctic, arriving in Izembek Lagoon behavior. Snowshoe hares and scoters may be seen by any and red-throated loons on where they feed on eelgrass weasels turn white as winter who venture into the inland lakes. approaches. Southwest Alaska 2015

turbulent seas. Ptarmigan Other resources: congregate in large flocks along river bottoms and Wildlife Viewing Program: www.wildlifeviewing.alaska.gov tundra areas where willow and State of Alaska Travel Info: www.travelalaska.com dwarf birch are plentiful. Alaska Public Lands Information Centers: www.alaskacenters.gov December Alaska State Parks: www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks During winter, moose move to river bottoms and foothills Alaska Marine Highway: www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs to feed on willows and other browse. US Forest Service: www.fs.usda.gov/r10

Wolves, wolverines, and red foxes are easier to spot in winter against a background of white snow. Look for their tracks along rivers, ridges and coastal areas, especially after a fresh snowfall.

A variety of sea ducks winter

in ice-free bays throughout this region. King, common, and Steller’s eiders, white- winged and surf scoters, long- tailed, and harlequin ducks are common.

Common and red-breasted mergansers, Barrow’s goldeneyes, buffleheads, tundra swans, and American dippers use ice-free streams throughout winter.

Some unusual Eurasian birds, including whooper swan, tufted duck, and smew, occur every winter in this region.

Southwest Alaska 2015