The Attu Experience Electra Chartered from Reeve-Aleu- Tian Airlines

Attu. Forty-five of us flew nonstop from Anchorageto Attu, a distanceof nearly 1,560 miles, in a big Lockheed- The Attu Experience Electra chartered from Reeve-Aleu- tian Airlines. We landed in a misera- ble drizzle at the 1oran station oper- Roger Tory Peterson ated by the United States Coast Guard. While our 8,000 pounds of luggagewere transportedby truck, we all walked the three miles in the wind As one cynic commented,"You pay and wetness to two ramshackle build- for theprivilege of sufjring [the hor- ingswhich would become our bed and board for the next three weeks. rible weather]for three weeksin a place In the nearby bicycleshed there was nobodyhas evenheard of"... but the a bike for everyone,more than 50 of "Attu-class" birders see it all them, becausepedaling would be the most time-saving way of getting to verydifferently. someof the good spots.But basically we would walk and walk and walk-- XAMINEA WORLDMAP OR A planefrom Anchorage(about $25,000 or even run, or climb hills--if there globe.You will note that the In- roundtrip) or sail his own ocean-going was something really good. ternational Date Line, the arbi- vessel. Although there was an efficient trary line that separatesone day from Larry Balch's campouts (under the crew in the kitchen, each of us was the next--the Old World from the insignia Attour) were started in 1978 assigneda specialduty, suchas wash- New--takes a triangular jog west of and have piled up an impressiverec- ing or drying the dishes,fixing nuts Alaska. This was contrived so that ord of "firsts" during these twelve and bolts on the bikes, tidying the Attu and the nearby islands, which years. I joined the group in May, showeror the latrine. My own assign- belongto the United Statespolitically, 1982, for what proved to be the best ment was to slice the bacon in the would be in the same time frame as season they had experienced up to morning. the rest of North America. that point. After our mealswe did not go afield However, Attu, far-flung off the tip One might contend that it would enmasse;we would split up and take of the Aleutian chain, is much closer have been lessexpensive for me to fly differentdirections. Whenever a great to Siberia than it is to mainland to Japan where I could seethose same rarity turned up--a Red-flanked Alaska. Logicallythen, shouldn'tit be birds more easily and in larger num- Bluetail, a Pechora Pipit, or a Haw- regarded as Asia? The birds seem to bers, but I had already done that two finch--its discoverywas broadcastby point this out. Only one residentpas- or three times. I wanted the Attu ex- walkie-talkie. Even if the bird was sefine, the dark, oversizedrace of the perience so as to handle the Asian miles away, everyone, no matter Song Sparrow, can be called strictly strays more judiciously in the new where they were, hopped on their North American. A number of others, western Field Guide. Most of these bikes or startedwalking fast. "Death such as the Winter Wren, Common specialbirds from Asia were not illus- Marches," we called them. Redpoll, Snow Bunting, Lapland trated or even described in the pre- Becausethe roads were rocky and Longspur and Rosy Finch, are cir- viousedition (1961). A lot can happen the airstrips limited, bikes could be cumpolar or "holarctic;" widespread in 30 years. Birds have wings, and so used for little more than six or seven in both the New World and the Old. do some bird watchers. miles; the rest of the way was hard However, the magnet that pulls so My field guides are designedto be walking. Some of us coveredas much many hardcore listchasersto Attu is "user friendly." They are not arranged as 20 or even 30 miles in a day, which the fact that Asian migrants,traveling in the rigid systematicorder of the did my legsno good. Not having rid- from Japan to Siberia, are often moment. The checklist in the back of den a bike since I was a teenager, I caught in westerly winds during foul the book takes care of that, and can sufferedseveral nasty spills. My right weather and make a landfall on the easily be modified when changes in leg below the knee swelled to twice its barren shoresand slopesof Attu. For taxonomy dictate. With easeof use in normal size,or so it seemed,and three the birder, these are legitimate addi- mind, I have not integrated most of of the medicalmen in our group, after tions to their North American list. In the straysfrom Asia into the main run poking it a bit, ventured the opinion fact, the only sureway for a birder to of color plates that show the species that I had developed some sort of passthe 700 mark is to spend at least that are widespread in western North deep-vein phlebitis. one or two May migrationson Attu. America. They are on separateplates How the otherstook all this punish- Because of the initiative of one such as the three shown here. The ment was remarkable. Except for two man, Larry Balch, membership in the Asian "peeps"or "stints" are also seg- or three of our young leaders,few were "700 Club" has been growing year by regated, as are the stray pipits, wag- under 40. To afford the time and ex- year. Before Larry organizedhis spe- tails, and a few others. pense of all this, most of them were cial tours, about the only way the Whenever I look at these three retireesin the 50s or 60s, toughened average civilian could visit these far- plates with their smorgasbordof rari- by a lifetime of birding. flung islands was to charter a small ties I have many fond flashbacksof Foul weather days were the best for

22 American Birds, Spring 1990 birds, lost waifs far from home. Blue the best were Bean Goose, Faicated In more recent yearsthe birders have sky days, fair weather days, were the Teal, Garganey, Common Pochard, added a few names of their own: Bull- poorest. Then Noble Proctor, whom Smew, White-tailed Eagle (which was finch Pass,Funny Duck Marsh, King- Larry hascalled the "world's besttour nesting), Mongolian Plover, Spotted fisher Creek, and Tattler Creek. leader," kept everyone from being Redshank, Common Greenshank, Much of our birding amidst the boredby botanizing.Getting down on Wood Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, rustedbunkers and Quonset huts near his knees he became rapturous about Temminck's Stint, Long-toed Stint, camp reminded us of the death throes moonworts, equisetums, and other Slaty-backed Gull, Eyebrowed of the Japaneseand American con- ground-hugging goodies. Although Thrush, Siberian Rubythroat, Gray- flict: remains of small aircraft, dis- bird listing may be a game or a sport, spotted Flycatcher, Black-backed abled landing craft, skeletonsof vehi- it inevitably leadsto ecologicalsensi- Wagtail, Gray Wagtail, PechoraPipit, cles,collapsed oil tanks. Slit trenches, tivity and environmental awareness. Olive Tree-Pipit, Brambling, Haw- all but concealed, made walking One day two boat people, a man finch, Common Rosefinch, Oriental treacherous.Snow Buntingssang atop from Franceand his young wife from Greenfinch, Rustic Bunting, Com- vast heapsof rusty steel drums and Tennessee, who had built a small mon Reed-Bunting, and a number of probably nestedamongst them. sloop in Australia and were sailing others, all of which are now shown in One cyniccommented (with tongue around the world, limped into our color in the new western Field Guide. in cheek): "Anybody has to be a ma- landing having been struck and dis- Although Attu is the Number One sochist to brave the horrible Attu abled in the night, two weeks earlier, hotspotfor Asian strays,they should weather just to see some fool bird. by a ship somewhereoff Japan. Not also be looked for elsewhere in the There are just millions of birds in the knowing whether the natives at Attu Bering Sea area (Pribilofs, St. Law- lower48 for anyoneto see.Why spend would be friendly or not, they found rence Island, the western flank of a great deal of money to come all the themselvesamongst this weird lot who Alaska, etc.), and very rarely south- way up herejust to torture yourselfin could talk of nothing but birds. After ward along the coast. the most grueling, miserable living a coupleof welcome mealsthey recip- Attu, originally pristine, was the conditions.These freaksactually pay rocatedby taking a selectgroup of us scene of one of the most vicious and for the privilegeof sufferingfor three well offshore where Laysan Alba- indeed needless battles of World War whole weeks in a place nobody has trossesand petrels were added to the II. Place names hint of past violence even heard of. Unbdievable!" list. going back to Russian days: Murder But the "Attu-class" birders see it As for my own North American list, Point, MassacreBay, MassacreValley all very differently. ß I added about 27, althoughonly seven (there is also a PeacefulValley), Ter- were new for my World list. Among rible Mountain, Devil Mountain, etc.

ßALASKAN STRAYS FROM ASIA. On the next three plates a number of rarities from Asia are shown. Whereasthe shoresand islandsof the BeringSea have producedmost records,a very few have occurred south along the Pacific Coast. A few other Alaskan strayshave been shown on previousplates: waterfowl, sandpipers,wagtails, pipits, and swifts.For further information,A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe.For other possibilities,see A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan(Wild Bird Societyof Japan).

PLATE 353 COMMON HOUSE MARTIN Delichon urbica 8" (20 cm). Like a Tree Swallow with a white patch completelyacross the rump. West: Accidental,Bering Sea area (Nome, St. Paul l., St. Matthew l.). EYEBROWED THRUSH Turdus obscurus71/2" (19 cm). Robin-like; smaller, with reddish confined to the sides.Gray back and breast•white eyebrow,chin and belly. West: rare in spring,w. Aleutians:casual, Pribilofs, w. and n. Alaska. FIELDFARE Turduspilaris 10" (25 cm). Robin-like,with a heavilystriped tawny breast.Back rusty;head, rump gray. West: Accidental, n. Alaska, St. Lawrence I. DUSKY THRUSH Turdus naumanni 9" (23 cm). Robin-like. Head and underpartsdusky; heavily scaled. Rufouswings. West: Casual w. Aleutiansand St. Lawrencel.; accidental,n. Alaska(Pt. Barrow). BROWN SHRIKE Lanius cristatus8" (20 cm). A small shrike,brown above,white below, with a dark mask. West: Accidentalw. Aleutians,St. Lawrencel., Anchorage,Alaska; also California (Farallons). STONECHAT Saxicolatorquata 5" (13 cm). Small, plump, upright. Male has a black head and throat, white half-collar, rusty breast.West: Accidental,St. LawrenceI. EURASIAN WRYNECK Jynx torquilla 61/2"(16 cm). Woodpecker-like;mottled gray-brown,underparts finelybarred. West: Accidental,nw. Alaska(Seward Peninsula). HOPPOE Upupa epopsI l" (28 cm). Pinkishbrown with boldlybarred, black and white wingsand tail and a long erectilecrest (usually depressed). West: Accidental,w. Alaska(Old Chevak). RUFOUS TURTLE-DOVE Streptopeliaorientalis 13" (33 cm).Striped patch on neck;rufous in wings.West: Accidental, Attu, Pribilofs. COMMON CUCKOO Cuculuscanorus 13" (33 cm). Slender;looks falconlike. Gray, with barredunderparts. Rufousmorph of female(rare) is barredexcept on rump. West: Rareovershoot in outerAleutians, Pribilofs. Accidental, mainland ofw. Alaska. ORIENTAL CUCKOO Cuculussaturatus 13" (33 cm). Darker than the Common Cuckoo,with a shorter bill and widerbars on the belly.Rufous morph of the femalehas heavier barring; has strong barring on the rump. West: Very rare vagrant (June-July) in outer Aleutians.

Volume 44, Number I 23 PLATE 355 LANCEOLATEDWARBLER Lucostella lanccolata 41/2" (1 1 cm).Small, skulking. Streaked brown upper- parts,band of finestreaks on whitishbreast. Light eyebrow stripe, white throat. West: Casual or accidental, outer Aleutians(Attu). MIDDENDORFF'S GRASSHOPPER-WARBLERLocustella ochotcnsis 61/2" (16 cm).A ratherlarge Old Worldwarbler; brown above, white below, with tan sidesand a taperedwhite-tipped tail. Lighteyebrow. West:Summer and fall vagrant to BeringSea islands (Attu, Nunivak, Pribilofs, St. Lawrence I.). DUSKY WARBLERPhylloscopus fuscatus 41/2" (1 1 cm).A small,very plain Old Worldwarbler; dusky- brownabove, no wingbars, Whitish below, with buffyeyebrows, sides, and undertailcoverts. West: Casual or accidentalin fall, Gainbell, outer Aleutians;accidental, California. SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN Lusciniacyanc 51/2" (14 cm).Dull blucabove, pure white below, separated by black on the sidesof the face and neck. Female: Brown above, mottled buff below, tail bluish. West: Accidental,outer Aleutians(Attu). SIBERIAN RUBYTHROATLuscinia calliope 6" (15 cm).Small and dark; note the ruby-redthroat, gray breast.White eyebrows and whiskers.Female has a whitethroat. West: Rare but regularmigrant, w. Aleutians;casual, Pribilofs, St. LawrenceI. RED-FLANKEDBLUETAIL Tarsigcrcyanurus 51/2" (14 c). Male:Deep bluc above with bright orange-red flanks,white throat. Female: Dusky brown, with a darkchest, white throat, orange flanks. West: Accidental, outer Aleutians(Attu). RED-BREASTEDFLYCATCHER Ficcdula parva 41/2" (1 1 cm). A tinyflycatcher. Male: Orange throat, gray cheeks,narrow eye-ring, white tail patches.Female: Browner, without the orange throat. West; Casual, w. Aleutians; accidental St. Lawrence I. GRAY-SPOTTEDFLYCATCHER Muscicapa griseisticta 51/2" (14 cm).Empidonax-likc. Strongly streaked breastand flanks. West: Rare, irregular, perhaps regular (May-June), w. Aleutians. SIBERIAN FLYCATCHERMuscicapa sibirica (Sooty Flycatcher) 5" (13 cm).Suggests a sooty Empidonax flycatcher(eye-ring, wing bar, etc.).Note the broaddark bandacross the breast.West: Accidental, w. Aleutians. ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHERMuscicapa latirostris 5" (13 cm). Similarto SiberianFlycatcher, but smaller,and muchpaler on the breast.West: Accidental, w. Aleutians(Attu). NARCISSUSFLYCATCHER Ficedula narcissina 5" (13cm). Black back, orange throat (male), yellow rump andeyebrow, white wing patch. West: Accidental, w. Aleutians(Attu). GREAT TIT Parusmajor 51/2" (14 cm).A large"chickadee" with a blackstripe extending from its black throatthrough its whitish underparts. West: Accidental, Little Diomede I. (at a feeder).

PLATE 357 SIBERIAN ACCENTORPrunella montanella (Family Prunellidae) 51/2" (14 cm). Dark cheeksseparate ochre eyebrowsfrom the brightochre-buffthroat and underparts.Sides striped; bill waybier-like.West: Casual fall visitor,Nunivak 1., St. LawrenceI. andmainland Alaska. Accidental, Washington. YELLOW-BREASTED BUNTING Emberizaaugeola 5lb" (14 cm). Male has a black head,chestnut band acrossits yellowbreast. West: Accidental, Attu, Buldir,St. LawrenceI. RUSTIC BUNTING Emberizarustica 53/4" (15 cm). A rusty,sparrow-like bird with a rustybreast band, black crown,and black cheek outlined in white.Female has a lightspot on itsbrown cheek patch. Regular but scarce;mainly in spring,outer Aleutians. West: Casual, St. LawrenceI. Accidental,British Columbia, Oregon, California. LITTLE BUNTING Emberizapusilia 5" (13 cm). Suggestsa SavannahSparrow, but the rufouscrown and rufouscheek patches are outlined with black. West: Accidental, outer Aleutians, Chukchi Sea. COMMON REED-BUNTING Emberizaschoeniclus 6" (15 cm).Male hasa blackhead and bib, whitecollar and malar stripin summer.Rusty wings. West: Casualor accidentalin springin outerAleutians. PALLAS'S REED-BUNTING Emberizapallasi 5lb" (14 cm).Similar to CommonReed-Bunting, but smaller. Shoudlersblue-gray, lacking the bright rusty tone. Upper ridge of bill straight.Rump paler. West: Accidental, n. Alaska (St. LawrenceI., Barrow). GRAY BUNTING Emberizavariabilis 6" (15 cm). Male: Dark slategray above and brow. Female:Dark brown, palerbelow; chestnut rump, no white in tail. West: Accidental,outer Aleutians. HAWFINCH Coccothraustescoccothraustes 7" (18 cm). A chunkyfinch with a massivebill and a shorttail. Boldwhite patches high on blackwings. Female paler; less rufous on crown.West: A rarestray, mainly in spring,Bering Sea area (Aleutians, Pribilofs, St. LawrenceI.). EURASIAN BULLFINCH Pyrrhulapyrrhula 53•" (15 cm). A stubby-billedfinch with a blackcap and a whiterump. Male: Rose-red breast and cheeks. Female: Similar pattern, but breastis warmpinkish brown. West: Casualstray in BeringSea islands (outer Aleutians,Nunivak I., St. LawrenceI.). Accidentalin winter on mainland Alaska. ORIENTAL GREENFINCH Carduelissinica 6" (15 cm). An olive and brown, siskin-likebird without striping.Large yellow patches on wingsand tail. Femalebrowner than male. West: Rare vagrant,outer Aleutians. Accidental, California. BRAMBLING Fringillamontifringilla 53/4" (15 cm). Tawny breastand shoulders,white rump. Male in summer hasblack head and back.West: Rare stray,Bering Sea area (Aleutians, Pribilofs, St. LawrenceI.), and variouspoints in Alaska.Accidental, British Columbia, Manitoba, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado. COMMON ROSEFINCH Carpodacuserythrinus 53fi" (15 cm). ResemblesPurple Finch, but withoutthe facialstriping. Upper ridge of bill morecurved. West: Rare in springin outerAleutians (Purple Finch does not occur within 2,000 miles). Casual,St. Paul, Gambell. Accidentalon mainland Alaska.

24 AmericanBirds, Spring 1990 VAGRANTS or STRAYS FROM ASIA

HOUSE FIELDFARE MARTIN

DUSKY THRUSH

EYEBROWED THRUSH

BROWN SHRIKE

EURASIAN WRYNECK

STONECHAT

HOOPOE

COMMON RUFOUS CUCKOO\ TURTLE-DOVE rufous morph ORIENTAL CUCKOO rufous COMMON CUCKOO morph

ORIENTAL CUCKOO 353

Volume 44, Number I 25 VAGRANTS or STRAYS FROM ASIA

LANCEOLATED MIDDENDORFF'S WARBLER GRASSHOPPER- DUSKY WARBLER WARBLER

SIBE:RIAN SIBERIAN RED-FLANKED BLUE ROBIN RU BYT H ROAT BLUETAlL

GRAY- RED-BREASTED SPOTTED FLYCATCH ER FLYCATCHER SIBERIAN F LYCATC H E R ASIAN BROWN F LYCATC H E R

NARCISSUS FLYCATCH ER

SIBERIAN ACCENTOR 355

26 AmericanBirds, Spring 1990 VAGRANTS or STRAYS from ASIA Buntings and Finches

YELLOW- RUSTIC •' BREASTED BUNTING BUNTING LITTLE BUNTING

COMMON REED-BUNTING REED-BUNTINGPALLAS'S

GRAY

HAWFINCH EURASIAN BULLFINCH

ORIENTAL GREENFINCH

BRAMBLING

co• winter 357 ROSEFINCH

Volume44, NumberI 27