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Hawaii: The Albatrosses of the Midway Atoll Sunday 14 March to Wednesday 24 March with Narca Moore-Craig as leader Cost:£3920 plus about £700 for flights Single room supplement: £620 Please click here for details and an explanation of the price breakdown |
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Now part of Hawaii’s Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is famous world-wide for its nesting seabirds. The warm water and comfortable temperatures of March would make these three historic islands a subtropical paradise even without their most famous avian residents, the Laysan Albatrosses. The great 'gooney birds' will still be engaged in their extravagant courtship rituals, and many pairs will be tending downy chicks. This relaxing tour also offers one of the best chances to see Short-tailed Albatross. Usually present during the breeding season, these rare birds use Midway’s Eastern Island as a base for pelagic foraging flights that can last two or three days at a time. The burrows of Bonin Petrels dot the islands, and nights echo to the whirr and flicker with their wings. Thanks to the eradication of introduced rats, even Tristram’s Storm-Petrel is suspected to be breeding on Sand Island again. Among the other specialties we hope to see are Christmas and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, two species of tropicbird and three boobies, Grey-backed and White Terns, and the introduced Laysan Duck. Migrating Bristle-thighed Curlews forage beneath ironwood trees, and vagrants from both sides of the Pacific appear regularly. Here in the far northwest of the Hawaiian Island chain, Midway’s coral reefs and shallow lagoon also provide splendid opportunities to swim and snorkel amid schools of brilliant reef fishes. Hawaiian Monk Seal and Green Sea Turtle are definite bonuses. Awash in history as well as subtropical seas, Midway was the site of a pivotal World War II battle when Americans ambushed the Japanese fleet. Today, peace long restored, the islands of Midway are again dominated by 400,000 pairs of Laysan Albatross, intent on their own urgent business. Midway’s seabirds give famously close views, and to sit with albatrosses right in front of us is a once-in-a-lifetime privilege. We’ll have plenty of time to spend with these legendary birds, and the opportunities for sketching, photography, or simply close observation are unparalleled. This tour can be taken in conjunction with Hawaii: Rainbow of Birds. Day 1: The tour begins with a flight from London to Hawaii. Day 2: After arriving in Hawaii, there will be an introductory meeting and lunch followed by a late afternoon flight from Honolulu to Sand Island. Night at Sand Island. Days 3-8: We’ll be making daily guided outings with US Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, including snorkeling and a boat trip to Eastern Island to look for Short-tailed Albatross. The sequence and timing of our outings will be determined by weather conditions and the judgment of our experienced USFWS staff. Eastern Island has enjoyed a longer period of recovery from human disturbance, and as a result hosts nesting colonies of several species that have yet to recolonize Sand Island, including Red-footed and Masked Boobies, Christmas and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, and Sooty and Grey-backed Terns. Great Frigatebirds will be courting, the males’ ballooning throat pouches inflated to full effect. When we aren’t with USFWS staff, we’re free to explore Sand Island on our own, too; bicycles and golf carts are available for rent at a nominal charge. We’ll stay on trails (mostly paved) to avoid crushing any petrel burrows. Those trails interlace the 1 and a half mile-long island and give us access to limited wetlands and virtually unlimited seabirds. Nights on Sand Island. Day 9: After a day of birding on Sand Island, we’ll return to Honolulu late in the evening. Night in Waikiki. Day 10: This morning we take a flight back to London where the tour ends on Day 11.
The ground arrangements for this tour are organised by our American associates WINGS. E-mail or phone +44 (0)1767 262522 for availability.
Last updated August 2009 |
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