Dates: June 16-22, 2023

Fee:  $5,000

Included:  Ground transportation around Barrow, guiding and photography instruction, 6 nights lodging (double occupancy)

Not included: Airfare and travel to and from Barrow, Alaska, all meals, tundra permit ($150)

Deposit:  $1,000 to secure your spot

Balance: $4,000 due by March 15, 2023

Leader:  Bryan Holliday

Group Size: 3 photographers

I often dreamed of lying in the tundra behind my big lens while photographing a jaeger at eye level. The North Slope of Alaska allowed that dream to come true. Join me on the Arctic tundra for an unforgettable bird photography adventure at the Northernmost point of the USA. You will gain an entirely new appreciation for the shorebirds of North America after a visit to Barrow, Alaska. Many shorebirds that are tricky to sort through in their various drab plumages come alive on their breeding grounds with fabulous courtship displays and richly colored plumages. The male eiders come onto shore to breed just for a few weeks, and this trip is timed just right to be there when they are. The potential is there for rarities. The last two trips have coincided with Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Little Stint, Red-necked Stint, Eurasian Hobby, and Ross’s Gull. You never know what might show up. We will get off the roads and explore the tundra in our chest waders to be up close and personal with the birds. You could be photographing birds at midnight in gorgeous light on the summer solstice! It is an experience that all bird photographers will cherish.

Expected Species: King Eider, Spectacled Eider, Stellar’s Eider, Arctic Tern, Sabine’s Gull, Glaucous Gull, Long-tailed Duck, Red Phalarope, Red-necked Phalarope, Pectoral Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin, Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger, Snow Bunting, Common Redpoll, Red-throated Loon, Pacific Loon, Tundra Swan, Greater White-fronted Goose, Long-billed Dowitcher. With some good fortune, we also have a chance at seeing Yellow-billed Loon, Snowy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Hoary Redpoll, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Little Stint, Red-necked Stint, and who knows, maybe a Ross’s Gull.

Itinerary: When it comes to serious bird photography, normal schedules are out the window. We will adapt to be out shooting when the light and the bird activity is the best. The sun never sets during the time we are there!

Day 1: Travel day to Barrow on the afternoon flight. We will transit from the airport to our lodging place. We will get settled a bit and hit the grocery store. If the light is great, we will head out for some shooting. If it’s not, we will go to bed early and get some rest.

Day 2-6: We will be up early this morning to head out for our first shooting session. Typically we will go out about 5 am and shoot until 10 or 11. Then eat and sleep for the afternoon and head back out around 5 pm and can shoot until around midnight. Then back to the hotel for another round of sleep.

If the weather is favorable, the light is great, and we have birds, any of those times can be extended, depending how the group is feeling. If the weather is poor and the light is terrible, we can catch up on a little sleep and/or post-processing of images until the weather changes.

Day 7: This will be our final morning out shooting. We will then pack up and check out of our lodging. We will be able to leave our bags there to grab later. We can then do any last sightseeing for the afternoon, have a final meal, and then catch our afternoon/evening flight out of Barrow back to Anchorage.

Travel Considerations: You will need to arrive in Barrow by the evening of Day 1. There is currently one daily flight up to Barrow from Anchorage. We will fly out of Barrow the afternoon of Day 7, heading back to Anchorage. The airport is not far from our lodge. If you wish to extend your stay in Barrow, either before or after our tour, you will need to make your own arrangements.

Accommodations: Lodging is limited in Barrow. I have made arrangements and the lodging is included in the tour price. We will be staying at the Top of the World Hotel and will be sharing rooms. It is double occupancy. Each person will have a bed and a shared bathroom. If you wish to have your own room, and one is available, the single supplement is $900.

Vehicle: Ground transportation and fuel in Barrow is also included in the price of the tour. We will travel together in a Ford Escape or similar vehicle that will hold the four of us and our gear. It will be a bit tight, but that’s pretty much the only option for a vehicle up there.

Meals: There are a few restaurants in Barrow that we have to choose from for meals. We typically visit the same one each day, as they are the best in town and offer a large variety of good food. We also take advantage of eating snacks and bars in the vehicle while we’re out shooting. We will plan to make a trip to the grocery store the first day we are there to get what we need. It’s also easy to pop over there any afternoon if you need to get more food. Meals and all food/drink are not included in the tour price. The best coffee in town is at the hospital, which has limited hours. If this is important to you, let me know and we will hit it up (it’s important to me too).

Physical Activity: Moderate. We drive the roads to find the birds and photograph them along the roads. We also get out with our gear and hike across the tundra in our chest waders. In fact, we pretty much live in our chest waders. I’ve even gone to the grocery store in mine. They are a must for this trip. The good thing is they help keep you warm as well as dry. Exploring the tundra is a very unique experience. It is spongy and made of small mound covered with grass, mosses, lichens, and tundra wildflowers. There is often water between the mounds and there are small ponds and larger lakes. The water sometimes still has ice on the bottom, so we walk very carefully. It is obviously a risk to you and your camera gear, but can be accomplished just fine with a little extra care. It can all be explored and waded in to be with the birds. This is the best way to experience Barrow. A birding tour won’t give you this option as they stick to the roads.

Tundra Permit: You will need to apply for your tundra permit so you can hike out on the tundra. I will provide you with the information you need to do that after you register. The price is $150 and is not included in the price of the tour.

Equipment: You will get the best images with a 500mm or longer lens. It’s a good idea to bring extenders too. You will also want a landscape lens. If you have a mid-range zoom and want to bring it, you may find some times you wish to use that. But most of the time the more focal length you have, the better. And of course your chest waders.

Other things to bring: Then sun does not set during the time we will be there. But even near the summer solstice, Barrow is cold. Temps can be 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s during the day and 20’s and 30’s at night. I will email a list of helpful tips for clothing and such after receiving your registration.

Payment: Your deposit can paid with credit card or Paypal by using the link at the top of the page, Venmo, or a personal check. Once your deposit is processed, I will email you the registration form and waiver so you can print it out, complete it, and send it back. This will hold your spot. The balance can be paid by personal check or Venmo.

To sign up for this great trip, please send your deposit through the link at the top of this page. Please call or email me with any questions you may have. 815.721.2218 or bryanholliday@gmail.com