Meghan’s face comes alive as we approach the bird cliffs. She’s calling out bird species for the rest of the people in the zodiac and rattling off the extremely subtle differences between the rare birds of the Arctic. She finds different species in various little crevices with her binoculars as if it’s a Where’s Waldo book. I just listen and wonder – how can someone get that excited about birds and every little intricacy?
Each night after dinner on the ship, expedition guide, Samuel, held a birding club – people would get all excited about this and ensure they were done with dinner so they could get up to the library/bar to discuss birds of the arctic, leaving me dumbfounded. What does it take to be a birder?
Whatever it is I don’t have it.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t love birds, it just means I’m not a birder.
It also doesn’t mean that I would pass up a birding trip to the Arctic and a chance to learn more about this bird watching hobby!
Table of Contents
Birding Travel
So if I wasn’t that interested in birds, why in the world was I on this birding expedition cruise in Russia? Well – I love new things, and this is a form of travel I had never done before. Plus, this cruise wasn’t just about birds, it was about the Russian Arctic that just happens to have a ton of wildlife including birds! Quite frankly I was more interested in the non-winged arctic wildlife than the birds!
But to my surprise, it was the birds that won me over on the cruise!
What are the Birds of the Arctic You’ll Find in Russia?
The Russian arctic is one of the richest birding regions in Europe. On the shores and islands of the Arctic Seas live a real kingdom birds; snow geese, snowy owls, puffins,guillemots, eagles, ducks, gulls, terns and many other sea birds. This magnificent site, in combination with harsh northern nature, will leave you in awe of nature regardless if you are a birder or not.
The Russian arctic boasts an incredible array of hearty bird species.
• 169+ bird species on Wrangel Island, boasting the largest population of breeding Snow Geese (108,000 nests on Wrangel)
• One of the rare locations to see the Snowy Owl hunting on the Arctic tundra
• The region is also a haven for Puffins, and Guillemots, Auklets, Ducks, Eagles, and more…
Be Awed by These 6 Bird Cliffs in Russia
The Russian Arctic was home to the most densely populated bird cliffs I’ve eve seen. Even non-birders like me were in awe of the sheer numbers. At times I felt like I had sailed into this vortex of another world where birds were in charge and humans were the low ones on the totem pole. It was a strange feeling being so remote and so outnumbered. The longer you look at the cliffs the more your eye hones in on the birds and the more you see – it’s like a optical illusion.
“How many birds are there?” I ask as if I’m at a candy store guessing how many jelly beans in the jar – it’s an impossible question. Alex thinks about it a bit and says 24,000. I guess 74,000, and Samuel (the birder) weighs in at over 100,000. Whatever the answer is – we’ll never know – but there were more birds than you can ever imagine on the various cliffs we visited throughout the trip. Flying overhead, nestled into nooks of the cliffs, on rocks, everywhere. And amazingly I only got shit on once.
To the non-birder like me, I referred to them by their looks; the black and white ones, the ones that looked like a mix between a toucan and a parrot, the white bellied ones always perched on top, the ones with the red feet, the ones that look like a football, and the ones with the long neck. But to the birder name are important; they saw the Common or Black Guillemot, Horned or Tufted Puffin, the Kitiwake, the Pelagic Cormorant, and the Shortwinged Sheerwater.
Preobrazheniya Bay Bird Cliffs
Our first stop at cliffs. We battled some large swells but it was worth it to get a first glimpse of the Arctic birds.
Nuneangan Island Bird Cliffs
This was a rock in the middle of nowhere, but it was here was I was in awe of the noise that all of these birds make. This was also a great spot for whale watching!
Kolyuchun Island Bird Cliffs
The Kolyuchun Island was special as we were able to view the birds from the top of the cliff as opposed to bobbing in the water from the bottom. It provided a whole new perspective and a easier way to get better closeups of the birds.
Herald Island Bird Cliffs
This island is haunting with it’s jagged pinnacles, I felt as if I were on a movie set as I bobbed up and down and tried to stay warm in the zodiac!
Wrangel Island Bird Viewing
Wrangel Island was more about hiking to see birds rather than bird cliffs. Here we saw snowy owls, snow geese, and plenty of other birds in flight!
Where is Wrangel Island?
Big Diomedes Bird Cliffs
This was by far my favorite bird cliffs, Big Diomedes Island sits in the middle of the Bering Strait and is a stunning landscape even without the birds. I was mesmerized by the combination of the green cliffsides, the colorful birds, and the rock formations. If I let my mind wander I would have thought I was in Thailand, not in Arctic Russia. The birds swooped down around us to dive for fish, they floated in the water, and some even had territorial fights. It was my best, and last, bird cliff!
How to get to the Bird Cliffs in Russia
Of course you have to this remote part of the world, and it isn’t easy! The only cruise company that will get you there and get you the needed permits to land in these areas is Heritage Expeditions.
Heritage Expedition Birding Tours:
Russian Far East Cruises
How to be a Birder?
Patience is involved and that’s the main reason I’ll never be a good birder.
Birders love details –they are left brainers. I’m not interested in details, I just want high level information and then let me go back to thinking about the colors of the landscape, the shape of the clouds, the light dancing off a mountain peak, and the moody fog hanging over the horizon; classic right brainer.
In fact, many days bobbing in the water staring up at the bird cliffs, my right brain imagination ran wild. I kept thinking about how the cliffs were like the neighborhoods in NYC; people living on top of each other vying for space. As we moved further on the cliff the birds thinned out and I thought maybe this was the suburbs.
I entertained myself and stopped thinking about how cold I was in the zodiac raft by simply imagining a whole bird city with a financial district, midtown, Harlem, and Yonkers suburbs; wondering how the birds made the decisions of where to go ‘live’.
Bird Watching Gear to Bring with You on Your Birding Trip
Binoculars
One piece of equipment a birder needs? Binoculars. And of course I didn’t have any, but I did see a lot of people carrying these.
ED Glass, Waterproof/Fogproof
And don’t forget to get a harness for the binoculars – it will save your neck!
Best Chest Harness Strap for Hunters Photographers and Golfers (Black)
Camera Equipment with a fast Telephoto Lens
I didn’t have binoculars with me, but I did have a Sigma Telephoto lens! As the expedition cruise went on each day I got better at capturing the fast moving birds with my telephoto lens. I even compiled a list of tips on how to photograph wildlife with a telephoto lens. My best Artic Wildlife photography definitely occurred at the end of the trip after a lot of practice every day!
Here’s a list of all of the photography equipment I use for bird photography
China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia
Field Guide
Of course the Ship also had field books you could use, but it’s nice to have your own so you can make notes. I recommend this guide for East Asia.
China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia
Regardless – you don’t have to be a birder to be on this arctic birding cruise. After all, if we were all the same and loved the same things, the world would be pretty boring.
I’m pretty sure that all of us have something we are fanatical about – it could be birds, or it could be writing, travel, photography, football, or fashion. And I enjoyed every night when the birders went to bird club and there were a number of us who sort of bonded together as ‘casual birders’. And the casual birders simply sat around and drank wine and conversed about the world and our cultures.
Just as every bird has little intricacies that make them different – so do humans and that’s what makes life (and travel) exciting.
Do you geek out when looking at birds? Where is your dream destination to go birding? Share in the comments!
Disclosure:
I was a guest of Heritage Expeditions on this expedition cruise to Wrangel Island, however all opinions are my own.
By Leigh | Campfires & Concierges January 25, 2016 - 1:07 pm
Ha – I’m not much of a birder, either, but can certainly appreciate seeing different species than we have in the Midwest. Especially puffins…so adorable! What I did not anticipate, in the Galapagos, was the smell of ammonia. All those birds equals a lot of waste just piling up on hot, dry rocks…ew!
By Sherry January 25, 2016 - 1:11 pm
Oh yes – the smell – it’s pretty difficult to get used to. At least we always had a pretty strong ocean breeze! It was the same in Antarctica – those cute little penguins sure do stink! But totally worth in in Antarctica and the Arctic!
By Izy berry February 10, 2016 - 7:19 pm
Incredible this is magic
By George of bird twitcher January 10, 2019 - 10:31 pm
Very elaborate even though you’re not an avid birder. Arctic region is the home to a number of Species that migrate to other parts of the world. I’m from Kenya where we have over 1000 different bird Species and with half of the cisticola world species found. Being a birder sometims take time ad with more birding groups it’s easier to identify and master many birds. Keep up the good work