Birding the Kuril Islands itinerary:

Day 1 of your expedition itinerary
Accommodation will be arranged for you in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for the night of Sunday, 12 June 2011.

Day 2 of your Expedition Itinerary.
Your Expedition departs from the Port of Korsakov in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Monday, 13 June 2011. After breakfast, we will transfer you by coach from the Mega Palace Hotel to the Port of Korsakov.  Here you will meet the Expedition Team and be welcomed on board the ‘Spirit of Enderby’.  After clearing customs the vessel will depart for Kunashir Island.   After you settle into your cabin there will be a number of formalities to complete including a Life Boat drill, a Zodiac briefing and introductions to crew and staff.  You will also want to spend time on deck for the birds you might encounter. Among others, there is a chance of seeing the Slaty-backed and Black-tailed gull, Black-legged kittiwake, Northern fulmar and Short-tailed shearwater.

Day 3: Kunashir Island
We are at sea again this morning with more pelagic birding opportunities including more Short-tailed shearwater and Northern fulmar.  Other species might include Sooty shearwater, Rhinoceros auklet, Brunnich’s, Common and Spectacled guillemot, and Tufted and Horned puffin. We have an afternoon ashore at the Kurilsky Zapvednik Reserve on Kunashir Island where local rangers will guide us. We will have a chance of seeing Long-tailed rosefinch, Siberian stonechat, Black-faced bunting, Oriental greenfinch, Brown shrike and Siberian rubythroat, White-tailed eagle, Eurasian sparrowhawk, Common and Oriental cuckoo, Japanese Pygmy and Great Spotted woodpecker, Coal and Long-tailed tit, Eurasian treecreeper, Eastern Crowned warbler, Asian Brown flycatcher, Common crossbill, Narcissus flycatcher and Eurasian bullfinch. Back on board this evening, we depart for Iturup Island.

Day 4: Iturup Island
Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Haboniai Islands have been part of Russia since 1945, but Japan still claims them. We plan a pre-breakfast Zodiac cruise in search of the Spectacled guillemot, which is known to frequent the area, and then come back on board for breakfast. Once finished, we will land by Zodiac at the village of Kurilsk, where local buses take us to nearby Rubetskiy Volcano – an opportunity to bird at a higher attitude. Birds that can reasonably be expected up here include the Eastern buzzard, Great Spotted and Japanese Pygmy woodpecker, Japanese Bush warbler, Arctic warbler, Siberian rubythroat and Japanese robin. At lower attitudes on our way back down the mountain we are likely to encounter the Eurasian bullfinch, wren, Grey wagtail, Brown dipper, Japanese robin and Pine grosbeak.  Before rejoining the vessel, birding along the coast might reveal the Grey-tailed tattler, Common tern or a variety of gulls – Black-tailed, Slaty-backed, Glaucous-winged, Glaucous, Black-headed and Black-legged kittiwake.

Day 5: Urup & Chirpoy Islands
We enjoy an early morning landing at Novkurilskaya Bay on Urup Island. Expect to see White-tailed eagle, Harlequin duck, Goosander and Japanese cormorants along the shoreline. Inland among scrubby birch/alder forest, you can reasonably expect the Nutcracker, Eurasian bullfinch, Oriental greenfinch, Black-faced bunting, Arctic warbler, Rubythroat, Japanese Bush warbler, Middendorff’s Grasshopper warbler, Japanese robin, Grey bunting and Oriental cuckoo. Latham’s snipe and Woodcock might be seen flying through the clearing. During lunch we sail to Chirpoy Island for more Zodiac cruising. Dramatic headlands rise out of the ocean and are covered in kittiwakes, guillemots and puffins clamouring to complete their breeding season. Sheltered coves provide opportunities to land and explore the Island.

Day 6: Simushir & Yankicho Islands
This morning at the northern end of Simushir Island we take you by Zodiac into a huge volcanic caldera giving easy access to the slopes of Karlomyy Volcano. On the lower slope rests an abandoned submarine base – a haunting reminder of the Cold War. We can wander through what was once a bustling village and see the remains of houses, schools, a hospital and numerous other buildings. Nature is slowly reclaiming this village. Birds that we are likely to encounter include the Arctic warbler, Brown-headed thrush, Rubythroat, Middendorff’s Grasshopper warbler, skylark, Pine grosbeak, Gray bunting and nutcracker.
This afternoon we travel to Yankicho Island, part of the Ushishir group. The island is the submerged remains of a volcano, and supports birdlife that is nothing short of spectacular. Snowi Pigeon guillemots are numerous and we should also see Common and Brunnich’s guillemots along with Tufted and Horned puffins. Crested, Whiskered and Parakeet Auklets are also present. Along the cliffs breed huge colonies of Kittiwakes and Brunnich’s Guillemots, as well as Red-faced and Pelagic Cormorants.  Weather permitting, we will enter the caldera. The entrance can be affected by tide, but once inside it is an experience you will never forget. You will be surrounded by thousands of birds as they come and go from their nest sites. After viewing and photographing, there is a pleasant walk and some geothermal activity to enjoy.

Day 7: Matua & Toporkovy Islands
Today we visit Matua Island and nearby Toporkovy Island where we will find an abandoned military airfield and associated buildings dating from the Japanese occupation during the Second World War – later occupied by Russian Border Guards. As we sail north, keep an eye out for Northern Fulmars, Short-tailed Albatross,  Laysan Albatross, Tufted Puffins and the three species of guillemots – Common, Brunnich’s and Pigeon. On shore you can expect Eurasian Bullfinch, Oriental Greenfinch, Black-faced Bunting, Arctic Warbler, Rubythroat, Japanese Bush Warbler, Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler and Grey Bunting. Cetaceans that might be seen in this general area include Sperm Whales, Northern Minke Whales and Killer Whales. Dall’s Porpoise are also common, as are Northern Fur Seals and Harbour Seals.

Day 8: Onekotan & Paramushir Islands
This morning we land on the northern end of Onekotan Island. It is a relatively easy landing onto a black sand beach from where we enjoy a walk to nearby Black Lake. This lake lies in the in the lee of Volcano Nemo. Beautiful wildflowers carpet the surrounding meadows. During the Second World War, the occupying Japanese forces defended these Islands until they surrendered to the Russians. During our walk we will see numerous relics, including old gun emplacements and earth works.  This afternoon we enjoy an expedition landing in Bukhta Krasheninnikova on Paramushir Island. This is a large, mountainous volcanic island with five of 20 volcanos active. Both of today’s landings offer good birding, possibly including Rubythroat, Brown-headed Thrush, Middendorff’s Grasshopper Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Buff-bellied Pipit and Black-backed Wagtail, Rough-legged Buzzard and Long-toed Stint.  At the landings look for Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Pelagic and Red-faced Cormorants. Slavonian Grebes and Harlequin Duck have also been recorded on these Islands.

Day 9: Utashud Island
As we cruise north towards Vestnik Bay and Utashud Island, numerous snow-covered volcanoes dominate the Kamchatka Peninsula to the west – a magnificent backdrop. Utashud Island is small and steep but covered in birds, including Tufted Puffins, Horned Puffins, Pigeon and Brunnich’s Guillemots. We plan a Zodiac cruise here, as landings are not permitted. There are also numerous otters in the extensive kelp beds, and if we are patient we should get good views and hopefully some good photos. Back on board, the remainder of the day can be spent pelagic watching as we cruise north to Zhupanova River.  

Day 10: Zhupanova River
This morning we anchor off Zhupanova River on the Kamchatka Peninsula and take the Zodiacs up the river for a couple hours in search of wildlife. Birds that we might reasonably expect to see include Steller’s Sea Eagle, Oriental Greenfinch, Common Rosefinch, Yellow Wagtail, Rustic Bunting, Willow Tit and Wood Sandpiper. Waterfowl include Teal, Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser, Great Scaup and Common Goldeneye.  On our return down the river we will enjoy the hospitality of a local salmon fishing camp. Salmon fishing is an important industry here and the fish is harvested in all the rivers along the Kamchatka Peninsula. At the camp you will be able to sample local food and see firsthand how the fish are processed for sale.

Days 11 & 12: Commander Islands
The Commander Islands form the western extremity of the Aleutian Islands and are the only islands in the Aleutian chain to belong to Russia. They are named after legendary explorer Commander Vitus Bering, leader of the First and Second Kamchatka Expeditions. He discovered the Islands when he became the first European to sail from Asia to America. Unfortunately his ship was wrecked here and he died. A simple tombstone on Bering Island marks his grave. Stella, his naturalist, survived and later returned to Russia to publish details of the existence of the famed Sea Cow and the abundance of otters and foxes.  There are two Islands in the group: Bering and Medney. We spend two days here at a number of sites, all of which are weather-dependent. The first stop, however, will be at the village of Nikolskoye on Bering Island to check in with the Border Guards. While we are here we will take the opportunity to visit the small museum and met some of the locals. Offshore while cruising and during landings, keep a look out for, among others, Black-footed Albatross, Short-tailed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, Mottled Petrel, Short-tailed Shearwater, Northern Fulmar, Red-legged Kittiwake, Pomarine Skua, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Glaucous-winged Gull, Tufted and Horned Puffins, Parakeet Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Rock Sandpipers, Lesser Sand Plovers, Dunlin, Bar-tailed Godwit, Pechora Pipit, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Grey-crowned Rosy Finch, Common Eider, Harlequin Duck and Northern Fulmar. During our visit we may also spot Harbour Seals, Steller’s Sea Lions and Northern Fur Seals.

Day 13: At sea
We have a day at sea as we cruise towards Avacha Bay and the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, where the expedition will finish tomorrow. The waters we are cruising through are renowned for cetaceans, as this is the border between two major tectonic plates, and there are deep canyons where these animals feed. The Killer Whale, Baird’s Beaked Whale, Sperm Whale, Humpback Whale and Blue Whale have all been recorded here.  We will also partake in an end-of-expedition farewell dinner and recap.

Day 14 of your expedition itinerary
Saturday, 25 June 2011.  This morning we arrive at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatksiy, a major Russian naval base during the Cold War.  At the completion of your voyage, after clearing customs, you should plan to disembark around midday and we will transfer you from the ship to a bus transfer to either your hotel or to the airport if you are flying out on that day. Please do not plan to fly before the 1pm flight to allow time for disembarkation procedures.