Grand Alaska Part II: Anchorage, Denali & Kenai Peninsula - June 2026
Dates: June 16-25, 2026
Leaders: Barry Zimmer & Erik Bruhnke
E-bird
Total Species: 105 birds
Click Here to view list.
Overall Summary
Once again, our Grand Alaska II tour was a huge success. From boreal forest and tundra birds in the Denali region to spruce forest dwellers around Anchorage and Seward to wonderful seabirds in Kenai Fjords National Park, our avian list was superb. Additionally, we had wonderful mammal viewing throughout the trip (16 total species seen) and had Denali in full view for three days in a row! What more could you ask for?
In the Anchorage area, we were treated to a pair of Trumpeter Swans with cygnets, gorgeous breeding-plumaged Red-necked Grebes with nests and/or striped babies on their backs, a pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers feeding babies at a nest, Alder Flycatcher, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, each with their typically hidden crown patches fully flared, Swainson’s Thrush, and a small flock of White-winged Crossbills, among many others. A very close cow Moose with a tiny calf and some Dall’s Sheep working the cliffs along Turnagain Arm were the mammalian highlights.
A “travel day with limited birding possibilities” en route to Denali yielded some of the biggest highlights of the trip. The mountain itself was in full view all day long as we drove northward—a very lucky treat indeed in June! Along the way, we birded an area known as the Sockeye Burn, where we very quickly found a rare Black-backed Woodpecker that posed for scope views, in addition to a Boreal Chickadee from about fifteen feet away and a wonderful family group of Canada Jays. But without a doubt, it was the discovery of a Northern Hawk-Owl along the Parks Highway that highlighted this amazing day. We piled out of the vans and watched this majestic bird as it hunted for over fifteen minutes from about 25 yards away!
A six-hour ride into Denali National Park on a Tundra Wilderness Tour the following day yielded more great sightings. Three Willow Ptarmigan allowed nice views, and we had some distant Golden Eagles, but it was two very close Grizzly Bears (within 50 feet of the bus) that stole the show. We also enjoyed another Moose, nine Caribou, and more Dall’s Sheep to achieve the rare “Denali Slam.” Once again, we had spectacular, jaw-dropping views of the mountain.
We birded the Denali Highway the entire next day. We managed to cover over 65 miles of the highway before we had to turn back. Highlights were plentiful on this day and included Barrow’s Goldeneye, Black Scoter, a super-responsive male Willow Ptarmigan, another Northern Hawk-Owl, a Merlin, several Arctic Warblers, six Bohemian Waxwings, Blackpoll Warblers, and a very close, perched pair of White-winged Crossbills. And our luck with the mountain continued with more stunning views. It was an awesome day!
The final leg of our journey was a visit to the Kenai Peninsula, starting with the Girdwood area, where our first stop was, of course, the Alpine Bakery with its sumptuous blueberry fritters! At Turnagain Pass as we entered the Kenai, we enjoyed excellent views of Golden-crowned as well as “Sooty” Fox Sparrows. The scenery along the entire route was simply breathtaking. A short distance away, we birded Granite Creek Campground. There we added a hen Spruce Grouse with tiny chicks, Hermit Thrush, Varied Thrush, and Townsend’s Warbler. We stopped briefly along the highway for scope views of Mountain Goats before we headed to Bear Creek. A pair of American Dippers had a nest under a small building and made repeated trips to feed their young. We also watched Sockeye Salmon navigating the waterfall at the weir. Late in the afternoon, we cruised out to Lowell Point, getting scope views of four Marbled Murrelets from shore, as well as a couple dozen Harlequin Ducks, a flock of Surf Scoters, and a Pigeon Guillemot!
A nine-hour boat trip into Kenai Fjords National Park and the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge was on tap for the next day. Despite cool, drizzly weather, we had great success! We saw almost all of the hoped-for seabirds, including good numbers of Horned and Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemot, Common (thousands) and Thick-billed (25 total) Murres, Marbled and Ancient Murrelets, Parakeet (exceptional views) and Rhinoceros Auklets, and Black-legged Kittiwakes by the thousands. But it was the views of the rare, glacier-loving Kittlitz’s Murrelet that stole the show. We tallied an impressive 23 birds, with multiple pairs on the water near the boat. The mammals were nearly as good as the birds, with several bubble-net-feeding Humpback Whales, a pod of Killer Whales, numerous Steller’s Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, and comical Sea Otters. Additionally, Northwestern Glacier was calving while we visited. This was an all-around great day despite challenging weather conditions!
The final day was largely devoted to travel and packing, but we did some early morning birding around Seward. Steller’s Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and Pacific Wren were the highlights.
In all, we tallied 105 species of birds for the tour, including some of the hardest-to-see denizens of the North. We also had 16 species of mammals and countless breathtaking scenic vistas. Our time in the Last Frontier was simply epic!
Day-by-Day Summary
June 16 – Arrival in Anchorage; dinner downtown.
June 17 – Lakes Hood & Spenard, Westchester Lagoon, Kincaid Park (Mize Loop), Potter Marsh, Turnagain Arm, Girdwood (Crow Creek Mine Road) (45 species; 45 total). American Three-toed Woodpeckers at nest. Close Moose with calf.
June 18 – Drive to Denali National Park via the Parks Highway with stops at Kashwitna Lake, the Sockeye Burn & McKinley View Lodge; also the Denali Highway to MP 128 (32 species; 56 total). Mountain in full view all day long. Black-backed woodpecker & Northern Hawk-Owl highlight the birds.
June 19 – Otto Lake, Denali National Park shuttle bus ride to East Fork River (MP 43) (22 species; 63 total). Two Grizzlies from 50 feet away. Willow Ptarmigan.
June 20 – Denali Highway to MP 79 (Susitna River) (49 species; 76 total). Another Northern Hawk-Owl, Bohemian Waxwing, White-winged Crossbills.
June 21 – Healy area, including Stampede Trail; drive to Anchorage with brief foray onto Denali Highway; post-dinner visit to Westchester Lagoon (35 species; 77 total).
June 22 – Anchorage to Seward with stops at Girdwood (Alpine Bakery), Granite Creek Campground, Turnagain Pass, Tern Lake and the Bear Creek salmon weir; Benny Benson Park & Lowell Point Road in Seward (45 species; 93 total). Spruce grouse hen with chicks, Varied Thrush, American Dippers feeding babies.
June 23 – All day boat trip from Resurrection Bay to Kenai Fjords National Park, Northwestern Fjord, Northwestern Glacier & the Chiswell Islands (part of the Alaska Maritimes National Wildlife Refuge) (23 species; 103 total). Puffins, auklets, murrelets, murres and whales!
June 24 – Two Lakes Trail (Ravina Road), Rabbit Run/ Wolf Trail residential, Tern Lake, Lower Summit Lake, drive to Anchorage (30 species; 105 total). Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Steller's Jay, Pacific Wren.
June 25 – Departures for home (105 total species; 148 in combination with the Nome Pre-Trip).
Wildlife Seen:
MAMMALS:
Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
Arctic Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus parryii)---nine total, split between the park and the Denali Highway
Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus)---Westchester Lagoon after dinner
North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)---great views of one along Parks Highway right on the shoulder; two total
Snowshoe Hare (Lepus americanus)---thirteen total
Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)---good views of two (especially the one at Healy)
Brown (Grizzly) Bear (Ursus arctos)---two extremely close individuals from the tundra wilderness tour; best views by far in a couple of decades for this trip; missed entirely two of the past five years
Steller’s Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina)---particularly numerous around the glacier
Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris)---great views of these cute critters in Kenai Fjords
Moose (Alces alces)---just a total of five seen (low count), but with superb studies of a cow and calf in Kincaid Park
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)---nine in Denali (none particularly close)
Mountain Goat (Oreamnus americanus)---five high above Tern Lake en route to Seward, including a couple of kids
Dall’s Sheep (Ovis dalli)---31 total split between Turnagain Arm (closer here) & Denali NP
Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)----rare treat to see bubble-net feeding individuals
Killer Whale (Orca) (Orcinus orca)---pod of several came in to check out the ruckus at the humpback bubble-net show; a real bonus!
Total species – 16 (21 total in combination with the Nome Pre-Trip)
BUTTERFLIES:
Canadian Swallowtail
Mustard White
Unidentified blue Fritillary species
Total species – 4