Seward Alaska
Wow! A beautiful spring day today: 37ยบ, clear, with 13 mph north wind
Thanks to a call yesterday from the ever-alert birder, Buzz Scher, we can all trundle down to the beach by Resurrection Seafoods at the start of Lowell Point Road across from the waterfalls and look for ANCIENT MURRELETS.
The halibut season opened March 5th. The fishing boats are delivering and the birds know all about it. Mixed in with the cloud of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, rafts of MARBLED MURRELETS (too many to count!) COMMON and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, PELAGIC CORMORANTS, HARLEQUINS, BARROW'S and COMMON GOLDENEYES, COMMON MURRES, and at least one PIGEON GUILLEMOT, are 7 to 8 ANCIENT MURRELETS.
These alcids are the same size as the marbled murrelets, but have a very distinctive black chin and throat; the pattern almost looks like a giant white thumbprint on the side of the neck. They seem to hang together in small groups, although there were some singles.
Joe Staab reported at least 5 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 2 HERRING GULLS or hybirds trying to blend in with the other frantically feeding gulls.
Buzz also noted 4 DUNLINS with the ROCK SANDPIPERS to the east of the Railroad Dock, and 4 male LONGSPURS, and 50-75 BLACK SCOTERS. I hope he will have time to post his sightings on the yahoo site for us all.
Joe reported 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS at the Benny Benson Lagoon yesterday, birds we haven't seen in a long while. Watch for the horse that is not a brown horse, the DIPPERs, and the KINGFISHER. I also heard a VARIED THUSH singing yesterday morning, sounding a bit rusty.
Across the bay at the Spring Creek Campground access, look for AMERICAN DIPPERS and the BELTED KINGFISHER in Spring Creek or the pond. COMMON MERGANSERS and BARROW'S GOLDENEYES seem to enjoy the calm and perhaps food in the pond.
On Saturday, March 18, 23 SNOW BUNTINGS flew over the pond and into the beach rye grass. The raw wind made it hard to get a good look to see if any McKay's were with them.Always a chance.
Huge rafts of SURF SCOTERS, BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, a few LONG-TAIL DUCKS, HORNED GREBES, and HARLEQUINS form a feeding line off the beach. The seafood processor over there is also processing, but I did not see the bird activity there that Resurrection Seafoods is attracting.
The WESTERN SCREECH OWLS (2), NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, and GREAT HORNED OWLS are calling more regularly now; keep an ear out at night in your neighborhood, or drive around Old Exit Glacier Road near the winter gate on Exit Glacier Road for a stop-and-listen.
In other news, a MINKE WHALE was observed close to shore near the ASLC on March 18th. While you are enjoying all the seabirds, keep an eye out for whales, sea lions, and sea otters. It's a feeding frenzy!
I'm sure I missed reporting a bunch of other sightings, but this one is long overdue and MUST go out. Go see those Ancient Murrelets!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Sporadic Bird Report reporter
