Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
9:54 am, sunset 4:15 pm, length of day 6 hours, 20 minutes; tomorrow will be 3
minutes and 11 seconds longer.
Weather:
Yesterday's heavy clouds vanished by show time last night. The full moon arced
across a completely clear sky, casting brilliant moon shadows on the snowy
landscape and shimmering sea. Today, the sun ruled a clear sky all day
providing psychological warmth despite temps in the low to mid teens and a
freezing north-northeast wind. By early evening, the wind died down and a thick
gray cloud blanket returned to tuck Seward to bed with a dose of steady snow.
Once
again, there's a blizzard warning in effect from midnight to Tuesday evening
north of Moose Pass with heavy snow, strong winds and limited visibility. A massive storm is on its way; hold on
to your snow shovels!
Today
I heard the excited racket of MAGPIES and STELLER'S JAYS in my neighbor's
spruce trees as soon as I stepped outside. These guard birds are one of the best
ways I know to find a hidden raptor. I grabbed my binocs and camera and staked
it out from a vantage point across the street. As I peered into the shadowy
branches, a soft clucking led to a VARIED THRUSH. Two more glowing orange
thrushes hopped nervously from one branch to the next. The jays and magpies
fussed; some left as others arrived. I heard an occasional unfamiliar
chattering that rose at the end. What was it? Jim H happened by on his errands
and stopped to help look. No luck. Nothing flashed from the tree but magpies
and jays.
My
neighbors came out, on their way to buy more birdseed. After a brief
explanation of what we were doing scrutinizing their trees, they looked up and
exclaimed, "There's a owl!" We hurried over, and sure enough, a
petite
NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL perched on a dead twig next to the spruce trunk about 12 feet up.
It looked at us calmly, hardly opening its eyes. What a treat to see the maker
of the endless and remarkably loud "back-up bell" call.
After
a short while it seemed the Corvid cousins got tired of their security guard
duty and flew off. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS hopped on the ground right under the
owl. A pair of noisy RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES bravely tooted their little horns,
nervously dancing down and retreating up the scaly trunk, just a foot or two
away from the menacing predator who completely and graciously ignored them.
I
suspect the little owl is very hungry, perhaps hoping for a juicy vole
attracted to the birdseed scattered on the ground. Saw-whets have been known to
stake out bird feeders and even grab a songbird in desperate times.
It's
been a very cold, snowy winter. I hope he feasts tonight!
The
good dog still needed her walk, so I checked the salt marsh. Two adult BALD
EAGLES perched in their usual spots on the lee side of protective spruce trees.
Suddenly, I saw another raptor flying in the distance. The long tail and distinctive eyebrow stripe spelled
out an adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK! Well worth the cold, windy walk!
The
bright sunshine and forbidding forecast lured me to the east side of the bay. I
checked out the boat basin, nothing; the shoreline, nothing; the wetlands,
nothing. Pretty quiet. Suddenly, in the ryegrass past the wetland pond, I saw
the flash of about 100 SNOW BUNTINGS! I bailed out and headed down the beach
into the wind. Another adult bald eagle graced the lee side of a spruce; a
popular idea it seems. A curious harbor seal poked its nose above the gray
water and as quickly submerged. Still no sign of the buntings. I was almost
ready to give up when they flew up and landed at the far end of a grassy area.
Working
their way among the beach rye stalks, they gleaned fallen seeds and quickly
peeled away the chaff. Like rodeo riders, one bird after another leaped up on a
loaded seedhead and rode the flexible stalk to the ground, grabbing seeds for
itself while scattering more seeds for the flock. Without apparent provocation,
the flock burst into the air, then just as suddenly wheeled and landed,
instantly going back to work, eating, eating, eating.
It
was hard to tell in the field if any McKay's were with them, but when I got
home and checked my photos, I'm pretty sure there was at least one McKAY'S
BUNTING.
What
an amazing day for birds!
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Fabulous indeed! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteAaron