Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
7:32 am, sunset 8:33 pm, length of day 13 hours, 1 minute; tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 29 seconds longer.
Weather: Spring took charge yesterday gently transforming the last gasp
of snowflakes into light rain and bid Winter a firm adieu. Then she turned the
thermostat up to just above freezing and raised it further to the low 40sº
today, allowing the sun to beam forth for several cheery hours. A pair of adult BALD
EAGLES circled overhead, lazily spiraling in the deep blue sky. What a sight!
Rivers of snowmelt burbled down the streets, free at last! and pooled into
unnamed lakes at every low spot, trapped by sagging snow berms. Breakup will be
especially tough this year as too much snow with nowhere to go is suddenly
freed to flow and flood.
Yesterday
I spotted a PIGEON GUILLEMOT in full breeding plumage floating expectantly with
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, MEW and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, a few SURF SCOTERS and
GOLDENEYES in front of the seafood processor on Lowell Point Road.
Out
at Lowell Point Beach, two COMMON LOONS and a PACIFIC LOON in winter plumage
paddled and dove. A large raft of about 35 HARLEQUINS warily
worked the tideline. One BALD EAGLE swept out to the bay and back, probably
loaded with bait fish as before.
Today,
small slides closed Lowell Point Road in the early afternoon, trapping several
vehicles on the other side until city crews arrived to clear the snow. I
hastily made a U-turn and headed for another beach. It was extremely quiet
until four LAPLAND LONGSPURS flew past and landed in the dead sedges, likely
the same birds that I spotted on March 24th.
A
hot tip from a friend led me to the Harbor Uplands in the early evening. The gorgeous
drake HOODED MERGANSER, accompanied by a lovely COMMON GOLDENEYE hen, paddled
close to shore. Several very handsome drake Common Goldeneyes took a keen
interest in the rivaling Romeo, and one tried to lure Juliet away to no avail.
Either she's wasting her time, or she's hoping for some cute little hybrids.
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
No comments:
Post a Comment