Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
6:18 am, sunset 9:35 pm, length of day15 hours, 17 minutes; tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 23 seconds longer.
Weather:
Breakup continues slowly and without flooding; snow piles are visibly lower and
more drab grass emerges every day. Thin ice on puddles in the morning is
evidence of below freezing temperatures at night. Daytime temps hover in the
low 40s, still a bit chilly. Sprinkles and showers alternate with sunshine and
blue sky. Folks itchy for spring-cleaning rake and sweep gravel and spruce
cones from exposed parts of soggy lawns and driveways and pick up long-hidden
trash.
It's
time to clean the hummingbird feeders and make that first batch of sugar water
by adding 1 cup white granulated sugar to 4 parts boiling water. No red food
coloring is necessary, and it may cause tumors. It's also time (if you didn't
do it in the fall) to scrape last year's nests out of the swallow boxes. While
the box is open, rub bar soap on the ceiling to discourage wasp nests. Remove
any decorative perches that only allow magpies, jays, and other predators easy
access to the babies. Swallows don't need perches. They love white feathers, if
you really want to make them happy.
It's
also time to consider removing the suet and bird seed and cleaning up the
scraps that might tempt emerging hungry bears. You know your neighborhood best.
A fed bear is a dead bear. It's not worth keeping the feeders up much
longer.
Tuesday,
April 19
FOS
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, the tiny bird with the powerful voice, belted out his
song. More ROBINS popped up around town, singing sweetly. Two SNIPE spotted at
salt marsh, one heard winnowing, also a flyby of three LAPLAND LONGSPURS.
Milbert's Tortoiseshell butterflies, the first butterflies to emerge as
overwintering adults, fluttered about whenever the sun warmed them up.
Six
colossal BALD EAGLES, four juveniles of various ages with two adults, leaped
and grabbed, tussled and argued over a much desired (but unidentified) meal at
Lowell Point beach.
Wednesday,
April 20
The
yard RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET returned to his traditional spot in my Sitka willow,
and sang. I wonder how many years he's been doing this? Too cool! Three
STELLER'S JAYS seemed to be checking out the former nest site on my house, but
no nest building has begun. One must be the real estate bird for the lucky
couple.
At
the saltmarsh meadows, a female NORTHERN HARRIER arrived, so brown in contrast
to the bright, light male, with a similar conspicuous white rump.
Saturday,
April 21
Two
FOX SPARROWS appeared in the yard, the darker version that hopefully will nest
here. It was amusing to watch them jump-scratch the soil under the spruce
trees, a little fancy footwork to reveal insects.
Finally
found a DIPPER, snoozing on the ice at the Lagoon.
A
pair of beautiful FOS RING-NECKED DUCKS arrived at the wetland pond by the
airport; their usual stop-over spot at Roundhouse Pond is still mostly frozen.
Refound the female HARRIER, and a MERLIN.
Two
BLACK OSYTERCATCHERS poked through the seaweed-covered rocks at the small
intertidal zone at Fourth of July Beach, exposed only at low tide. It's amazing
how this rather large black shorebird can be so camouflaged despite its long
red bill, pinkish legs, and yellow eyes.
Over
at Spring Creek beach between the parking lot and the boat basin was a
startling discovery. Low tide exposed sparkling spheres of herring eggs
festooned on the rocks and seaweed in this rich little habitat. Hundreds of
screaming GLAUCOUS-WINGED and MEW GULLS stood at the shallows like combat
fishermen or dove in raucous mobs just off shore. An estimated 80 to 100
HARLEQUINS, at least 200 SURF SCOTERS, and dozens of BARROW'S GOLDENEYES also
actively dove and dined. Mingled with the seabirds were a few dabblers: a dozen
MALLARDS, 5 GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and 3 NORTHERN PINTAILS, all looking very much
out of place, paddling their way through the fray and the much larger gulls.
A
very tired-looking first winter THAYER'S GULL rested quietly on the rocks, oblivious
to the racket. After a while, it yawned hugely, then turned around as if to
watch the spectacle. For a brief interval, it flew and landed on the water, but
soon hopped back on the rocks. It was such an unusual color, soft tans and
browns with light pinkish legs, dark bill, and dark eyes. It really stood out
among the zillions of other birds.
Sunday,
April 22 Happy Earth Day!
The
sunshine this morning found me once again at Spring Creek Beach at low tide.
Same spectacle and cacophony as last night. A FOS DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
joined the crowd, its white crests just starting to grow. What eerily beautiful
greenish eyes set off by that golden face!
Around
10:30 am, 42 CANADA GEESE flew over town, heading south along the mountains,
then regrouped, reconsidered, and headed north. They were unusually quiet
except for just a few birds honking softly, ("I told you so, I told you
so!")
Though
I only got a quick look, it sure looked like a HARLAN'S HAWK hauling grass for
its nest and heading towards the trees along the Resurrection River to build a
nest. Pretty exciting!
What does Spring mean to you? For
me, Spring is not just one colossal event like hundreds of cranes flying
overhead, but a weaving of many wonderful sights, sounds, and events, taking
their rightful place in the overall design as their time arrives. May Spring's
tapestry remain complete, whole and strong!
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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