Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
7:27 am, sunset 8:16 pm, length of day 12 hours, 49 minutes; tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 25 seconds shorter.
Weather:
Another massive storm is headed towards Southcentral Alaska. A high wind
warning is in effect for the Anchorage Hillside, Portage Valley and Turnagain
Arm with southeast winds up 55-80 mph with gusts to 100 mph, peaking overnight.
In addition to a high wind warning for Seward, a flood watch is in effect with
up to 4 to 7 inches of rain, and more than 9" in some mountain areas.
The
last cruise ship of the year, the enormous Statendam, diverted course yesterday
to dock in Seward a day early to get out of the approaching storm. Today, it
rained hard and steadily all day with a south wind. This is not unusual; what
is coming will be! Meanwhile, it's great to have the power on.
The
forecast shows overcast with rain for the next week with temps continuing in
the 50s.
This
morning, I attended a members' event at the Alaska Sealife Center featuring the
remote camera operation at Chiswell Island. It was really cool to operate the
camera and zoom in on interesting behavior. Moms nursed their hungry little
pups; a massive bull served as a pillow for another sea lion and as a cliff
bumper stop for others of all sizes and ages jam-packed together. I spotted a
BLACK TURNSTONE picking its way through the Steller's sealions napping and
jostling on Chiswell Island. There may have been two.
It
was a difficult day for optics with the blowing rain, but I spied a NORTHERN
HARRIER working the soggy saltmarsh looking for flooded- out voles at high
tide. It was either a female or a juvenile (brown); hard to tell. The RAVENS
relished the wind and played incessantly with it and each other, performing
daring upside down tricks and effortless steep ascents. A SAVANNAH SPARROW
skipped along the beach ryegrass ahead of me, dodging in and out.
Over
by the boat harbor entrance, a battalion of gulls rested quietly on the rocky
breakwater, facing the rain and wind, waiting stoically. Most were
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS with a few BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES. The double-crested
cormorants left sometime in the past two weeks.
Wednesday,
September 12:
It's
about time! Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a GREAT BLUE
HERON flying over the wetlands at the head of the bay, quite a distance away. It's been a long time
between sightings. Where do they hide?
The
heron landed on a dead branch of a Ghost Forest tree, then flew down into the
grasses. It strode forward, wings outstretched, to greet another GBH! The first
was an adult, the second a juvenile. Their reunion was joyous and heartwarming;
both seemed ecstatic to see each other. First one, then the other stretched out
its enormous wings. Then, with their necks fully extended, their open bills
touched briefly like a kiss. I left them standing serenely, facing each other.
Later
that evening, just a dusk, I heard a low "cronk, cronk" overhead. I
looked up and saw the silhouettes of two Great Blue Herons flying over my house!
What an unexpected treat! Perhaps they were seeking a quiet place to roost in a
spruce for the night, but what a lucky coincidence I was still outside!
VARIED
THRUSHES and ROBINS continue to gather on their migration. I saw 20 robins in
one group flying with about 30 PINE SISKINS. The crazy WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS
continue to sing as if it was still summer.
I
heard, but did not see, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS in the spruce forest.
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES checked out my elderberry bush and perched on the
clothesline to peer at me inquisitively. NW CROWS have begun to snack on the
ripening red Mt Ash berries. I hope they, and the forthcoming winds leave many
berries for our hungry winter visitors.
Two
GREAT HORNED OWLS were reported on the trail to Tonsina Beach on Wednesday.
Abundant
STELLER'S JAYS busily bury peanuts in yards, flowerpots, leafy debris
collecting in gutters, everywhere. I even dug out a peanut that was jammed into
my car's windshield wiper opening. There is no shortage of either jays or
peanuts in my neighborhood. If these were viable seeds, there would be peanut
bushes everywhere. Several neighbors have trained the smart jays to land on an
outstretched hand to pluck a peanut, and know them by name. Such characters!
May
the birds, and the rest of us, sail through this storm unscathed.
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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