December 22, 2012 Seward CBC
The Seward Audubon CBC is over! Here's the draft final results:
52 Count Day species, 9 Count
Week species, and 3358 birds in all,
compared to 2011 61 Count Day
species, 6 Count Week species, and 2,461 birds in all.
Weather: 0 to 15ยบ, mostly calm for those on
land, and overcast with brief afternoon snow flurries. The boat crew birded in
seas to 3 feet with a north wind up to 17 mph. Overall, the lack of
precipitation and minimal snow made conditions quite enjoyable for walking and
biking despite the cold.
Twenty-five Field Counters,
including two young birders, and three Boat Crew, birded the Seward Circle from
9ish to 4 pm while another six Feeder Counters kept vigil at their often lonely
feeders. The Tonsina Trail Route was covered this year, as well as the Iditarod
Trail, and 2 miles out on Exit Glacier Road with fat tire bikes.
The most common bird at 510,
was the WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL, found almost everywhere in amazing numbers.
This species did not even make it on last year's count!
Several normally seen species
such as the Long-tailed Duck, Scaup,
Northern Shrike, Varied Thrush, Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, did not make the list at all. Many
species had very low numbers. Also surprising was the low count, 4, of juvenile
BALD EAGLES. The adults dined well all winter on starving Common Murres, raised
healthy eaglets that successfully fledged. Where are they now? Incidentally, no
murres were seen.
Many Feeder Counters,
especially out of town, wondered where all the birds were, finding few to no
birds this fall or winter. The
birds may have found enough natural food with the lack of snow cover and
abundance of spruce cones and Mt Ash berries. One feeder watcher in town
enjoyed a visit by a three adult BALD EAGLES. She captured a dramatic photo of
an eagle swooping in as a NW CROW flew away like a bizarre shadow. Ava
contributed the only AMERICAN TREE SPARROW at her feeder.
Despite the best efforts of
the Lowell Point team, the two BRAMBLINGS proved elusive after showing the day
before for Count Week. They did score on the only GREAT BLUE HERON, and a
MERLIN. A remarkable 41 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS stayed in town, feeding on the ground
under spruce trees.
The only kids participating
in the Count on their usual route on Exit Glacier Road found the usual RAVENS,
MAGPIES, and PINE GROSBEAKS and were impressed with a lone COMMON MERGANSER.
Then just as they were preparing to leave, a raptor, which they identified as a PEREGRINE, flashed
across the road, chasing a flock of small birds, perhaps Redpolls or Siskins.
The boys and mom watched in amazement as the falcon perched on a nearby snag
above the car, plucking its dinner, feathers floating down like snowflakes.
Now, THAT is a memorable moment!
Another unusual bird was a
DUNLIN that erupted off the beach with 11 other unidentified shorebirds.
Instead of flying off with them, it veered back and landed on the beach nearby.
I shot several photos as it walked past. I wonder now if the others were also
Dunlins. At least 5 were seen afterwards during Count Week. 38 ROCK SANDPIPERS
were also counted in the same area on Count Day.
Count Week turned up nine
species including: BRAMBLING, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, SPRUCE GROUSE, GLAUCOUS-WINGED
X HERRING GULL hybrid, HOODED MERGANSER, VARIED THRUSH, PACIFIC WREN,
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and SONG SPARROW.
Special thanks to Captain Jim
Herbert for donating the use of his aptly named Kingfisher III landing craft,
fuel, maintenance, preparation, and time on short notice for the 13.5 mile
ocean route. Tasha and Sadie meticulously counted the seabirds by gender, and
nailed 417 BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, the second highest number.
Kudos to Wendy for
encouraging her two young boys to explore nature and contribute to citizen
science. Thanks to Kit and Robin for diligently scouting for birds throughout
the Circle, far in advance of the Count, and to Janet who birded on her
all-terrain handcycle with studded tires. Thanks to the four birders from out
of town who came to help us. Many thanks to the folks who feed the birds and to
everyone for their time, effort, and enthusiasm counting birds on a cold,
overcast day.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward CBC Compiler
Photos will be posted soon.
Draft Final Count Species,
Count Week species have no numbers
3 Gadwall
128 Mallard
15 duck
unknown species
3 Black
Scoter
3 White-winged
Scoter
145 Surf
Scoter
105 Harlequin
Duck
34 Common
Goldeneye
480 Barrow’s
Goldeneye
29 Bufflehead
139 Common
Merganser
25 Red-breasted
Merganser
Hooded
Merganser
6 Merganser,
unknown species
Spruce
Grouse
8 Common
Loon
3 Yellow-billed Loon
19 Horned
Grebe
2 Red-necked
Grebe
53 Pelagic Cormorant
1 Great
Blue Heron
35 Bald
Eagle adult
4 Bald
Eagle immature
1 Hawk
species unknown
Northern
Goshawk
1 Merlin
1 Peregrine
Falcon
1 falcon,
unknown species
Sharp-shinned
Hawk
38 Rock
Sandpiper
1 Dunlin
11 shorebirds,
unidentified species
9 Mew
Gull
Glaucous-winged
x Herring Gull
39 Glaucous-winged
Gull
1 Pigeon
Guillemot
7 Marbled
Murrelet
124 Rock
Pigeon
1 Belted
Kingfisher
10 Downy
Woodpecker
6 Hairy
Woodpecker
42 Steller’s
Jay
78 Black-billed
Magpie
141 Northwestern
Crow
115 Common
Raven
24 Black-capped
Chickadee
31 Chestnut-backed
Chickadee
10 Chickadee,
unknown species
32 Red-breasted
Nuthatch
2 Brown
Creeper
Pacific
Wren
2 American
Dipper
37 Golden-crowned
Kinglet
18 American
Robin
Varied
Thrush
37 Bohemian
Waxwing
1 American
Tree Sparrow
1 Fox
Sparrow
Song
Sparrow
1 White-crowned
Sparrow
1 Golden-crowned
Sparrow
76 Dark-eyed
(Slate-colored) Junco
41 Rusty
Blackbirds
Brambling
510 White-winged
Crossbill
278 Pine
Grosbeak
278 Common
Redpoll
26 Pine
Siskin
25 songbirds,
unidentified
Count Day total: 52 species
Count Week total: 9 species
Total number of birds on
Count Day: 3358
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