Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
10:00 am (actually more like 10:30 am once it climbs laboriously over the
mountains), sunset 3:50 pm, (more like 2:00 pm in the Seward town site after it
zips across the southern sky). Length of day 5 hours, 49 minutes (or actually 3 1/2 hours); tomorrow will
be zero minutes and 11 seconds shorter as the December 21st 2:12 am
Winter Solstice approaches.
Weather:
Whoooeeeeee! After two days of cloudy weather, the skies cleared. Nice to see Venus
in the morning again, the waxing crescent moon, and the stars and Jupiter at
night. The fierce north-northeast wind is just wailing, said to be 24 mph with
gusts to 33 mph, and maximum gusts of 45 mph.
Any
loose snow is long gone; the mountains are blown bare and brown. Only a crusty,
stubborn layer remains, occasionally breaking off into flying chunks. The
thermometer hovered around 20ยบ, which was pleasant out of the wind. (Note key
word, "out.")
Today
the bay was frothing with white-capped waves. The wind ripped the caps right
off and swirled them into a rainbow-hued spray. I was amazed to watch a surfer
out in the thick of the biggest curls, getting hammered but having fun. Even
the seabirds knew better and seemed to be found mostly in sheltered areas.
My
first species for the First Day of Count Week was the RAVEN, playing in the
wind, of course. Cousins soon showed up: STELLER'S JAYS and BLACK-BILLED
MAGPIES. PINE GROSBEAKS clung
precariously to the tops of the swaying spruce trees, calling musically. Around
10 am, Duane called in about a flock of about 50 PINE SISKINS or REDPOLLS
flying up the street into the teeth of the north wind.
Of
note at the Scheffler Creek outlet by the Harbor Uplands were 5 GADWALL,
dabbling near a small flock of preening BARROW'S GOLDENEYES. I hope they stick around for Count Day
on Saturday. COMMON MERGANSERS took refuge in the lee of the Harbor Uplands
breakwater. A GLAUCOUS-WINGED X HERRING GULL hybrid with some black primaries
coasted overhead; an adult BALD EAGLE stirred everyone up. I did not find the
tight flock of 70+ Surf Scoters, but visibility was tricky in the waves. A few
NW CROWS blew down the beach.
Over
at the SMIC boat basin, Fourth of July Beach and Spring Creek Beach I found a
pair of HORNED GREBES, more BARROW'S GOLDENEYES, HARLEQUIN DUCKS,
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, a PELAGIC CORMORANT, and the lone human surfer. Kit
found COMMON LOONS, but I did not.
On
Dec 17, Kit spotted a SPRUCE GROUSE at Tonsina Trail. Yesterday, I counted 52
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS feasting on small frozen apples in the 400 block of Third
Avenue.
If
you haven't yet seen the amazing examples of owl camouflage, check out this
website <http://www.boredpanda.com/owl-camouflage> I like this website
since it gives credit to the image source.
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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