Seward,
Alaska Sporadic Bird Report
Sunrise
8:19 am, sunset 7:56 pm, length of day 11 hours, 37 minutes; tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 31seconds longer.
Weather: Three days of brilliant sunshine in a
row! It's intoxicating! The wind blew its brains out on Sunday and Monday and
took a break today, ahhhh. The temperature dipped to 17º this morning and rose
to 27º by evening as the clouds rolled in. Still lots of snow, but it's crusty
enough to walk on, and sublimating around the edges. Spring sent advance notice
and she is coming regardless of what Winter thinks!
No
luck on the Short-eared Owls; perhaps it was too windy to hunt or they blew
away. Instead I enjoyed fantastic views of a gorgeous adult BALD EAGLE
spiraling upwards right over my head. No matter how many times I see an eagle,
they can still take my breath away. Such power in those relaxed yellow talons,
sharp, curved beak and broad wings! I'm thrilled to watch these magnificent
birds every day, going about their lives. A repeat treat.
I
also never tire of the beautifully patterned sea ducks. I did a little
photographic study of one of my favorites, the BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, feeding on
mussels at mid-tide. Another favorite, the HARLEQUIN DUCK paddled close to
shore on the high tide in the sun, just begging to be photographed. So I did!
In
other news, I heard a FOX SPARROW singing sweetly this morning, adding to the
chorus of VARIED THRUSHES, COMMON REDPOLLS, PINE SISKINS, a SONG SPARROW,
trilling JUNCOS, screeching STELLER'S JAYS, and a single PINE GROSBEAK.
Jeff
Walters of Fairbanks reported a successful sighting of the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR
and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW this afternoon at the hot spot at the bottom of
Suicide Hill.
Happy
Birding!
Carol
Griswold
Seward
Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos as always! I especially like the Barrow's Goldeneye shots--maybe my favorite duck. We see so few of them in Homer and the western Kenai in the winter.
Thanks for the post!
Aaron