Seward, Alaska
On a routine drive on Lowell
Point Road, I just had to pull over and whip out my camera. FORK-TAILED STORM
PETRELS fluttered erratically like butterflies, glided like balsawood
airplanes, walked on water like St Peter, picked at tiny tidbits like
phalaropes, and even dove completely underwater.
It was hard to get a count as
in addition to the dozens right along the shore, there were clusters of others
sitting on the calm water in Resurrection Bay. Hosting tiny tubenoses in the
inner bay is very unusual; it must mean there is a big storm brewing in the
Gulf of Alaska.
Suddenly, I heard a loud
"Cronk!" and looked up to see three GREAT BLUE HERONS winging south
towards Lowell Point. What a contrast between these large, ponderous, and
deliberate flyers and the little sprites flitting below me!
Two NORTHWESTERN CROWS walked
along, inspecting the rocks for snacks. A Kenai SONG SPARROW popped up nearby,
then flew over to a promontory and sang its lovely melody.
Then, quietly going about its
business, a Harbor Porpoise momentarily surfaced to catch a breath, then
slipped back into its oceanic universe, leaving only a watery
"footprint" in the gentle sea.
What a place, Alaska!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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