Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 10:01 am, sunset 4:00
pm for a total length of day of 5 hours and 59 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1
minute and 55 seconds longer.
After several sunny, mild,
spring-like days, the clouds returned laden with gifts of rain as the
temperatures rose steadily into the high 30s. The wind woke up on the wrong
side of the bed, gusting from the south. The forecast calls for snow showers
for New Year's Day through Friday.
I checked for the SWAMP
SPARROW at 2:30 pm today. The setting looked hopeful with a few SLATE-COLORED and OREGON JUNCOS hopping
about on the snow, sifting through the sunflower seeds scattered in front of
the deck. BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES cheerily announced their arrival; the loud
whirring of the HAIRY WOODPECKER'S wings preceded his claim on the suet feeder;
a DOWNY WOODPECKER sounded off with a big "peeenk!" as she scaled
up the Mayday tree. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES "yank-yanked." But no
Swamper.
Perhaps it was Killdeer time.
I hoped the tide would be out far enough at Afognak Beach so I drove to the
pullout at Mile 3, Nash Road. With the new moon, the tide had been quite high,
13.0' at noon. Three hours later, the choice intertidal rocky habitat just
offshore was still underwater. No sign of the Killdeer, but as the grocery
store was still closed, there was really no reason for it to be there yet. It
would be dark before the saltwater receded far enough; morning would be a
better time to check this beach.
I thought it might be too
late at 3:30 pm to recheck Ava's, but as dusk descended, so did the sparrows at
Ava's. First the JUNCOS hopped out from under her deck, then a TREE SPARROW or
two. Then, ta-dah! out came the SWAMP SPARROW! Compared to the petite TREE
SPARROWS (now numbering five), it looked chunky. Even the JUNCOS looked more
svelte. All fed ravenously in preparation for the long, wet, night. Soon, it
was too dark to see much, and it was time to go home.
I hope the Swamp Sparrow,
Killdeer, Brambling, and White-throated Sparrow will be here next year,
especially this weekend when several birders are planning to bird in Seward.
Safe travels!
Wishing you all a very Happy,
and Birdy, New Year!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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