Sunrise 4:41 am, sunset 11:12
pm for a total day length of 18 hours 30 minutes. Tomorrow will be 2 minutes
and 44 seconds longer.
Another spectacular, blue-sky
sunny day similar to yesterday but with a strong wind from the south instead of
the north. Temps rose into the very pleasant mid-60s. Thursday is forecast to
be mostly sunny, with a chance of rain starting on Friday through next week.
Today was a perfect day to go
birding at Kenai Fjords National Park at Exit Glacier. I chose to walk a loop
starting with the Glacier View trail which heads off the main trail and winds
into the pioneering cottonwood forest with an understory of young spruce trees,
alders, and willows.
I heard YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS and YELLOW WARBLERS all along the trail. The fluttering cottonwood
leaves are fully out and easily hide a leaf-sized warbler, but with luck and
persistence, it is possible to track at least a few for the pleasure of
watching them sing. In the distance, I heard VARIED and HERMIT THRUSHES.
Back on the main trail, the
emphatic warble of Mr. WILSON chimed in with the others. Walking slowly past
the 1926 marker, I heard a different song, a ways back in the woods. A
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH! What a thrill to hear this northern breeder. Some years, I
miss them completely. The voice is described on
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/gray-cheeked_thrush/sounds as a
"complex song of burry flute-like notes, usually ending on a
downslur." Take a listen!
Back on the road, traffic was
sparse so I drove slowly with the windows down. Another GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH
called several times quite close to the road. I stopped and saw a flash of the
bird flying to a nearby cottonwood, but was unable to get a decent view. This
species has flown a long ways from Venezuela and Colombia to Alaska. It's just
amazing how they manage to find their way back home!
I
parked at the Welcome sign and walked along the road next to a babbling creek. In addition to the YELLOW,
YELLOW-RUMPED, and WILSON'S WARBLERS, I heard the loud, relatively slow, rich
warbling of a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. This is another warbler that I don't always
find every year. This area of shrubs and trees near the creek and wetlands is
great habitat for them. The Northern Waterthrush overwinters in Central America
and also south to Colombia and Venezuela.
Along Resurrection River by
the bridge, I saw and heard a pair of SPOTTED SANDPIPERS. It is likely they are
nesting here. A COMMON REDPOLL flew overhead, calling, also a local nester. It was
nice to hear and see one as they did not show up this past winter as they
normally do.
As warbler songs are tricky
and sound is ephemeral, I found recording them with the video on my little
point-and-shoot camera was invaluable. I highly recommend this technique. Even if you can't find the songster in the maze of leaves, listening to
the audio and comparing it to any number of excellent on-line resources and
apps will help identify the bird, solidify the sound, and make it more familiar.
I plan to return soon to
listen for the Swainson's Thrush, who has flown from as far as Argentina to
come home. Its beautiful song spirals upwards, which makes it easy to remember.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
Go to the left.
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