Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 5:06 am, sunset 10:59
pm, for a total length of day of 17 hours and 53 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4
minutes and 4 seconds shorter.
After several overcast days
that promised rain without delivering and temps in the mid 50s, the clouds took
a break and let that blue sky and sunshine reign instead. A soft south breeze
with a high of 64ยบ was a lovely and welcome combination. Late in the afternoon,
I sallied forth to see what I could see.
It turned out to be a Larid
afternoon, short for gulls and terns. A dainty little gull with a black bill
and matching black earrings flew overhead and landed just offshore in the
brown, silty waves (lots of glacier melt going on.) A BONAPARTE'S GULL, perhaps
the same one I spotted last month. I've only seen one at a time this summer;
they are not common here like they are in Anchorage. When the little gull flew
off, the black band on the tail and distinctive black markings on the wings
flashed.
As I followed the gull's
flight, I caught sight of a life and death drama being played out high over the
bay. An adult BALD EAGLE and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL rapidly exchanged positions
of pursuit. The eagle gained the upper hand and the gull gave flight as they
raced across the sky, ever lower. At times, they were in perfect synchrony, as
if choreographed. Finally, with both birds' beaks open and panting, the gull
pulled away. The eagle broke off and flew to the beach where it landed in the
water to cool off. ARCTIC TERNS immediately bombarded it, trying to drive it
off, to no avail. Too tired.
A random glance at other
Arctic Terns in the distance made me jump! The ratcheting Arctic Terns were
escorting a jumbo tern with a huge red bill and black-tipped wings. I've been looking
for a CASPIAN TERN all summer, and here it was! It didn't linger over the feisty smaller terns' territory,
but took leisurely loops and soon disappeared. No one messes with Arctic Terns!
As I headed back, small
groups of invisible LEAST SANDPIPERS flushed out of the seaweed wrack. They
blend in so well, it's hard to spot them until they move. Migration is well
underway as the season races along.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
No comments:
Post a Comment