Seward, Alaska
It rained hard Monday night
with temperatures in the low 50s. Typically this weather pattern subsides to
cool overcast weather with occasional showers that persists for the week. To
everyone's amazement, the weather forecast for sun and temps in the mid 70s was
correct!
Tuesday dawned clear and
freshly washed. It was a lovely day for a hike so we headed to the Primrose
Trailhead at Mile 18 Seward Highway. The first 5 miles or so climbs through a
Mt Hemlock forest with scattered spruce. The cones are abundant this year,
attracting hoards of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, a species that was entirely
absent last winter. Their long, complex trills filled the tops of the trees.
I followed a soft tapping to
find a male AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER methodically working his way around
a dead spruce tree. This is my first sighting for the year, and quite a treat!
A PINE GROSBEAK stopped to
sing from a dead snag. Numerous overflights of REDPOLLS called back and forth.
HERMIT THRUSHES cautioned with their soft "chway." I finally saw one
watching me before it quietly flew off. The VARIED THRUSHES were silent, but I
did spot one, almost perfectly camouflaged in the hemlock forest on a branch.
The blueberries along the
trail were bountiful and delicious. After the disastrous 3-year attack by the
geometrid moth larvae, the sweet berries are back and so appreciated by more
than just snacking hikers.
We took a short spur trail at
mile 2 to view thundering Porcupine Falls across the canyon. Such a huge volume
of water!
Once out of the forest,
spectacular views of snowy mountains cradling cirque and valley glaciers opened
up to the east with Mt Ascension at 5710' dominating the west side. Small
subalpine ponds dotted the rolling emerald green landscape. Fluffy white cloud
reflections sailed across the calm shallow waters.
I did not expect to see a
shorebird up here, but there, walking along the edge of one pond, was a
SOLITARY SANDPIPER! I watched it poke and prod the muddy bank, obviously
finding something to eat. I wonder if it nested close by, or if it was
migrating through.
A short time later, around
mile 7, a WILSON'S SNIPE flushed out of a shallow wetlands, another big
surprise. It was too sudden to photograph, but the photo shows the habitat.
Glimpses of Lost Lake began
to appear, then the beautiful turquoise-blue waters were below us. A wake of an
unseen swimmer, a rainbow? v-ed across a little bay embellished with cloud
reflections. Fat marmots whistled sharply from their rocky outposts. A daring
vole dashed across the path in just front of me, diving back into the safety of
the beautiful wildflowers and grasses.
At the half-way point, mile
7.5, and end of the Primrose Trail, we crossed the bridge over Lost Creek as it
began its journey from Lost Lake to the sea. Stone steps led up the other side
to the north end of the Lost Lake Trail. Shortly afterwards, I admired a
frost-heaved rock pocket, filled with water. Looking more closely, I discovered
a LEAST SANDPIPER busily hunting for insects. Another shorebird surprise!
We still had about 8 miles to
hike, so regretfully we turned around to head back down the Primrose Trail. The
white-winged crossbills were still singing in the hemlock forest as we plucked
just a few more blueberries on the long descent. The final bird was a
Chickadee, either a Boreal or Chestnut-backed, hidden in the hemlock branches,
as we trundled through the Primrose campground back to the parking lot.
What a gorgeous and surprising place, the
high country of Lost Lake!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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