Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 5:51 am, sunset 10:13
pm for a total day length of 16 hours and 22 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5
minutes and 5 seconds shorter. Rain, or a good chance of rain, is in the
forecast for the next week, with temps in the mid 50s to low 60s.
Sandwiched between long
stretches of rain, the sun and blue sky on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday now
seem like a dim memory. At the tidelands on August 2, I spied a dark projectile
stirring up a cloud of assorted gulls in the far distance at the mouth of
Resurrection River. A PEREGRINE FALCON! It rocketed through without a strike,
whirled around, then flew high over the unsettled gulls, heading east and
disappeared. Wow! Just a glimpse and then gone.
I found one SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER fledgling, now handsome and sleek and able to fly. I expect it to
migrate soon, as apparently most of the other Plovers have already departed.
No sign of the resident
TRUMPETER SWANS for the past week; I hope they are feeding in the far back of
the Nash Road Mile 1 wetlands, just out of sight. If the seven cygnets are
already flying, then the family could be anywhere.
I headed to the Alaska
Sealife Center today to get my bird fix. It’s always a treat to watch the
seabirds up close. The bird habitat is almost at capacity with 81 birds, so
most of the birds are not allowed to raise chicks and incubated fake eggs this
summer instead. An exception is the rare and endangered RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKES.
Two proud parents have a very cute and well-cared for 3-week old chick.
Two juvenile PIGEON
GUILLEMOTS, in their salt and pepper plumage, are a year old and will retain
this plumage until next summer.
The male KING EIDER was no
longer the main attraction having molted from his stunning breeding finery to a
rather plain brown plumage, retaining the sporty back fins for dignity. The
female Eider remains understated and elegant.
Another subtle beauty napped
on the railing, a LONG-TAILED DUCK hen with soft brown eyes. As long as the
birds do not feel crowded, some will let the paparazzi get quite close. The
ASLC staff person warned that the rear of the birds was the most dangerous part
as they can projectile poop up to three feet. That worked for crowd control!
The three puffin species,
TUFTED PUFFIN, HORNED PUFFIN, and RHINOCEROUS AUKLET, are well represented and
full of personality and mischief. I watched one Tufted Puffin mercilessly chase
a Pollock underwater, nipping at a ragged and bleeding dorsal fin. It was
surprising how long the alcid could remain underwater on this focused pursuit.
I’m sure the fish was grateful every time the bird spiraled back to the surface
for air.
Another Tufted Puffin decided
to scale one of the backdrop rocks instead of flying. It flapped its wings furiously as the orange
webbed feet tried to find purchase on the steep sides. As it emerged
victoriously in a flurry of wings, a surprised Horned Puffin shot off a nearby
perch to make room and plunged directly into the water without a pause.
The show continued, probably
until dark, but I will have to return on another rainy day soon to enjoy the
next episodes.
Here’s an interesting update
on the deformed beak mystery:
And a study on how
Frigatebirds can sleep with half a brain alert:
And documentation of another
incredible migration, that of the Grey Plover:
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
Such a wonderful place to visit and "get your bird fix!"
ReplyDeleteI went to the Sea Life Center a week and a half ago. It is amazing how much the male King Eider changed in its moult and how much the Red-legged Kittiwake has changed in such a short time.
ReplyDelete