Seward, Alaska
Louann drove down from
Anchorage this evening to try for the WESTERN SCREECH OWL. We met just after
sunset at about 9:45 pm at the 40 mph sign, 1.4 miles from the first bridge on
Exit Glacier Road aka Herman Leirer Road.
After standing around and
listening for a bit, I mentioned we should have brought lawn chairs a la Hawk
Watch. As luck would have it, she procured two lawn chairs from her camper van and
we sat comfortably and listened. As the sky darkened, the temperature dropped,
so she provided a repurposed Vanagon curtain to supplement my blanket and
snuggled into a sleeping bag. Owling in style!
As the first stars emerged
(Big Dipper’s handle), first one, then another BAT fluttered along the road.
Suddenly, a larger bat cut across the road right beside us. No! Not a bat, but
a small OWL! It happened so fast, but luckily we both saw it. It was totally
silent, intent on its mission, probably hunting.
It could have been the
WESTERN SCREECH OWL, or possibly a Northern Saw-whet Owl, impossible to know.
But since we were in the Screech Owl’s known territory, it was very enticing to
think we actually saw our target species. Regardless, it was very cool to see an owl!
More and more stars peppered
the black sky, connecting the dots to form familiar constellations and the
Milky Way.
We sat and listened and
marveled at the evolving nightscape until about 11 pm, without hearing any
owls. Nonetheless, two bats and an owl fly-through with good company and front row seats were a few hours well spent.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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