Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:00 am, sunset 4:23
pm, for a total day light of 7 hours and 23 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes
and 32 seconds shorter.
Welcome
clear skies corresponded with cooler temperatures down to 20º last night,
rising to 39º this afternoon. A brisk NNE wind blasted the feeble heat from an
apologetic sun as it dashed across the sky in a low arc. The highest tides of
the year followed the super moon, the bay whipped to a surging, white-capped
froth, redistributing huge driftwood logs from one inundated beach to another. The
stage was set for an exciting day!
Shortly
after dawn at 9:30 am, the ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD flashed between the spruce tree
and lighted feeder, having survived another cold and windy night. Yea!
At
12:30, I spotted a SLATY-BACKED GULL along the waterfront in front of town,
standing quietly, facing into the north wind. Its slate gray back and black
tail stood out from the light gray cloak of the default, slightly larger
Glaucous-winged Gulls. The only winter record I have for Seward is from
December 23, 2010 to January 3, 2011; others may have better data.
This
gull is native to northeast Asia, breeding in the Russian Far East. According
to the USFWS Alaska Seabird Information Series, it is a rare spring migrant and
summer and fall visitor along the Bering and Chukchi seas.
Seward
is fortunate to once again host this unusual visitor, though the local gulls
did not especially seem to welcome it. One GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL landed nearby, close
enough to be threatening, but the Slaty-backed held its ground, and the bully
soon flew off. Where other Glaucous-winged Gulls sat together in loose groups,
hunched against the north wind, this gull toughed it out alone.
The
gull’s dramatic black and white patterning when flying was thrilling, though I
failed to get any photos. I’ll try again tomorrow, if I can refind it.
Later
in the afternoon, I found a young bull moose grazing hungrily on dead grasses.
This is the bull that experienced a severe trauma last month that broke off his
left antler and blinded his left eye. He seems to be healing, and has lost his
right antler naturally. Though his life is far from easy, he perseveres.
Up
on the mountain, a band of sure-footed mountain goats grazed on steep, rocky, wind-swept
cliffs. From a feisty hummer to a rare gull, huge moose, and white tenacious
dots on the mountain; what a great day!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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