Saturday, October 28, 2017 Quest for Rare Bird

Seward, Alaska

Overcast with intermittent light rain, calm, 40s.

This afternoon around 3 pm, I received a heads up about a rare, Asiatic OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT in Seward at the former horse corral. (Thanks, Dave!) Ace birders, Scott Schuette and Brad Benter discovered it about 12:45 pm, then refound it about two hours later. This is the first record for the Kenai Peninsula and Alaskan road system. Congrats!

I grabbed my gear and a ride (dead battery of all times!) and rushed down to Dairy Hill Lane by the Lagoon to look along “a small stream that runs through the corral,” as relayed and posted to AK Birding for the birders by Aaron Lang.

Hmmm. There’s Upper Scheffler Creek on the west side, full of spawning silver salmon. There’s Artesian Creek on the east side, also full of spawning silver salmon. And there’s at least two small artesian streams running through the middle.

After tromping slowly all around the property looking for a needle in a haystack near a stream, I emailed Aaron who kindly sent me contact info. I called Brad for more information. As they were just finishing up lunch nearby, they very graciously stopped by.

Brad called this a “Houdini Bird.” When Scott first found it, it immediately disappeared, but just a glimpse was all he needed. Brad got a peek, and though they searched long and hard, it proved very elusive.

They returned about 2:45 pm and refound it in about the same place, a brushy area near some large spruce trees and grass. Miraculously, they were able to get a few photos to document it before once again, it vanished before their eyes.

Brad noted that the Pipit wagged its tail constantly, and when it flew, it flew up into the trees to perch. That behavior was good to know.

After they left to continue birding elsewhere, I wandered slowly, looking and listening. A DIPPER sang cheerfully along the creek amid the splashing of the silver salmon. A female KINGFISHER rattled from above the creek. At least two PACIFIC WRENS scolded from a nice brush pile while a dark SONG SPARROW piped up with its discordant call note. A pair of OREGON JUNCOS clicked back and forth. It was a productive brush pile, but no Pipit.

At least four BROWN CREEPERS called to one another and spiraled up the spruce tree trunks. BALD EAGLES, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES, RAVENS, NORTHWESTERN CROWS, STELLER’S JAYS perched and commented from the snags, but no Pipit.

As the dim light got more dim, I walked home, marveling at the masses of Silver Salmon in the streams, swimming home at last after thousands of miles at sea and uncountable dangers.

Unlike the salmon, and me, the Olive-backed Pipit is thousands of miles from home and alone. It has no buddies to help watch for hungry predators, no prior knowledge of where to eat, rest, or sleep, and no clue where it is. Being able to vanish is what has kept it alive so far on its long, wild journey from Asia. Although that makes it tough to find, I’m cheering for it and hope it survives the winter.

If you come, park in the large, empty parking lot on Phoenix Road on the north side of the former horse corral. The sighting was fairly close to the road near Upper Scheffler Creek on the west (mountain) side of the property. Good luck!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter