Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 4:34 am, sunset 11:24 pm for a total day length of 18 hours and 49 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1 minute and 12 seconds longer.
A beatific sun shone warmly yesterday morning, raising everyone’s spirits, then the dour clouds rolled in again to reclaim the summer. It snowed on the surrounding mountaintops. In June. Temps back to a low of 36 to a high of 46 with a chilly south wind. Warmer weather with a high of 65! are forecast for Sunday and Monday.
In May, a diligent pair of resident CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES chose a nest box on my garage for their home. After countless trips with beaks full of moss, the nest was complete and activity slowed while the eggs were incubated.
On May 3, one of Chickadees valiantly chased away an inquisitive TREE SWALLOW that threatened to evict them and take over the nest box. The Chickadee won that battle.
Recently, behavior changed to countless trips hauling out fecal sacs and delivering beaks full of insects. I heard faint cries of excitement from the nestlings as the parents whizzed in and out. Sometimes, both parents were in the box, then first one then the other shot out of the opening, in a hurry to get more groceries.
Now a pesky red squirrel is VERY interested in the growing family, expertly and stealthily climbing down a nearby spruce tree branch to “go shopping.” Fortunately, I had installed a metal guard around the nest hole, so the squirrel can’t chew into the nest box.
Unfortunately, this handy branch is a favorite perch for the adults to launch into the nest. It is likely the young fledglings will land here on their first flight and straight into the pantry of the waiting squirrel.
I filled a 5-gallon bucket with water and found my ol’ SuperSoaker. If lucky, I plan to shoot water at the wily squirrel when it’s sneaking around in that spruce tree. Maybe that will help discourage it, or at least keep a sharper eye out for me. I’m cheering for the Chickadees!
While taking photos of the parents, I noticed one had a shiny silver band on its right leg. Likely it and a few others were banded in January of 2021 about a block away when trying to capture the rare Siberian Accentor.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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