Seward, Alaska
Thanks to a hot tip and on-scene directions from Robin C, I finally saw the KILLDEER that he first spotted on Tuesday. It looked so tiny in the mud at the edge of the wetlands pond; a small, lost plover. Luckily the recent skim of ice had melted in the rain and the mud seemed productive for now.
The last time I saw a Killdeer in Seward was an unusual summer visit on June 29, 2023, hanging out with Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. Before that a Killdeer was mostly a winter sighting December 22, 2018, January 3-February 27, 2016, then a fall sighting in August 5, 2014.
As we were leaving, so did the Killdeer, flying in loops above my head, calling in a high, single-note whistle, not its name. Good luck, little shorebird!
The TRUMPETER SWAN family enjoyed an afternoon nap in the wetlands on the east side of mile one Nash Road, the four sleeping cygnets almost hidden in the vegetation. Both parents relaxed with eyes open, still guarding their giant babies.
While the 5-month old cygnets are now capable flyers, they choose to return to the ol’ neighborhood and even the nest location if the water is not frozen. Won’t be long before this option is closed for winter.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
