Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 10:02 am, sunset 4:01 pm for a total day length of 5 hours and 59 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1 minute and 54 seconds longer with a New Year’s Resolution to keep getting longer.
Sunny today with a low of 20 and a high of 31, mostly calm. High tide of 12:11’ at 12:57 pm.
A personal New Year’s Resolution is to always pay attention to Corvids.
This morning, a noisy MAGPIE chattered away, hidden in some spruce trees. I walked past. Suddenly, the immature AMERICAN GOSHAWK shot out past me like a missile, heading straight for some ducks in a pond. Flap, flap, flap, quick glide! Flap, flap, flap, quick glide! It banked and turned sharply, diving down on the desperately fleeing ducks, struck nothing, and kept flying off into the distance. Wow! What a show!
This afternoon, I refound the hardy KILLDEER as the tide began to ebb. Twelve Trumpeter Swans, including 4 cygnets fed in the ever-shrinking open water of the pond. Another nine Swans, including 4 cygnets graced the intertidal creek.
As the tide continued to ebb, 20 ROCK SANDPIPERS materialized at the water’s edge, chittering excitedly as they plundered the freshly exposed mud.
Following up on a report by Robin C, I found two more Trumpeter Swan cygnets feeding in still-open Preacher Pond west of Nash Road mile 0. I found this very unusual as normaly the cygnets are accompanied by the adults until booted out in spring. They seemed to be healthy and feeding.
A few days ago, I practiced portraits of DARK-EYED JUNCOS, a CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, a male DOWNY WOODPECKER, a STELLER’S JAY, and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD. I saw 7 RUBB but believe there are nine in the Clearview Subdivision near the high school.
As shadows crept up their flanks just before 4 pm, alpenglow tinged the eastern snowy mountains a delicate pink, fading to violet, purple, and indigo as the sun slipped away. What a spectacular finale to our short winter days.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and good birding wherever you are!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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