Monday, December 29, 2025 Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks, Robins

Seward, Alaska

The north wind howled all night and most of the day, spinning my wind vane in dizzy circles with gusts to 36 mph. The temperature rose from an overnight low of 7, to 13 by noon, and then 24 by evening. Snow scudded from the low gray clouds and twirled into snownadoes. Whitecapped waves pounded the bay and the harbor. It was a miserable dark winter day.

The only birds who seemed to relish the wind were the RAVENS. A dozen soared and spiraled high above the Lagoon, doing tricks and showing off. Irrepressible Ravens!

Today, for the first time since October 19, I did not see the ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD. I will watch diligently tomorrow and hope for the reappearance/resurrection of that little sprite. Last night and this morning were the toughest conditions yet. How could he fly in such conditions?

Despite the depressing weather, I found joy this afternoon in the bright colors and music of a mixed flock of PINE GROSBEAKS, ROBINS, and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS. 

I watched the Pine Grosbeaks struggle to keep their balance while juicing the Mt Ash berries, letting the hulls and seeds drizzle down their fronts. They plucked them from the tree and also from the frozen grass, mostly bare of the powder snow now blown into small drifts. Their warm, sunset hues glowed even in the dim light.

Chunky Robins hopped among them or clung to the tree twigs, tossing the whole frozen berries down the hatch. They sighed and occasionally clucked; no singing today.

Tinkling chimes rang from the Mt Ash trees where about 20 Bohemian Waxwings fought the strong wind to reach the berry clusters and eat them whole. Several elegant birds landed on the ground, not to eat berries, but to gobble up beakfuls of snow. I have never observed this interesting behavior before. They seemed to relish the cold refreshment.

Even a diminutive CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE plucked a few berries and ate them one after the other. 

I looked without luck for Cedar Waxwings, Starlings, Hermit Thrushes, and any other unusual species for Count Week. Tomorrow is the final day. While a rarity would be sweet, the return of the Hummingbird would be the sweetest sighting of all.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

 

 

Saturday, December 27, 2025 Mission Accomplished

Seward, Alaska

Seward Christmas Bird Count today!

Sunrise 10:03 am, sunset 3:56 pm, for a total day length of 5 hours and 53 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1 minute and 10 seconds longer.

Civil twilight 9:05 am rise, 4:56 pm set. 

Cloudy, north winds 7-13 with gusts to 23 increasing to 31 mph in the evening; temps hovered around 24 most of the day, dropping to 11 overnight. The strong north wind and white-capped waves canceled the survey of Resurrection Bay by the boat crew, a significant loss for the Count.

My CBC mission today was to tally the ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD.

After 4” of powder snow on Friday, a failed hummingbird heater that turned the sugar water into a slushy, and continuing cold, wind, and long nights, I was worried. Would this unlikely winter resident make it through another night?

I set out the warmed feeder in the dark at 9 am and waited and watched with binoculars from inside. At 9:21 am, in the dim light before dawn, a small dark shape materialized at the feeder and sat for two minutes. Yay! He seemed alert and perky. He fed and then flew up into the nearby spruce tree presumably to hunt for cold spiders. He zoomed back to feed at 10:30, 11:25, and noon. 

I then left to find the KILLDEER, 35 TRUMPETER SWANS, and a photo-bomb BELTED KINGFISHER at Afognak Beach, a drake LONG-TAILED DUCK at Spring Creek Beach, a GREAT BLUE HERON flying over Nash Road, two COMMON MURRES with the pair of Long-tailed Ducks, two RED-NECKED GREBES, and 10 MARBLED MURRELETS at the Lowell Point seafood processing plant with the usual sea ducks.

I happened to see the Hummer feeding at 3 pm during a brief stop, then at 4:12-4:14 pm in the dusk and finally at 4:18-4:22 pm, tanking up for the night.

Bird feeder watchers and field counters are still uploading their data to the Google document. It will be fascinating to learn what others found on this blustery winter day. I was thrilled with my tally that included a nickel-weight bird with an astounding will to live.

Mission accomplished.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

 

Monday, December 22, 2025 Killdeer, Anna’s Hummingbird, Seaducks

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 10:12 am, sunset 3:52 pm for a total day length of 5 hours and 50 minutes. Tomorrow will be 15 seconds LONGER.

 

Clear, cold, and windy conditions continued with a low of minus 1 this morning around dawn, rising slowly during the short day to a high of 8 by late evening. NNW winds 7 mph with gusts to 17. The warming trend predicted for the next three days with a high of 20 on Wednesday is welcome. 

 

The intrepid ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD landed on the heated feeder this morning at 9:11 am in the dusky dark. He sat and sat, warming up, then sat and sipped over the next seven minutes, before flying to the spruce.

 

I spotted him throughout the day, only feeding for a minute at a time. At 4 pm he sat and sipped for ten minutes in the dusky twilight, tanking up for the night, then zoomed off towards the spruce and maybe beyond. He’s tough!!!

 

Robin C alerted me to the discovery by Tim J of another intrepid bird: the KILLDEER! Last seen by me on December 3, I refound the lone shorebird at Afognak Beach, standing on one foot at the high tide line. He too, faces another long cold, windy night.

 

In recent days along Lowell Point Road by the now-quiet seafood processing plant, I enjoyed watching small rafts of sea ducks patrol along the shoreline: SURF SCOTERS, a pair of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, a pair of LONG-TAILED DUCKS, RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, COMMON MERGANSERS, and BARROW’S GOLDENEYES. Also, a few PELAGIC CORMORANTS, and MARBLED MURRELETS. Beautiful birds all.

 

Happy Brrding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter