Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:55 am, sunset 5:30 pm for a total day length of 8 hours and 34 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 14 seconds longer.
With temps in the mid-30s, cloudy, and calm this past week, it felt more like April with the accompanying showers, not February. The mild weather even fooled some beach rye grass, optimistically poking bright green spears from last year’s bedraggled remains. Forecasted snow showers with temps dipping below freezing overnight may convince others to wait.
Friday, however, broke the pattern by delivering sunshine and blue skies, welcomed like long-lost friends. The surrounding snow-covered mountains were spectacular! I did not discover any new arrivals, but rejoiced at seeing the usual overwintering species.
Seven magnificent adult TRUMPETER SWANS chose to wing their way towards me, honking softly, and splashed down like water skiers in an intertidal stream. They certainly noticed me, but after a few moments, settled down to stretch, preen, and nap in the sun.
A mixed flock of MALLARDS, AMERICAN WIGEON, and GADWALL grazed companionably in the sedges of the estuary. Other than a couple BALD EAGLES and RAVENS cruising overhead, it was pretty quiet.
HORNED GREBES, SURF SCOTERS, one WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, PELAGIC CORMORANTS, and a COMMON LOON paddled and dove south of the harbor uplands with two Sea Otters.
A Harbor Seal tranquilly floated in the harbor, nostrils flaring to breathe in and sealed shut to dive. COMMON MERGANSERS, and a few Goldeneyes joined more Horned Grebes in the boat basin. I did not find the Yellow-billed Loon.
I checked out Lowell Point Beach and found a nice raft of handsome RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS paddling close to shore, diving in synchrony after small fish. Unfortunately, they were very wary and soon paddled farther away.
Several SHORT-BILLED GULLS braved my presence and continued to forage. A few MARBLED MURRELETS dove with PELAGIC CORMORANTS farther out.
A raft of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES mixed with a few COMMON GOLDENEYES staked out Pinnacle Rock and its intertidal treats.
In the Lowell Point sewage lagoon, MALLARDS and Goldeneyes rested on remnant ice while others paddled furiously against the bubbling currents. It looked like whitewater rapids as they swam in the foam, plucking who-know-what out of the roiling water. Yum?
The clouds returned for the weekend. Today in the fog, I refound the flock of about 35 ROCK SANDPIPERS, and heard the cheerful song of a DIPPER, happy no matter what the weather.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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