Thursday, November 17, 2011 Redwing Update

Seward, Alaska

The Redwing Rush is on! Birders from all over Alaska and beyond quickly recovered from the shock of a rare Life Bird discovered not only in State but on the road system. No expensive flight to Adak, Nome, or Gamble; this was a DRIVE-UP bird!

Important meetings, jobs, commitments, and schedules suddenly seemed trivial. A Fairbanks birder started the 500-mile drive in minus 40º temperatures at midnight. A Homer birder left at 5:30 am to for the 176-mile drive, arriving in the predawn dark after being up all night with his infant daughter. Anchorage birders, a mere 120 miles away, arrived soon after, joining Kenai and Soldotna birders from central Kenai Peninsula.

After a lot of desperate and futile searching up and down the beach, into the teeth of the biting north wind far up the east shore and back into the calm of the forested center, all the birders enjoyed excellent views of the beautiful REDWING right back by the summer houses at the beach. This is the third day in a row the bird has been seen.

We had GREAT views from the beach looking towards the fence line east (right)) of the second beach house. There are a few Mt Ash trees and small spruce where the bird can find food and shelter.

The Redwing repeatedly flew to the seaweed wrack line at the very west end of the beach, but soon returned to the Mt Ash tree area. It also flew across the road nearby and basked out of the wind in the sunshine on a snow bank for a bit. The neighborhood black-billed magpies made it move around, but fortunately they were not overly aggressive and it stayed.

The sun rises around 9 am and sets behind the mountains at 2:30 pm so the light is best then. Twilight lingers until around 4:15 if you can't come earlier. I prefer around 11 am for the best light for photographs, but whenever you can get here is the best time!

The fierce north wind seems to be diminishing, but dress for cold and wind, bring hand warmers, etc. Please do not crowd this bird. Excellent views for all are easy without trespassing onto private property.

It's a beautiful bird, well worth the trip.

Good luck!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 RARE Bird Report: Redwing!

Sporadic Bird Report from Seward, Alaska

Another overcast, cold, windy winter day with temps around 12- 16º, north-northwest winds to 29 to 35 mph with gusts to 56 mph.

The short: There's a REDWING at Lowell Point Beach! This is a new Alaska State record!

The long: Today I tried to escape the bitter blast and headed to Lowell Point Beach. On the way, I gaped at the ominously flapping green ridge cap on the Episcopal Church. I gasped when I saw that the entire steep south roof had been ripped away, blown past a busy apartment complex and homes, then thrown in a heap at the bottom of the hill a block away. Those giant metal pieces could have killed someone!

Watchful for other dangerous debris sailing on the wind, and wary of potential rockslides, I negotiated the 2 ½ mile icy and narrow road to Lowell Point. The wind howled, the whitecaps steamed and frothed, but in a small section on the west side of the beach, it was tolerable.

Though my eyes were tearing up, I checked the wrack line for any signs of a bird besides the mew gull and Northwestern crows. The flapping scraps of seaweed fluttered like birds, and suddenly one turned into a bird! I checked it out through my binoculars and forgot about the cold and wind.

The good dog (the reason for the outing) was puzzled when we  abruptly whizzed back to the car and she had to load up. I grabbed my camera and blew back. Ah. The bird was still there, looking cold, picking through the seaweed, hopping along. I wondered if something was wrong with its feet as it seemed to be hobbling a bit. Perhaps it was the occasional dunking in the swash, or just the cold. I sat down on the cold sandy beach and fired off several images and then it flew up and away, swirling in the wind, farther east. I looked for it for about 15 minutes in vain.

Back at the car, I quickly searched my Sibley Guide and just as quickly remembered it contained no such rarities. I tried to use my emergency-use-only cell phone but not surprisingly, the batteries were dead. Calm on the inside but totally excited inside, I dashed  back down the icy road into town to show the photos to my local bird expert Peregrine Joe. I tracked him down at work and showed him a few photos on the camera. He didn't have a bird book either and took a "stab" at it as a Dusky Thrush.  Abandoning everything, he dashed out to find it while I attended to a most unfortunately timed short meeting. Shortly afterwards, he and Robin C refound the bird between two summer houses near the beach.

Once home from the meeting, I quickly uploaded the photos and posted on AKBirding.com. Almost instantly, Buzz Scher responded that it was not a Dusky Thrush but an even rarer bird, a REDWING! Ah! Had I only taken a moment in my haste to post to verify the ID in my National Geographic Field Guide. It has a perfect image of the Redwing.

This bird was spotted on Tuesday in the same sheltered west end of the beach by Jim Herbert but due to poor views, misidentified as a juvenile American Robin. I hope that it will hang around so others can have the pleasure of seeing it. Please respect its urgent need to feed and observe the rules of etiquette so others can enjoy it too.

Keep your eyes peeled for more treasures delivered by this crazy wind!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Monday, November 14, 2011 Smashing news!

Seward, Alaska Sporadic Bird Report 

I enjoy having interesting birds delivered to my house. Meaning, of course, Cassin's finches in the front yard, Cedar Waxwings in the surrounding cottonwoods, and other benign but exciting sightings. Today's delivery was smashing!

When I returned home this afternoon from the monthly COASST survey, I shucked my winter gear, gathered my two cameras, and headed upstairs to return a phone call to a friend. Engrossed in the conversation, I casually looked out the window and saw a little gray feather stuck to one of the two windows. Hmmm. Pine grosbeak window strike? I thought I had enough stuff hanging in the window to discourage any hits. We chatted some more and eventually my gaze shifted to the adjacent window.

GOOD GRIEF! The window looked like a rock had been hurled through it! There was a huge hole, with jagged pieces of glass barely hanging on, the previously invisible protective membrane flapping stoically as if to say, "I tried!" Glass shards glittered menacingly, strewn all over the cabinet under the window. I stood up abruptly and looked closer. A large brownish, streaked bird about the size of a fat raven sat stunned on the roof, all fluffed up, a foot away. I had no idea what it was, except a raptor of some sort but not an owl. I hastily excused myself and hung up. Wow! The glass was everywhere, from tiny sparkles to larger shards blasted over 6 feet away from the window, on the carpet, on top of papers, in open boxes.

But of more interest was this quiet, stunned bird. It sat there, deep brown eyes closed, then open, just resting. Whatever enticed it to hurtle at high speed with enough force to break two panes of glass was no longer of interest or even in memory. As I watched, fascinated, I remembered my camera. What a unique opportunity for close-ups of a raptor! The through-the-glass photos were a bit cloudy. Then I noticed the convenient access through the split plastic membrane. I got some great shots of this magnificent bird.

Suddenly, it gathered enough reconnaissance to realize what was happening and managed to fly off to the nearby Mt Ash tree and crash land. It hung there, almost suspended, wings out, unable to really get a grip on a branch for a proper landing. After a short time, it let go and flapped towards the ground. I rushed to the downstairs window and saw it resting near the house on the deck. Bird 911 time.

I called the Alaska Sealife Center rescue number and talked to Tim. He gathered the information and mercifully agreed to send a crew even though it was not a marine mammal or seabird. Then the interminable wait began. How agonizingly slow it seems before aid arrives! It was not long however, before an inquisitive Steller's jay discovered the inert raptor, sitting on the deck. Up went the alarm and soon five jays danced around the eerily quiet predator. Black-billed magpies answered the call and joined the taunting and outcry. The only positive result of all this harassment was I could determine that at least the bird's neck wasn't broken. It could turn and look this way and that at first one tormentor then the other. Luckily, the alarmed birds kept a safe distance, but I did not know how long their fear would last. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

After an interminable (but in reality probably short) time, Seth and Julie arrived with a small crate, blanket, and long-handled net. Sneaking around the side of the house, it was almost anticlimactic to gently lay the net over the unprotesting bird and bag it. After untangling the formidable looking talons, the bird was wrapped in a blanket and transferred to the crate. Off to the ASLC for observation.

I cleaned up most of the glass shards and installed a temporary cover over the shattered window, then emailed photos for ID. Opinions were mixed, but either a PEREGRINE or GYRFALCON. That bird could have hit the window at 200 mph! It sure looks that way! It's incredible that he survived. Wow!

In the future, I will be content to travel a bit to find awesome birds in lieu of replacing any more windows!

Many thanks to the Alaska Sealife Center for taking care of this magnificent bird.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Monday, June 14, 2010 Seward Top Gun Eagle Show

June 14, 2010

Sunrise 4:32 am, sunset 11:24 pm, length of day 18 hours, 51 minutes; tomorrow will be 1 minutes and 7 seconds longer. Summer Solstice is only a week away!

Weather: Rain has been forecast just about every day this past week, as one spectacular sunny jawdropper follows another. But today is indeed cloudy with temps in the low 50s; they might be right this time. A lovely white fireworks of crab-apple, apple, Mt Ash, and Mayday tree blossoms promise a bountiful crop for birds this fall. Lilacs are just starting to bloom; watch for rufous hummingbirds or their tiny mimic, the splendid sphinx moth, enjoying the nectar.

June 13: FOX SPARROW announced dawn at 4:30 am with his cheerful, "Whip-Gee-Whillikers! What a beautiful day!"

Ten BALD EAGLES stood up to their bellies in a small stream at the head of the bay, combat fishing just like the chest-wader, rod-flailing humans as three-year old red salmon returned from their ocean adventures. One eagle, impatient with the wait, harassed a passing ARCTIC TERN, forcing it to drop a very small fish. The bully caught it midair and flew off with the prize.

A bit later, two eagles stroked powerfully up into the blue sky in tight formation. When the smaller of the pair, the male, dropped onto the female, she instantaneously flipped upside down and their talons briefly locked. Just as swiftly but still falling, they released and resumed their course. This stunning aerialist feat repeated several times before they descended back to earth. I will remember this impressive show whenever I see eagles lounging in a spruce; maybe they just finished performing or are resting up for the next Top Gun flight!

Clouds of gulls, mostly BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, and MEW GULLS feast along the shoreline, frequently stirred up by yet another BALD EAGLE or RAVEN.

Three RAVENS, not to be outdone, then did the same trick, though the flipper had food and the flipees wanted it. It may be rare that the bird that actually catches the food gets to eat it.

Also noted: SPOTTED SANDPIPER, bobbing its tail like we might absent-mindedly jiggle our keys. SAVANNAH SPARROWS perched on beach rye and driftwood look-outs, singing out their territorial boundaries. A smattering of ducks fed on underwater salads: GADWALL, PINTAIL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, MALLARDS. No young seen; hopefully the watchful moms hid their treasures safely in the tall sedges.

One CLIFF SWALLOW and a few VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS dashed across the sedge meadows, snapping up insects. As others have noted, our swallow populations seem to be unusually low this summer. No BANK SWALLOWS have been reported yet. KINGFISHERS have been hard to find as well.

ALDER FLYCATCHER not heard at airport today, but one was reported on the Resurrection River Trail.

TOWNSEND'S, ORANGE-CROWNED, and YELLOW WARBLERS, HERMIT THRUSH, VARIED THRUSH, ROBINS, and PINE SISKINS still singing in town and along the Mt Marathon Jeep Trail.


Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Sporadic Bird Report reporter
Seward, Alaska

Monday, July 28, 2008, Western Kingbird still here!

Seward, Alaska 

The WESTERN KINGBIRD in Seward is still here as of 10 am today,

hunting insects from the chain link fence surrounding the ballfields

and playground at the intersection of Ballaine and Fourth Avenue. Also watch for it perched on the power lines.

 

Look for a bird smaller than a robin perched in the open with a lemon

yellow belly, gray back, and black tail. The white outer tail feathers are hard to see because they are worn.

 

This is the species that ignited Kenn Kaufman's career as a birder, "Kingbird Highway: The Story of a Natural Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand."

 

Good luck!

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report reporter

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Babies, Arctic Tern gone

Seward, Alaska 

Sunrise 5:18 am, sunset 10:48 pm, length of day 17 hours, 30 minutes;
tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 28 seconds shorter.

Weather: A light misty rain, low gray clouds with temperatures
hovering in the upper 40s. The air is perfumed with lilacs and roses
and everything is green including this year's bumper crop of spruce cones.

In my yard in town:
MARBLED MURRELETS flew over the house this morning at 5 am, calling
out loudly, anxious to beat dawn on their commute from the forest to
the sea. Sounded like a small flock, perhaps a family group.

Bright yellow and black TOWNSEND WARBLERS fledglings fly from branch
to branch in the spruce and willows, peeping incessantly for handouts
from harried parents, and occasionally actually find a cranefly or
other treat all by themselves. It's a wonder no predator has picked
them off yet as they are so noisy and visible.

VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW babies still in the deck nest box get louder
every day, responding vocally to every motion and vibration in
frenzied anticipation. The parents fly in with not-fast-enough food
delivery and haul away the white fecal sacs. It won't be long before
they join the rest of the swallows swooping around the neighborhood,
fledglings calling out noisily mid-air. The sighting of a magpie
predator sets all the swallows into a concentrated circle, their calls
louder and even higher than usual as they sound the alarm.

CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES also glean invisible insects from the
spruce and willows, calling out in their muted husky voices. PINE
SISKINS and ROBINS take turns in the birdbath, regardless of the weather.

Two RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS enjoy the lilac and feeder then chase each
other at top speed around the yard. The time is quickly approaching
for this tiny traveler to migrate up to 2000 miles to Mexico, so every
sighting is a special treat. Hummers seen in August and later should
be carefully documented as they may be Anna's or even Costa's. Keep
the feeders clean and full as late as possible.

July 22, 2008
Three families of GADWALL, each with 6 or 7 ducklings spotted at the
airport pond. Dozens of peeps, most likely LEAST and WESTERN
SANDPIPERS feed in the tide flats and fly in flashing synchrony,
already done raising their families and now working their way south. A
LINCOLN SPARROW sings his beautiful song as if it were yet spring.
CLIFF SWALLOWS flash about grabbing insects mid-air, a real test of
binocular skill to follow their dashing aerial acrobatics.

No ARCTIC TERNS were spotted; I believe they have already left on
their journey to Antarctica and the tip of South America.

July 20, 2008
PINE GROSBEAK flock in spruce trees at airport. Two GREATER YELLOWLEGS flew overhead, calling "tew-tew-tew! "

Exit Glacier report of a lone GOLDEN EAGLE soaring above the Overlook
Trail.

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Sporadic Bird Report reporter
Seward, Alaska

The Kenai Peninsula Wildlife Viewing Trail Guide is available for free
on the web at http://www.kenaipen insula.org. Individual printed copies
can be ordered for $13.90 ($8.95 plus $4.95 S&H) via that web site,
or at the Seward Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on how to keep cats indoors, please refer to the
American Bird Conservancy website, Cats Indoors at
<http://www.abcbirds .org/cats> and other informative sites listed
under a Google.com search.

 

Thursday, April 17, 2008 Pacific Golden Plovers!

Seward, Alaska 

Sunrise 6:32 am, sunset 9:23 pm, length of day 14 hours, 50 minutes;

tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 25 seconds longer.

 

Weather: Sunny skies with high overcast continue, temperatures up to the mid 40s but the strong north wind makes it seem like a blustery day in mid-March.

 

I was looking for a swan at the tidelands at noon, but instead found two male and one female PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERS!! These amazing and beautiful long-legged golden-backed shorebirds have likely flown over 2200 miles in less than 2 days, non-stop from Hawaii. After they refuel on intertidal invertebrates, they will head north to their breeding grounds in the tundra of western Alaska.

 

Look for the white stripe sweeping from the bill all down the side to their flanks. The American Golden Plover is very similar but with a black undertail and black flanks. Like the other plovers, they run a bit, then stop, look and listen, pick up something tasty, and repeat.

 

A flock of 20 CANADA GEESE stroked steadily up the bay and overhead. Either they were too exhausted to honk, or they were speechless at the wintery spectacle below. Regardless, they chose to keep flying north.

 

Seven GREEN-WINGED TEAL shared the mudflats with a few GADWALL and NORTHERN PINTAILS. Many more of these ducks plus MALLARDS, and COMMON MERGANSERS soaked up the sun in the lee of the beach. A long line of sleeping gulls, looking for all the world like clumps of snow, rested before the rising tide swallowed up their precarious oceanside nook.

 

Keep your eyes to the sky! 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Sporadic Bird Report reporter

Seward, Alaska