Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Killdeer! Starling, and Golden-crowned Sparrow

Seward, Alaska

 

Cold and windy continued today with cheerful sunshine providing a bright spotlight on the beauty all around.

 

Acting on a hot tip from a cold friend about a shorebird, I checked out Afognak Beach this morning. The hardy shorebird startled me as he flew past, calling dee-dee! I grabbed a blurry shot of his surprising red-orange rump, back, and coverts, like a warm sunset, as he landed. I also got glimpses of his eyes, outlined in ruby red, as he walked around. The two thick black breast bands resembled warm scarves wrapped around his neck.

 

This brave KILLDEER, likely the same one seen earlier on November 1, waded through the chilly, shallow water among washed-up jellies, picking up invisible-to-me tidbits. When stopped, he gently bobbed a few times, then continued wading and picking. Gusts of wind ruffled his feathers and threatened to knock him down, but he persevered.

 

This is a location favored by previous Killdeer, presuming they were different individuals over the years.

 

I left him to dine while I photographed the myriad frozen jellies lining the beach. Hundreds of candy-striped Northern Sea Nettles, a Lion’s Mane, and a smattering of Water Jellies sprinkled the intertidal area and the beach. That was a feast for my eyes! I can’t believe how stunning they are, these mysterious, alien animals from the ocean universe.

 

The incoming tide pushed me back to the beach. I left to seek sparrows.

The presumed White-throated Sparrow turned out to be a Golden-crowned Sparrow with a lot of yellow by the eyes (thanks, Todd for clearing that up!) Nice to see, nonetheless.

 

Not so nice to see was the gaudy STARLING, all spotty and speckly, hopping along the alley, gleaning seeds. At least there’s only one so far.

 

Happy Birrrrding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

Monday, November 18, 2024 Sparrows

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 9:06 am, sunset 4:22 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 15 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 26 seconds shorter.

 

BRRRR!! Cold and clear and WINDY continues. Temps ranged from a low of 11 and a high of 17 accompanied by a howling NNW wind that slammed things around with gusts up to 27 mph and one whopper clocked at 49 mph. More of the same forecast for Tuesday, then a break as it warms up to 40 towards the end of the week. 

 

No snow on the ground, and eager skaters enjoyed the bumpy ice on Second Lake. 

 

The ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD is miraculously surviving this cold snap, and was reported feeding at his lovely new heated feeder today after an absence of about a week. He puts us all to shame, shivering in our warm gear and lounging about in a heated house. Incredibly tough!

 

I checked out a sparrow hot spot in the alley behind Marathon Drive, off of Resurrection Blvd, thanks to a tip from Robin C. I enjoyed watching about five flashy STELLER’S JAYS, the Coastal variety, sporting two electric-blue lines on their stylish black crests above their foreheads. Three fancy-tailed BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES sallied through, checking out the scene and grabbed a few seeds scattered on the bare ground. 

 

Finally, a small flock of DARK-EYED JUNCOS appeared, making their way cautiously from the bushes to the ground. A very handsome OREGON JUNCO male popped up too. Then an immature WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and a SONG SPARROW. 

 

In the tangled thicket next door, I spotted three or four adult White-crowned Sparrows, but did not get photos. Robin C found a White-throated Sparrow here yesterday, but I will have to keep trying.

 

Last week, on Monday, I watched a BALD EAGLE perched in a spruce tree by the Lagoon. Suddenly, it shot off the branch with a piercing, blood-curdling shriek and roared over the water to the far shore two blocks away. 

 

Bam! Something died for breakfast. The Eagle then carried its feast to the power pole perch and began dining on whatever it was. I know Eagles have superb vision but how did that master hunter manage to nail its prey from so far away? It certainly was not a sneak attack. Frozen with fear?

 

Thursday, I lucked into a flock of about 10 ROBINS at Madison and Second Ave, eating Mt Ash berries and foraging in the frozen but still green grass. The next day, I followed a VARIED THRUSH hopping quietly along Two Lakes Trail. An American Three-Toed Woodpecker has been frequenting the park this month, but I didn’t refind it last week.

 

On Saturday, I was happy to find six MARBLED MURRELETS off Lowell Point Beach. I hadn’t seen any in a long time.

 

The long nights, though cold and windy, bring twinkling stars, red Mars, and bright Jupiter with a waning full moon sailing across the tapestry. Just gotta be tough like that little hummer!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 Thick-billed Murre (carcass)

Seward, Alaska

 

Sunrise 8:33 am, sunset 4:51 pm for a total day length of 8 hours and 18 minutes. Tomorrow will be five minutes and 4 seconds shorter.

 

Wild weather this afternoon including hard rain, hail, lightning and thunder (extremely rare in Seward), wind, and brief interludes in quiet anticipation of the next squall. Temp ranged from 32 to 35, wind SSE 7-16 with gusts to 39 mph.

 

However, during a cloudy and calm interlude around noon, I ventured out to the beach with a friend. To our surprise, we found a recently washed up MURRE at the wrack line. Initially, I thought it was a Common Murre, but Sulli (thanks so much!) verified it as a THICK-BILLED MURRE. 

 

Nonbreeding adult/immature Thick-billed Murres have a dark face and year-round, a shorter, thicker bill (hence the name). The nonbreeding Common Murre has a whiter face with a black line leading to the eye.

 

This individual is likely the Pacific race, Uria lomvia subspecies arra, which is larger than the Atlantic race, especially the bill size.

 

In the breeding season, Thick-billed Murres are a much sought-after species by birders in the Chiswell Islands and other cliff-side rookeries at the mouth of Resurrection Bay and Blying Sound/ Gulf of Alaska. In winter, they range into the Pacific as a true pelagic (open ocean) bird with no need to return to land.

 

The huge storm that is hammering Alaska likely caused its death and delivered it to Seward’s shores, along with several herring. 

 

I collected data and documented this amazing seabird for COASST (Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team) where it may contribute to science. 

 

RIP Thick-billed Murre. It was incredible to see you up close.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, November 1, 2024 Killdeer!

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

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Steller Sea Lions feasting

 Seward, Alaska

As I drove towards the seafood processing plant on Lowell Point Road, I noticed a frenzy of Gull action just out of sight. I parked, grabbed my camera, and walked up the obscuring embankment.

 

Just offshore beneath the screaming gulls, a Steller Sea Lion enthusiastically swung a hapless fish (Irish Lord?) back and forth, creating chaos when bits of fish flew off.  The powerful sea mammal repeatedly dove with her prey and surfaced with a splash, resuming the thrashing.

 

After a sufficient time in the thrasher, the sea lion gobbled huge portions, literally stuffing her face. Anything left that was too large underwent another round of thrashing and gull-shrieking until the fish was consumed.

 

Another sea lion feasted on a large Pacific Octopus, tentacles and suckers hanging limp from her lips. Another two sea lions plunged around, perhaps scavenging the flying chunks before the gulls plundered them.

 

Finally, dinner was over and peace resumed. The four sea lions gathered in a tight group and checked me out before gracefully and effortlessly swimming away.

 

What an incredible dinner show!

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird/Mammal Report Reporter

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 Grebes, Yellow-billed Loon, Sea Otter

Seward, Alaska

A strong NNW wind continued today, but the stinging rain let up by afternoon with temps hovering around freezing. Another dim day; no snow or ice.

 

This afternoon produced a surprise juvenile/immature HORNED GREBE hunkered down behind the old ferry dock sheet piling by the Alaska Sealife Center parking lot. The little guy was all alone, still sporting some juvenile face striping. 

 

I found a couple adult Horned Grebes bouncing in the waves off Lowell Point Beach in their more expected black and white winter plumage set off by startling red eyes. 

 

A RED-NECKED GREBE, with a longer, heavier bill, paddled a bit farther out; a nice comparison. 

 

An industrious SONG SPARROW poked through the green algal-covered rocks on shore and scored on some juicy unidentified snacks, possibly limpets or other marine invertebrates.

 

On the way back to town along Lowell Point Road, many dozens of Gulls, mostly GLAUCOUS-WINGED, shrieked and dove on shredded fish scraps as a recently unloaded fishing boat sailed away from the fish processing plant.

 

Two Sea Otters leisurely dined while swimming backwards and belly up; one crunched on an Ochre Sea Star. I also refound the juvenile YELLOW-BILLED LOON cruising along. It’d be great if it overwintered here in Resurrection Bay.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter