Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:40 am, sunset 6:44 pm, for a total day length of 10 hours and 3 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 22 seconds shorter.
Rain, heavy at times, dominated the weather these past two weeks. Then, as if in apology, the weather gods granted a day of reprieve between storms to celebrate the new snow on the mountains and vibrant fall colors. Highs ranged from the low 40s and lows into the low 30s.
During this period, though I slogged through many gray, rainy days known only to birders and ducks, I missed many cool birds: the two Mourning Doves, a Common Yellowthroat, a Northern Flicker, Townsend’s Warbler, a Sabine’s Gull, a Slaty-backed Gull, and 5 Black Turnstones.
While disappointed to know what I missed, the few birds I did manage to find lifted my soggy spirit.
On October 13, I flushed a WILSON’S SNIPE while another birder reported a single AMERICAN PIPIT.
The SNOW GOOSE lingered, still alone, its white coloration making it as obvious as a snowball in fall can be. Non-birders couldn’t miss it and they too marveled at the tolerant goose.
The young bull moose sauntered into town, wandering through yards and along the Waterfront bike path, surprising dog walkers and startled drivers.
Today, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS called from the treetops at Two Lakes Park and a DOWNY WOODPECKER “pikked” down below. A couple BROWN CREEPERS walked up the potato chip bark of the spruces, gleaning spiders and other tidbits hidden in the crevices.
Along with the Snow Goose feeding in the grass, a GREAT BLUE HERON squawking overhead, and a BALD EAGLE ripping into lunch at the Intertidal Deli, a brownish immature or female NORTHERN HARRIER gracefully patrolled the estuary. So nice to see this fall visitor!
Thanks to a distressing tip from Robin C, I found 31 invasive EUROPEAN STARLINGS feeding on invasive EUROPEAN MT ASHES in town. A mob of AMERICAN CROWS alternately harassed then tolerated their presence as they both tossed down the red berries.
The vocal Starlings creaked, squeaked, and twittered. When they descended on a neighbor’s green lawn, I managed to get a photo of one eating an insect of some sort. It appeared they were all hunting invertebrates as there were no berries on the grass.
Later at home, I heard a VARIED THRUSH sighing like a spent teakettle. I hope it too, finds juicy invertebrates to eat.
Keep looking for late-migrating birds; who knows what else is out there?
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
