Saturday, May 16, 2026 Bar-tailed Godwit, Dowitchers, Pacific Golden-Plover, and a Rufous Hummingbird

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 5:17 am, sunset 10:33 pm for a total day length of 17 hours and 15 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 37 seconds longer.

 

Cool and cloudy weather continued this week, with a low of 35 and a high of 40 today. More of the same with moderate rain is forecast for the next week as another big storm blows in from the Gulf of Alaska.

 

This morning, two VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS swooped low over the road hunting insects (mosquitoes have emerged), revealing their diagnostic white rumps. I hope they find one of my nesting boxes suitable!

 

I heard my FOS HERMIT THRUSH singing in my yard, and watched my FOS YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER fly-catch from a willow at Nash Road wetlands.

 

At the tidelands, a pale female BAR-TAILED GODWIT probed through the mud for marine worms, small clams, and crustaceans. The bars on her tail became visible only when she flew. 

 

The Alaskan subspecies baueri breeds on sub-Arctic and Arctic coasts and tundra. They are famous for their non-stop flight across the Pacific Ocean without feeding to reach their nonbreeding grounds in New Zealand and eastern Australia. In 2022 a juvenile flew 8,425 miles from Alaska to Tasmania in 11 days, 1 hour, setting a record.

 

Another long-distance flyer from Hawaii, a female PACIFIC-GOLDEN PLOVER, gleaned sluggish flies from the wrack line. Other shorebirds included my FOS SPOTTED SANDPIPER, small numbers of WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and a GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. 

 

Nine DOWITCHERS continued to feed in the shallows of the pond.

A single HUDSONIAN WHIMBREL dined in wet areas in the upland grasses.

Small lingering flocks of CACKLING and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE fed in the sedges.

An adult BALD EAGLE swooped into the flats, scattering alarmed Geese, NORTHERN PINTAILS, GADWALL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, NORTHERN SHOVELERS, AMERICAN WIGEON, and MALLARDS. She landed, grabbed a huge piece of seaweed (?), and stroked powerfully back to her nest.

 

Around 6 pm, my FOS female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD magically appeared at my feeder, just as if she never left. My neighbor reported their first one Friday and one was reported at Bear Lake on Thursday. 

 

Another exciting day of birding!

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska HumTrack Project

The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center launched The Alaska HumTrack Project, the first-ever Rufous hummingbird migration tracking research conducted in Alaska. 

In partnership with the Banding Coalition of America and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, AWCC will safely band and fit 50 Rufous hummingbirds with tiny digital trackers—each no larger than a grain of rice—to better understand their migration routes and the factors behind a 65% population decline over the past 30 years. Each bird’s DNA will also be added to a long-term database to track population trends over time.

With a project cost of approximately $15,000, donors from all fifty states can help by sponsoring one bird tracker for $300, or contribute any amount to help fund the research needed to protect this extraordinary species.

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/alaskahumtrackproject/

Check out updates on Hummingbird Banding on the Kenai Peninsula:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/271338450887253

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, May 8, 2026 FOS Dunlins, Marbled Godwit, Wandering Tattler

Seward, Alaska

The drizzle returned but delivered exciting First of Season birds including small numbers of bright breeding plumage DUNLINS sporting black bellies feeding among the WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS.

The big excitement was a magnificent MARBLED GOTWIT strolling and feeding on the mudflats. The largest of the Godwits, it stands at 18” high, with a very impressive, long bi-colored bill. We heard its call, but did not find until it flew farther away. Great camo! The outstretched wings revealed distinctive cinnamon-colored linings.

A large flock of about 30 HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS landed in the estuary pond to preen and probe. Other smaller flocks flew overhead. 

About 20 DOWITCHERS, too far to determine species, clustered in the shallows, stitching away like mechanical sewing machines.

The single SAVANNAH SPARROW finally had company as a small pulse joined him to pluck sluggish flies from the beach sand.

ARCTIC TERNS flew back and forth from the tidewater to the shore, many carrying small fish including salmon smolt. A proud male seemed reluctant to relinquish his prize and teased his waiting lady as he paraded around and around, close then far, then close. She repeatedly opened her lipstick-red bill and begged before he finally forked it over. What a guy has to do!

Robin C alerted me to a FOS WANDERING TATTLER at Scheffler Creek south of the boat harbor Uplands by the pedestrian bridge. It took me a while, but I finally found one, poking along the edge and in the wrack-covered rocks.

The search was productive, however, as I found two or three Hudsonian Whimbrels stalking secretively through the rocks. One took offense at another and aggressively flew in to chase it away. This was interesting; all the other Whimbrels I’ve seen seemed to tolerate each other in close proximity.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 Swallows, Least and Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Merlin

Seward, Alaska

Unexpected and much appreciated sunshine today! FOS 4 SWALLOWS swooped high above my yard, too far to ID or photograph. Fortunately, they were back in time to catch the slow-moving, recently emerged female mosquitoes.

At the head of the bay, the lone SNOW GOOSE persisted, with CACKLING GEESE and GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.

Eight PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS stalked through the grasses.

In the shallow pond, smaller numbers of HUDSONIAN GODWITS and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS fed voraciously. 

At the tidelands, a pulse of WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS probed the rich intertidal. Up close, it was easy to compare the black legs and coppery rufous on the Westerns to the rather drab plumage of the leastest sandpiper with its yellowish legs. Most of these peeps were actively feeding, but at least one stole a much-deserved nap.

A few dapper SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS joined the peeps for mudflat treats.

I spied a MERLIN perched on a snag, also interested in the new arrivals. A few years ago, a friend reported their yard littered with shorebird parts from a nesting pair in the Forest Acres neighborhood. Not a pretty sight!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 Hudsonian Godwits, Long-billed Dowitchers, Whimbrels

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 5:44 am, sunset 10:06 pm, for a total day length of 16 hours and 21 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 6 seconds longer.

 

The pattern of gray, overcast skies with light showers continued today, with temps ranging from 34 to 41. Thanks to the long hours of daylight, green spears poke ever higher among the dead grasses, pussy willows popped, and buds are swelling, but it’s still early Spring.

 

The songs of VARIED THRUSHES, ROBINS, and FOX SPARROWS greeted me this morning, recent arrivals to the ’hood.

 

Robin reported two Surfbirds and two Black Oystercatchers at low tide at Spring Creek Beach. I failed to refind them in the drizzle, but found two FOS DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS at Fourth of July Beach and an impressive surf.

 

The rain lifted at the head of the bay where I enjoyed watching four gold-spangled PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS stop/start as they plucked invertebrates from the mud. A stealthy GREAT BLUE HERON cruised past. Skydiving WILSON’S SNIPE winnowed eerily, trying to impress hidden females.

 

A single SNOW GOOSE joined small flocks of continuing voracious GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and CACKLING GEESE, even as more Geese arrived and others continued their narrated migration north.

 

To my great delight, two small flocks of SANDHILL CRANES bugled and circled before ultimately deciding to move on. HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS trilled from the dead grasses, blending in perfectly. 

 

In the shallows of the estuary pond, 7 FOS HUDSONIAN GODWITS and 7 smaller FOS LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS prodded and poked in the water. 

 

The long bi-colored Godwit bills remained mostly submerged, but emerged briefly as if to take a breath before plunging underwater again. When they flew, their black tail and bright white rumps flashed and they revealed the diagnostic black underwings.

 

A flock of bright WESTERN SANDPIPERS swooped and swerved in synchrony to feed among the Godwits in exposed mud.

 

Pesky RAVENS roused the ire of SHORT-BILLED GULLS and ARCTIC TERNS, perhaps amused by the acrobatic challenge to avoid their sharp bills as they repeatedly invaded the nesting territories.

 

Back at the parking lot, a FOS RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET belted out his chipper song.

 

Later, around 11 pm, I again heard a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL beeping from Little Bear Mountain.

 

Though possible snow is still in the forecast, Winter is doomed with these beautiful and vocal harbingers of Spring.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter