Sporadic Bird from Seward, Alaska

Sunday, February 1, 2026 Wigeon, Gadwall, Swans, Loons

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 9:13 am, sunset 5:12 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 58 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 1 second longer.

Civil twilight rise 8:25 am, set 5:59 pm. Even with dark clouds, the increased day length is finally noticeable and increasing by 5 minutes and more every day!

Rain on Tuesday quickly reduced our 6” of new snow to slush followed by unseasonably mild temperatures in the 30s with calm winds and showers.

Last night however, the sky cleared revealing an almost full moon sailing high against a backdrop of stars including Orion and his faithful dog Sirius. Alas, the hope of a little sunshine today did not materialize. More rain and snow showers are in the forecast for this week.

The SNOW BUNTINGS are still around, though I only saw about 20 in the distance today. As the high tide ebbed, 36 ROCK SANDPIPERS chattered excitedly as they probed and prodded the mudflats for Baltic Macoma clams, amphipods, and other marine invertebrates.

As noted in the December 16, 2016 blog entry, the Rock Sandpiper flock consisted of very light gray Pribilof Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ssp ptilocnemis) and two darker subspecies that may be the Aleutian Rock Sandpiper (ssp couesi), and/or the intermediate, tschukschorum. These subspecies are quite complicated, variable, and are still under review, according to Luke DeCicco.

Five snow-drift white adult TRUMPETER SWANS fed in the intertidal streams and tidal flats. Robin C reported about 30 Swans at the Trail Lake outflow in Moose Pass recently; maybe that is where “our” Swans are now overwintering.

In addition to MALLARDS, 8 AMERICAN WIGEON fed on the remains of the intertidal island sedges, and at least one GADWALL dabbled in the puddles.

Over at Fourth of July Beach, I found a COMMON LOON near and a YELLOW-BILLED LOON in the distance. Six HARLEQUIN DUCKS paddled along closer to shore.

Spring Creek Beach yielded a single LONG-TAILED DUCK, and the Harbor Uplands offered a raft of about 14 SURF SCOTERS. It was great to see the variety of waterfowl, even if in low numbers.

An AMERICAN CROW took an ice-cold bath in a large pothole, apparently enjoying it until a more dominant Crow strutted over to take possession of the prized bathtub. As if there were only one!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Saturday, January 24, 2026 Loons, Beach Robins, the calm before the next storm

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 9:30 am, sunset 4:51 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 20 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 37 seconds longer.

Relatively mild temperatures around freezing and mostly calm winds prevailed this week, a relief after the prolonged cold snap. The forecast for next week includes a severe weather advisory starting Tuesday for bands of heavy snow with 4 to 8” in the Seward area. But with temps above freezing, this will more likely be the dreaded wintry mix and rain.

On Wednesday I spotted two hardy ROBINS and two OREGON JUNCOS foraging along the beach and in the tidelands at Afognak Beach. As the Mt Ash berry supplies disappear, the Robins have become resourceful, switching from fruit to amphipods. The resident BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES and one STELLER’S JAY loudly accompanied them from the nearby shrubs.

On Thursday at Fourth of July Beach, I found two LONG-TAILED DUCKS too far out to photograph, one COMMON LOON, and a sprinkling of HORNED GREBES. The Alaska State Ferry Tustumena is at drydock undergoing repairs; nice to see her in her former home port of Seward.

The harbor again rewarded my efforts with nice views of the YELLOW-BILLED LOON, a Common Loon, and a very dark immature BALD EAGLE with innocent, warm brown eyes. Two GREAT BLUE HERONS preened on the far side of the harbor jetty, revealing only their heads.

The ground is covered with about 4” of crusty snow and ice, yet my feeder is still not very active. Sporadically, the action picked up with six Juncos, a couple CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and the resident SONG SPARROW. A DOWNY WOODPECKER flew past, but did not stop to dine at the suet feeder hanging conveniently on the outside of the exclosure.

A SAW-WHET OWL was reported around 6 pm, beeping from the mountainside on Thursday, but has not been heard since. Just checking in.

Though the birding is slow, it’s been great to get out and about to look, albeit with ice grippers. We’ll see what this storm will bring next week.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Sunday, January 18, 2026 Yellow-billed Loon! And Sea Ducks

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 9:42 am, sunset 4:36 pm, for a total day length of 6 hours and 54 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 10 seconds longer.

The weather gods smiled beatifically today as if in apology for the treacherous rain-on-ice conditions delivered the past several days. The sun felt warm with a high of 35º, the wind snoozed; the day was indescribably lovely.

On Wednesday, before the dismal rain, I happened to spot the elusive YELLOW-BILLED LOON at the harbor entrance, apparently heading inside. Through complex computations and clever maneuvering, ie luck, I intersected with the majestic bird when it popped up just feet away from where I stood waiting on the dock. Wow! To be that close to a rock star! Click, click, click went the paparazza!

A COMMON LOON also surfaced, farther away, for a nice comparison of the head coloration, bill shape, and color. Both sported the crisp scalloping of immature birds; full adult plumage is not achieved until they are 3 years old.

Skipping over the intervening days we would all like to forget, I looked for the celebrity again today. I enjoyed the parade of gorgeous RED-BREASTED and COMMON MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDENEYES, and HORNED GREBES paddling by, and the wary PELAGIC CORMORANT with green eyes.

Suddenly, with a soft blip! the Yellow-billed Loon surfaced nearby and just looked at me straight on for a few heart-stopping seconds and then calmly dove. Though I waited, listened, and looked, it had vanished like a mirage.

A bit later, I heard the alarm yodel of a Loon at the entrance to the harbor as a BALD EAGLE swooped low over the water. I sure hope Loon is not on anyone’s menu!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter