Sunday, April 12, 2026 Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Greater Yellowlegs, Lapland Longspurs, Ducks

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 6:50 am, sunset 9:08 pm, for a total day length of 14 hours and 18 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 27 seconds longer.

Winter and Spring continued to swap places all week with 2” of short-lived snow on Tuesday then sunny on Thursday with temps rising above 40. The forecast favors Winter with temps in the high 20s overnight, rising to mid-30s. Spring wins, regardless, with over 14 hours of daylight and gaining!

The wetlands and pond at Mile 1 Nash Road remained mostly frozen, but five adult TRUMPETER SWANS gathered at the back near a small section of open water. 

The nest failed last year due to high water flooding; these Swans may be the family from the previous year. It will be interesting to watch the territorial drama and winners of the nest sweepstakes over the next few weeks. 

After hearing and briefly spotting very elusive LAPLAND LONGSPURS this past week, I found four who landed and instantly disappeared, perfectly camouflaged against the brown grasses. By taking blind shots of the general landing zone, I managed to get a documentary, but gratifying photo by luck.

I also found and photographed the drake EURASIAN TEAL with his sporty horizontal white stripe, and a very handsome drake EURASIAN WIGEON styling his rufous head with a big white “thumbprint” on the crown. 

Small numbers of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL, NORTHERN PINTAILS, and MALLARDS dabbled nearby in the tidelands.

Hundreds of SHORT-BILLED GULLS and other gulls rose and fell like snow in a blizzard at the tide’s edge when an Eagle swooped across. I watched one adult Bald Eagle stroke low and powerfully after a panicked duck; the duck miraculously escaped.

On sunny Thursday, I heard the much-missed call of a GREATER YELLOWLEGS and finally found him/her standing next to an estuary creek.

On April 6, as the Artemis II Orion spacecraft passed behind the moon on their historic fly-by mission, I happened to find patchy clouds veiling the sun. I took some photos and when I enlarged them later, I discovered sunspots! 93 million miles away! 

From the wonders of Spring migrants to space; what a phenomenal week!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Sunday, April 5, 2026 FOS Pintails, Wigeon, and Teal

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 7:11 am, sunset 8:51 pm, for a total day length of 13 hours and 40 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 28 seconds longer.

 

A surprise Spring gift of 3 ½” snow blanketed the ground this morning, followed by an apologetic warm sun that did its best to melt it. Calm, temp rising to 40. More snow/sn’rain in the forecast for mid-week, but it CAN’T last.

 

While the past week felt like winter in the morning with north winds, the afternoons shifted to spring with south winds. On April 1, I was thrilled to see my First of Season NORTHERN PINTAILS. Such elegant ducks! Also, a small flock of AMERICAN WIGEON. 

 

I heard GREEN-WINGED TEAL, but didn’t see them until the next day when I found five with the usual MALLARDS and GADWALL.

 

Tasha spotted a EURASIAN TEAL with its distinctive horizontal white bar on Friday!

 

The overwintering flock of 30 ROCK SANDPIPERS was spotted on April 2 and 3, but only 8 on April 4. The tide washed up many colorful Baltic Macoma clam shells. The whole clams are an important winter food of these most northerly non-breeding shorebirds.

 

Also heard, but not seen this week were very flighty SNOW BUNTINGS.

 

The REDPOLLS have completely disappeared, and only a few PINE SISKINS continue to feed at my feeder. Consequently, the resident RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES pop in and out.

 

More southerly winds will surely help the migrants push farther north into our area and hearts.

 

While you’re waiting for Spring, if you haven’t already, check out the extremely creative and entertaining Big Year documentary “Listers: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching,” available free on Youtube.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Winter mixed with signs of Spring

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 7:26 am, sunset 8:39 pm for a total day length of 13 hours and 13 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 29 seconds longer.

 

Winter is slow to cede to Spring as overnight temperatures dip below 20 at night and barely rise above freezing in the day. Most ponds and still water remain frozen. The sun blazes brightly, trying hard, but gives off scant warmth against the chilly north wind. 

 

These last few weeks of March, despite the cold and wind, brought joy:

 

a handsome WHITE-WINGED SCOTER bobbing in the waves off Lowell Point Road on March 21; 

 

a final view of a flock of 8 SNOW BUNTINGS walking right towards me as they busily gleaned seeds from the exposed grass on March 22; 

 

an enterprising male ROBIN wading in an intertidal pool at Afognak Beach, snagging invertebrates (possibly amphipods) on March 23;

 

BUFFLEHEAD, BARROW’S and COMMON GOLDENEYES, COMMON MERGANSERS fishing in the harbor on March 25;

 

a LONG-TAILED DUCK swimming with a Common Goldeneye, three HORNED GREBES, a mixed flock of two SURF SCOTERS and HARLEQUIN DUCKS, and two COMMON LOONS preening and diving much farther out at Spring Creek Beach on March 26.

 

Still, there are a few signs of Spring. The most exciting was an AMERICAN GOSHAWK who flew quietly and swiftly directly overhead at Two Lakes Park, on March 24. He landed in a spruce tree, wondering why all the chattering Red Squirrels were suddenly silent.

 

A PIGEON GUILLEMOT in breeding plumage popped up at Waterfall Beach on March 28.

 

Today, I caught a flash of a First of Season LAPLAND LONGSPUR erupting from the beach ryegrass. Several 100s of Gulls, many newly arrived, swarmed the tidelands, a boisterous gathering. The occasional BALD EAGLE flyover stirred them into flight resembling a ruptured down pillow. Ten GADWALL dabbled in intertidal streams, overwintered or possibly new arrivals.

 

Robin C reported a ruckus of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES feeding at the seafood processing fish outfall south of the Harbor Uplands a few days ago.

 

The annual spring die-off of Euphausiids (krill) washed up along the beaches last week. An empty Skate Mermaid’s Purse washed up on Sunday, the tiny skate hatched from its marvelous and tough egg case.

 

Yesterday, I heard my first VARIED THRUSH singing!

 

Like it or not, Winter’s long, cold reign is over. Spring is definitely on her way!

  

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

Thursday, March 19, 2026 Swans, Redpolls, Dipper

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 8:03 am, sunset 8:10 pm for a total day length of 12 hours and 7 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 30 seconds longer. We hit 12 hours 1 minute yesterday, giving us a jump on the Spring Equinox, occurring on Friday, March 20 at 6:46 am. 

The relentless north wind at 13 with gusts to 30 mph now has a trace of snow to swirl around in ground blizzards as it howls and rattles the trees. The “feels like” temperature is minus 11 today with wind chill. The low is 5 and the high is 9. Brrrrrrrr! March has proved challenging!

Until last night, the ground remained mostly bare of snow. COMMON REDPOLL and PINE SISKIN numbers gradually increased this month as small flocks extracted the tiny seeds from alder catkins and foraged on the ground.

Now, about 50 finches hop and flutter at my feeders, tiny, tough puffs buffeted by the wind. The Pine Siskins excel at flinging seeds from the feeders so there’s plenty for others on the ground. 

One 10# bag of unshelled black oil sunflower seeds lasted since November; I had to buy a #20 bag yesterday to try to keep up. The birds are ravenous and with good reason!

While birding has been difficult, I lucked out on some special sightings. 

On March 15, I stopped at an intersection and instead of traffic, I saw two adult TRUMPETER SWANS flying north over the road. I quickly grabbed my camera and got off several shots of the magnificent Swans as they flew past. They landed in a branch of Japanese Creek, somewhat sheltered from the wind by thick brush. Any port in a storm!

Yesterday at Fourth of July Beach, brrrrr, about 15 SNOW BUNTINGS flew up and down along the beach rye, gleaning seeds, leaving their tiny tracks in the scant snow everywhere.

Over at Spring Creek Beach, a juvenile BALD EAGLE flyover startled another flock of about 30 Snow Buntings in the distance.

While waiting for them to reappear, no luck, I spotted a DIPPER with a Stickleback in its bill, standing on the ice next to Spring Creek. What a prize! The Dipper held the hapless fish for a long time, whapping it against the ice, swinging it back and forth and up and down, waiting for it to be asphyxiated.

 Unfortunately, while warming my hands, I missed the finale, but did see the little fisherbird walk away and then fly up the stream. He probably sang a happy little song about his dive in the frigid water and dinner on ice.

While I retreat to the warmth of my home, these feathered Alaskans tough it out, day after night after day. This cold and wind surely cannot last much longer. We are all more than ready for Spring.

Happy Brrrrrding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter