Friday, May 29, 2026 More Afognak Beach Birds, Rufous Hummers

Seward, Alaska

A few more surprises at Afognak Beach yesterday, proving how serendipitous birding can be: 

 

A WANDERING TATTLER popped up by the pond outlet, posing as I clicked away. 

 

A close SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and three SEMI-PALMATED PLOVERS stealthily stalked flies sunning in the wrack. 

 

The number of AMERICAN PIPITS seems to be diminishing, but there were still at least a dozen patrolling the beach and intertidal area, blending in perfectly.

 

I heard, but did not find a GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

 

I finally photographed a female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle), a much more subtle version of the flashy male’s crazy quilt of yellow, black, white, and gray. Males sang in the alders and hopped through the wrack and shallow tidal pools.

I also heard my FOS NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH singing away on the far side of the pond.

 

A flock of five industrious AMERICAN CROWS also gleaned food from the beach buffet.

 

Back home, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD activity really picked up. Today, two females hungrily drank sugar water, actually sharing the same feeder. Normally, they seem too territorial and aggressive to share. Maybe that explains why a male has yet to feed, resigned to wishful flybys.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Lesser Yellowlegs, American Pipits, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 4:55 am, sunset 10:57 pm for a total day length of 18 hours and 2 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 44 seconds longer.

With the exception of the unexpected gift of sunshine (and wind) on Sunday and Monday, chilly May intends to finish off her days with clouds and showers, dipping down to freezing then barely reaching 50 on her last gasp.  

Birding in the rain seems normal now. On Saturday, I watched two LESSER YELLOWLEGS stalk around a flooded pothole. Everything about them was “lesser” than the Greater Yellowlegs: shorter, straighter bill, fewer bars and stripes, thinner neck, and smaller size. 

A LINCOLN’S SPARROW sang its melodious song nearby while WILSON’S SNIPE winnowed from on high.

On Sunday, not one but two female RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS buzzed around my feeder! Yay! So relieved and happy they were back!

A pair of VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS checked out one of my nest boxes (free for a song) and I suspect a CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE has claimed another.

I heard my FOS ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at the Lagoon.

Today, thanks to a report from Robin C, I found dozens of AMERICAN PIPITS rummaging through the wrack at Afognak Beach. One caught an amphipod while others tracked down flies. 

A bright YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Myrtle, with a white throat) also rummaged through the wrack with a wide-eyed, rusty-tailed HERMIT THRUSH, a dark, streaky SONG SPARROW, and a FOX SPARROW. A SPOTTED SANDPIPER flew stiff-winged along the shoreline.

Five adult BALD EAGLES burst out of the spruce; I could hear one beating its way through the thick branches. Quite the excitement!

Then the rain returned in earnest and I trudged back to the car, pleased with this glimpse into the busy birds at the beach.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, May 22, 2026 Pipits, Geese, Whimbrels, Tattler

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 5:04 am, sunset 10:47 pm for a total day length of 17 hours and 42 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 12 seconds longer.

 

The cool, rainy May weather is stuck and getting monotonous: an overnight low of 33 today with a high of 38. Fresh dusting of snow on the mountains and rain at sea level. Nonetheless, even cold rain is the color green as evidenced by greening grass and emerging leaves. 

 

I last spotted the BAR-TAILED GODWITS, DOWITCHERS, and DUNLINS on May 19. 

 

But the slow, cool spring may have contributed to the lingering 85 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 25 CACKLING GEESE. 

 

Surprisingly, six HUDSONIAN WHIMBRELS and one WANDERING TATTLER probed among the rocks and wrack at Scheffler Creek despite the human and dog disturbances. A tiny male YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER flitted among them for flies.

 

New today, a large pulse of about 50 AMERICAN PIPITS popped up from the grasses in the upper field along the Airport Road. 

 

The TRUMPETER SWAN is sitting on her nest at the Mile 1 Nash Road. I hope they built this year’s nest high enough to keep the eggs out of the frigid water.

 

About 10 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS swooped about catching some of the numerous insects.  I saw a few TREE SWALLOWS but Swallow numbers seem quite low.

 

The SAW-WHET OWL has been beeping from lower Mt Marathon as early as 9 am. (!)

 

No sign of “my” Hummingbird since the first sighting last week. Hmmmm.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 More photos of Bar-tailed Godwits, Long-billed Dowitchers, Wandering Tattler

Seward, Alaska

The dismal weather may have encouraged a handsome pair of BAR-TAILED GODWITS, about 13 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and at least one WANDERING TATTLER to linger. What a pleasure to study and photograph these long-distance migrants! 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter