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

 

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 Orcas!

Seward, Alaska

The long, cold, windy, sunny streak continued today until afternoon clouds dimmed the light. This morning, I again enjoyed Lowell Point Beach, slightly sheltered from the north wind. 

 

On my way home, I spotted the unmistakable black dorsal fins of two Orcas steadily rising, arching, and slicing back down into the water, heading my way! I had heard Orcas were in the bay a few days ago. I quickly pulled over, grabbed the camera and watched from behind my car, out of the wind.

 

The sleek, glistening dorsal fins sometimes rose together, sometimes apart, veritable “tips of the icebergs”; most of the huge, powerful whales remained hidden underwater. Their misty vapor clouds hung, momentarily suspended, before the wind whisked them away.  

 

Just as I anticipated their breathing pattern, they completely disappeared. I watched and waited expectantly for many long minutes. Nothing, just whitecaps and emptiness. Finally, I saw their blows, far off Lowell Point, still heading south. Wow! 

 

Happy Birding (and Whale-watching!)

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Sunday, March 1, 2026 What a Week!!!

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 7:57 am, sunset 6:25 pm for a total day length of 10 hours and 28 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 29 seconds longer. Wow! So much light!

 

Severe weather did indeed slam into Seward starting on Wednesday as temps plunged to a low of minus 8 and the wind kicked up to 20 mph with gusts to 45. Temps remained in the single digits, minus and plus, with strong north winds the rest of the week. NOAA issued severe weather advisories for wind chill alerts as low as 15 to 35 below.

 

And the brilliant sun did nothing but deceive and charm, beaming on the dramatic wind-scoured mountains and seascape.

 

Whitecaps churned the bay, the spray flattened by the wind and twirled into sea rainbows. Ghostly steam released from the warmer water streamed downwind, hugging the surface.

 

A fishing boat slowly but steadily chugged up the bay, listing with heavy ice. Powerful tug boats escorted ice-clad barges around the bay, waiting for the Gulf gales to subside.

 

Birding was tough, but the weather was tougher on the birds. Some sea birds sought shelter in the lee of breakwaters and the harbor, paddling to stay in place with their beaks tucked into their wings. Others braved the surf, forced to feed regardless.

 

Friday highlights included a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET flitting among the branches of a spruce tree at Afognak Beach (kinda sorta out of the north wind). 

As the wind briefly died down that evening, I heard a distant SAW-WHET OWL beeping from Mt Marathon. Other nights, either he gave up or the wind snatched his voice.

 

Today, five noisy STELLER JAYS visited the ground under my feeder for any escaped sunflower seeds. I finally saw the resident SONG SPARROW inside the exclosure, a single CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, and a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Exciting numbers for an otherwise mostly quiet feeder.

 

I ventured out to Lowell Point Beach this morning, (somewhat sheltered), where a pair of beautiful and wary HARLEQUIN DUCKS snorkeled and dove in the shallows by the shore. A GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL grabbed a floating chunk of something and flew off with its prize. BARROW’S GOLDENEYES hunkered around ice-coated Pinnacle Rock, feeding on mussels.

 

Birding from the protection of the car, I enjoyed watching a COMMON LOON preen and stretch in the harbor. Then he dove and popped up as closely as possible, swimming through vibrant reflections of nearby boats. That was fun!

 

And what have we here? Why, it’s yet another Cold Weather Advisory for very cold wind chills as low as 15 to 20 below zero from 9 tonight to 11 tomorrow. Yawn. That actually seems normal by now. Maybe it will truly warm up by April.

 

Happy Brrrrrrding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter