Seward, Alaska
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Sunrise 10:01 am, sunset 3:51
pm for a total length of day of 5 hours, 49 minutes. Temps ranged from 31 to
37, but the strong 15-22 mph north wind with gusts to 37 mph made eyes water
and chilled the Field Counters. The sun peeked out of the overcast now and then
as if to check on our progress, then the clouds returned with a token sporadic
snow shower. The intrepid Boat Team battled 4-foot seas as they traveled their
24-mile grid across Resurrection Bay. Conditions were challenging!
22 Field Counters in 7 teams,
and 10 Feeder Watchers found 60 species and counted 1922 birds. Three additional species were found
during Count Week.
The highlights included two
species listed as rare: the SWAMP SPARROW, which was initially found on
December 12th and is the first documented record for Seward and the
Kenai Peninsula, and the WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, first spotted on December 15th.
We were thrilled to find the
first winter sighting of a KILLDEER, an unusual winter visitor for Seward and the
Kenai Peninsula, and happy to refind the female BRAMBLING, which was first
spotted on Thanksgiving Day, November 28th, and the male and female
HOODED MERGANSERS.
Shorebirds included 3
SANDERLINGS, up from one spotted December 9th, and 26 ROCK
SANDPIPERS first spotted December 8th, a more expected winter
shorebird species.
A single STARLING was
unusual, fortunately. 5 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were also unusual but welcome.
Normally, these tiny songbirds migrate for the winter, leaving behind their
hardier cousins, the GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS. 3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES
arrived just in time for the Count.
Several species tallied only
one bird, but are generally not common here in winter:
AMERICAN WIGEON, BLACK
SCOTER, SPRUCE GROUSE, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, HERRING GULL, BELTED KINGFISHER, and
NORTHERN SHRIKE.
Other species tallied only 1
bird but are known to be here in greater numbers: GREAT BLUE HERON (3+), BROWN
CREEPER (5+), PACIFIC WREN (3+), VARIED THRUSH (5+), BOHEMIAN WAXWING (30+).
Only half the ROBINS (10) showed up for the Count. As for the 4 MEW GULLS,
where did the other 200 hide during Count Week?
LOONS overall were very low
in species and number with only COMMON LOONS (3) seen. PACIFIC LOONS had been
seen before Count Week, and a single YELLOW-BILLED LOON was spotted after Count
Week.
SNOW BUNTINGS, about 70, 2 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, and 3 GADWALL shied away for Count Day but popped in for Count Week.
The five RED-FACED CORMORANTS
made themselves scarce for Count Day and Week as well.
PINE SISKIN, REDPOLL,
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, and RED CROSSBILLS have yet to be reported this
winter.
Other pretenders for the
Count were a PAPER PEREGRINE, COAST CRANE, PLASTIC GREAT HORNED OWL, and
a TRUNCATED CROW.
Species list:
1 American Wigeon, 77 Mallard, 37 Harlequin Duck, 71 Surf Scoter, 5 White-winged Scoter, 1 Black Scoter, 2 Long-tailed Duck, 3 Bufflehead, 73 Common Goldeneye, 364 Barrow's Goldeneye, 2 Hooded Merganser, 108 Common
Merganser, 42 Red-breasted Merganser, 1 Spruce Grouse, 3 Common
Loon, 18 Horned Grebe, 7 Red-necked Grebe, 33 Pelagic Cormorant, 1 Great Blue Heron, 33 Bald
Eagle, 1 Northern Goshawk, 1 Killdeer, 3 Sanderling, 26 Rock Sandpiper, 4 Mew Gull, 36 Glaucous-winged
Gull, 1 Herring Gull, 12 Marbled Murrelet, 99 Rock Pigeon, 1 Belted Kingfisher, 7 Downy
Woodpecker, 4 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 Northern Shrike, 18 Steller's Jay, 84 Black-billed Magpie, 228 Northwestern Crow, 180 Common Raven, 63 Black-capped Chickadee, 44 Chestnut-backed
Chickadee, 26 Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1 Brown Creeper, 1 Pacific Wren, 4 American Dipper, 42 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 10 American Robin, 1 Varied Thrush, 1 European
Starling, 1 Bohemian Waxwing, 8 American Tree Sparrow, 6 Fox Sparrow, 5 Song Sparrow, 1 White-crowned Sparrow, 2 Golden-crowned Sparrow, 1 White-throated Sparrow, 1 Swamp Sparrow, 61 Dark-eyed Junco, 3 Gray-crowned Rosy-finch, 1 Brambling, 25 Pine Grosbeak.
Many thanks to Captain Mike
Brittain for providing his skills and the Dora, and the Boat Crew: Tasha
DiMarzio, John Maniscalco, and Tuula Hollmen; the Tonsina Team: Tim Johnson,
Michelle Keagle, and Ann Ghicadus; Lowell Point and Points North Team: Jim
Herbert and Michael Mahmood; Town South Team: Kit and Janet Durnil, and Jonah
Lindquist; Town North Team: Robin Collman, Kerry Martin, and Kristin Pelo;
Beach Team: Carol Griswold, Marilyn Sutherland, Dan Crowson, and Egor Sturdy;
Exit Glacier Team: Wendy, Cody, and Casey Bryden.
And many thanks to the Feeder
Watchers: Judy Cabana, Tasha DiMarzio, Ava Eads, Duane and Sanna LeVan, Russ
Maddox, John Maniscalco, Paul and Lynda Paquette, and Katy Turnbull.
In Memoriam: 67-year Seward
resident Duane LeVan, age 87, died on December 28 after a short illness. He
loved watching and feeding birds. Duane and his wife of 65 years, Sanna, always
participated in the Seward Christmas Bird Count, and always found just about
the only GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES in the area. A week before he died, he did
indeed get the only Gray-crowned Rosy-finches for the Count. We miss you,
Duane!
Happy Birding in 2014!
Carol Griswold
Seward CBC Compiler
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