Saturday, August 16, 2014 Bank Swallows and Raptors in the Rain

Seward, Alaska

The rain continued, and the answer to the rhetorical, "Can it rain any harder?" was a hammering YES! But the incredible resultant downpour seemed to drain the clouds' reservoir, and the rest of the day's delivery was lighter with welcome pauses.

I checked out Fourth of July Beach in the afternoon, looking for the STELLER'S EIDER. I found the usual dark male HARLEQUIN DUCKS in their eclipse plumage, growing their tails from odd, long pins. A much lighter female Harlequin paddled and dove with them, only one. The females have been scarce. She could be mistaken for the Eider as they are both a light brown, and stand out among the male Harleys. But note her rounded head, face pattern, small bill, and she is the same size as the males.

Next, I checked out nearby Spring Creek beach. The STELLER'S EIDER was indeed there, just offshore, hanging out with a long line of male Harlequins. Slightly larger, lighter brown, flat head, longer bill, with different but subtle patterning.

Suddenly, a powerful, large brown raptor zoomed past my car. A PEREGRINE FALCON!! I haven't seen one all year! That was exciting! It disappeared as quickly as it came.

Another surprise awaited: swooping over the wetland pond were a dozen SWALLOWS! I thought the swallows were long gone. It took a lot of effort to try to track them in the rain and dim light and getting a photo was even more challenging. They are more erratic than bats! Finally, I caught sight of a dark breast band and identified at least a few as BANK SWALLOWS. I think some others may have been TREE SWALLOWS but it sure was hard to tell.

A flash of brown in the wetlands beyond caught my eye next: a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK in pursuit of a rattling, protesting BELTED KINGFISHER! After a short dash, the hawk veered off to settle on one of the dead trees nearby. NORTHWESTERN CROWS perched on top of various other dead trees watching the show. But there was more!

A MERLIN shot into the scene, chasing the Sharpie. Round and round they went, until the Merlin gave up and the Sharpie landed to catch its breath. The Merlin perched upright on top of a dead tree snag, and the Sharpie sat not 10' below it, in a slightly less upright posture. Waiting, watching, resting. While they sat, I checked around the clearing and found the PEREGRINE FALCON sitting on another dead tree, waiting and watching. What a lot of raptors!

After a time-out, ANOTHER Sharp-shinned Hawk materialized and took off after the first. They both chased around the clearing, dodging the dead branches and then through the nearby live spruce tree branches. They seemed pretty serious about the chase, flaring their wings and extending their yellow legs and sharp talons.

By the time they dashed off through the trees one final time, I lost track of the Merlin and Peregrine. The Crows and Kingfisher had disappeared too, smart birds!

Even though the rain made it tough to get decent photos, and the action was far away, it sure was an exciting afternoon and well worth the effort.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, August 15, 2015 Northern Water Thrush yard bird

Seward, Alaska

Rain and rough seas all this week since the Seward Silver Salmon Derby started on Saturday, August 9^th. This morning when it was only moderately raining, I heard a very loud, "CHIP!" in my yard. I grabbed my camera and tried to get a photo of the mystery bird skulking in the wet alder leaves.

Blurry though it was, Buzz identified the mystery bird as a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. I looked so hard for this warbler in the spring at the wetlands by the Resurrection River bridge at Exit Glacier. I could hear it but never saw it. It sure was nice to have one delivered to my yard!

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Tuesday August 12, 2014 Storm birds: Red-necked Phalaropes and a Sanderling

Seward, Alaska

A series of storms rolled in from the Pacific this week delivering heavy rain, sullen gray clouds, rough seas, and… storm birds. I ventured out around 8 pm to have a look at the dramatic weather and swollen streams. Snug in my car, I scanned the little beach just south of the harbor uplands, windshield wipers banging away. A few rugged fishermen were still flailing away at the tide's edge at the mouth of Scheffler Creek, trying to snag a big one for the Silver Salmon Derby.

I had to roll down the window despite the rain to get a better look at about a dozen RED-NECKED PHALAROPES packed into the corner of the beach by the breakwater below, busily feeding in the surging wrack. Whenever a wet fisherman walked over, they blew away, but returned as soon as the coast was clear. It was really fun to watch them, and I was grateful for the big towel to wipe things down.

Looking up the beach, I spotted two well-camouflaged juvenile SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS standing stoically, looking ready for bedtime. A dark gray, almost invisible WANDERING TATTLER poked through the intertidal rocks. Then, a little light-colored ball appeared, foraging up and down the piles of wave-tossed seaweed. At least the belly was white; the back was a mixture of grays and browns. But in the dim and fading light, the shorebird really showed up. I shot off a bunch of photos, and managed to get a few of the bird next to a LEAST SANDPIPER for size (bigger), and a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (about the same.) At one point, a similar-sized RED-NECKED PHALAROPE body bumped the bird, just bonked it out of his way!

I wasn't sure who this one was, so I sent a bunch of photos to the experts on the 'net. Thanks to Buzz and Dave for letting me know it was a SANDERLING. Seward just doesn't get this species very often, and in molt, it's confusing. Look for the size, bold white wing stripe when it flies, black legs and straight black bill.

The next day, I went back twice to try to relocate the storm birds, but the little beach was absolutely empty of birds, and full of fishermen and visitors.

In other news, at noon I watched a female or juvenile HARRIER flying over the roiling surf at Fourth of July beach, and then head to the safety of the shore where it disappeared. The STELLER'S EIDER male blended in (almost) with his HARLEQUIN friends. A DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT dove then surfaced, looking huge and black with an upturned golden bill. Tiny MARBLED MURRELETS piped and dove nearby. Two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS worked along the tide's edge. A female BELTED KINGFISHER flew high above with a giant fish in her bill, bigger than her head. I don't know how she will ever eat it!

In town, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK spiraled up until it became a speck bird. TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS chipped from the spruce trees with CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES. All in all, despite the bouts of heavy, hard rain, it was quite an exciting birdy day.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Monday, August 11, 2014 Spotted Sandpiper migration

Seward, Alaska

Scattered individual SPOTTED SANDPIPERS are on the move these past few weeks, migrating through the Seward area, stopping at every beach to fatten up for the next leg of their journey down the Pacific coast to as far as South America. The females leave the breeding sites before the males, and return in the spring ahead of the males and younger females.

It's been tricky to get a good photo as they are wary and quick to fly farther down the beach with their characteristic stiff-winged flutter and glide. I was lucky today to watch one bird flutter-glide across the Lagoon in town heading directly for my waiting camera. It landed not far away at the edge of the water and began its incessant bobbing and teetering as it picked through the invertebrates at the water's edge.

At this time of year, there are no spots on a Spotted Sandpiper, but the diagnostic white notch in front of the wing persists.

Like the Phalaropes, the larger, dominant female arrives first, choses her territory and displays to attract a male. She lays 4 eggs in the nest and then may leave the dad to incubate the eggs while she goes off to find another mate, a breeding practice called polyandry. She may breed with up to four males in temperate regions, but probably has fewer nests farther north. Some populations are monogamous and the pair will both incubate and take care of the young before she migrates south.

(http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/spotted_sandpiper/lifehistory)

There is a lot of fishing activity along the beaches now during the Silver Salmon Derby but the Lagoon is a good place to look for this interesting shorebird, especially on the north end from the boardwalk.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Monday, August 11, 2014 Glaucous-winged Gull with tumor?

Seward, Alaska

On an evening bike ride about town, I stopped at the Harbor Uplands to watch three GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. One of them had a startling protuberance above his bill. I've never seen this before. It didn't seem to impede his ability to vocalize or use his bill, and he seemed to interact normally with the other gulls.

The growth stretched the skin so much that it is no longer protected by feathers, thus it is a very cold spot in his waterproof armor.

If anyone knows what might have caused this, please email me.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

08-19-14 Thanks to Karen Higgs, DVM for the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage for this response:

"Rather large and I imagine annoying to the bird. I haven't seen this before and the only way to get a diagnosis is with a biopsy unfortunately. Could be a tumor, a cyst (unlikely), a mass that is not a cancerous tumor, such as tissue response to a foreign body or inflammation, a xanthoma (fatty tissue), or something else. Sorry this doesn't help, and it would be very interesting to know."

Thursday, August 7, 2014 Steller's Eider!

Seward, Alaska

Thanks to Tasha DiMarzio of the Alaska Sealife Center for spotting, recognizing, and reporting the amazing discovery of a second year male STELLER'S EIDER right here in Resurrection Bay. She and other ASLC researchers initially discovered the bird yesterday about a half mile south of the beach while doing a routine bay survey by boat.  Today, she refound the bird feeding with about dozen HARLEQUIN DUCKS just off Fourth of July beach on the east side of Resurrection Bay at the end of Nash Road.

Even though the light was dim even at midday due to the heavy cloud cover, the Eider really stood out from his companions. He was slightly larger, with a flat head compared to the round Harlequins', a longer, thicker bill, and was much lighter in color. Through the spotting scope, the varying shades of tans and browns was quite stunning.

Tasha noted that he is still molting, so he might be here until the primary flight feathers are in.

The raft of Harlequins and the Eider dove in synchrony, allowing a brief time to sneak closer before they popped up. They were wary, and paddled farther off shore when they noticed movement, but soon returned to chase small fish. The Eider swam compatibly with the Harlequins; there was no apparent problem with this visitor mingling and feeding with them.

Tasha reported November 28, 2007 was the last time a Steller's Eider, a female, was reported in Resurrection Bay. It is quite unusual; perhaps his arrival was influenced by the big storm that was moving in. Watch for this special visitor and any other wayward storm birds.
   

Note: If you want to stay dry, visit the Alaska Sealife Center to see and hear King Eiders up close in the bird habitat. Bring your binocs to view the Common, Spectacled, and Steller's Eiders in the outdoor enclosures. The scientists at the ASLC are doing outstanding pioneering research on Eiders.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

                                                  Not "stellar" photos of Steller's Eider.
                                                  Hi, Ann!

August 5, 2014 Seward Killdeer!

Seward, Alaska

Late this afternoon, I heard a sweet, loud whistle. I searched the gray skies and found the bird flying very high and to the north. I banged out a series of photos of the speck bird. When I got home and zoomed in, I could see the double breast bands of a KILLDEER!

Seward hasn't had a Killdeer since mid-winter at turn of the year. It's anyone's guess whether or not this bird will come back to earth.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter