Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 5:23 am, sunset 10:26
pm, for a total day length of 17 hours, and 2 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4
minutes and 48 seconds longer.
Gorgeous blue sky, sunny,
calm morning, with temps in the upper 40s rising to 55ยบ by mid-afternoon. Then
the day breeze kicked up and the clouds rolled in.
This afternoon, I visited the
Bear Lake weir where thousands of 2-year old silver salmon smolt from the Moose
Pass hatchery are imprinting on Bear Lake water prior to their release into the
stream and thence to Resurrection Bay. They looked big and healthy, ready for
their perilous journey in the ocean. In
a year or two, the survivors will return as adults. It was amazing to look at
the future, milling around below.
The sharp call of an AMERICAN
DIPPER caught my ear as a sleek gray adult flew to perch on a handy railing to
take a little rest. The nesting season started early, as it has for siskins,
crossbills, and pine siskins.
I wandered down the stream
and across the road to look for the babies. First one little gray ball of
feathers with a stubby tail and yellow bill, then another, fluttered up on a
mossy log mid-stream. They focused like radars, searching for any sign of a
parent bearing food. When one came in range, pandemonium broke out, each vying
with wide-open beak, outstretched fluttering wings, and insistent cries.
Only one baby could be fed at a
time. The parent quickly rammed the stash of macroinvertebrates down its yellow gullet
before dashing off to forage for more. The babies immediately settled back down
to wait, idly plucking moss and tiny bits of bark in the remote chance that they too
were edible.
At this age, the source of food is definitely mom or dad, and
where the parents get it is a big mystery. Soon, their random sampling will evolve to
real foraging and as their skill increases, food service will decline.
If all goes well, the parents
could raise 3 or more families this summer. I sure hope so! It is such a
delight to watch and hear the dippers in any stage of their phenomenal lives.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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