Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:51 am, sunset 4:31
pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 40 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes
and 45 seconds shorter.
Mostly sunny and cooler
today. The strong north wind continued at 20-35 mph with gusts to 45 mph,
blowing all the loose snow off the mountains and sublimating most of the snow
on the ground. High today of 29, low of 16, forecast to steadily drop over the
next few days, accompanied by strong wind.
I found respite from the wind
at our local state park at Lowell Point Beach. As I parked, two adult GREAT
BLUE HERONS flew in from the beach and landed in the shelter of the nearby
spruce trees. They watched me warily with their yellow eyes as I walked past
them to the beach. It always seems odd to find this long-legged, long-necked,
long-billed wading bird perched in a spruce tree.
A large raft of BARROW’S
GOLDENEYES slowly paddled away from the beach, glossy purple heads and golden
eyes gleaming in the sun. Three female HARLEQUIN DUCKS swam in a tight trio
farther out. A single MARBLED MURRELET fished parallel to the beach as I trailed behind it. Two SONG SPARROWS scavenged along the wrack line.
I watched a pair of COMMON
MURRES paddling along. As they got closer, suddenly they turned and made a beeline
for me. Closer and closer! I wondered if they might just walk up on the beach.
My young dog could not restrain herself any longer and chased them off just before they
ran out of water. I was so sorry to not find out how close they might have
gotten. What WERE they thinking? That was a very strange and wonderful
encounter.
On the way back to the
parking lot, the two Herons launched and flew in a wide circle, then headed
right back where they started, bouncing up and down on the branches upon
landing.
Hoping to get a look at the
new seals at the Alaska Sealife Center, I headed there next. How wonderful to
view the seabirds out of the blast of wind! The KING EIDER is once again in
fine breeding plumage, as is the male SMEW.
The seals were concealed, but
the two young Steller sea lions were exuberant in their outdoor habitat. They
raced from a small pool to the larger one, zipping around and around, lithe and
alert, then shot out on the walkway and back into the small pool. An adult
female, Tasu, accompanied them like a dutiful nanny, back and forth. Very
entertaining to watch.
Ellie and Forrest are the
daughter and son of Woody, the ASLC’s first Steller sea lion. Woody died on
Monday at 22 years old. His legacy lives on in his beautiful children.
The Alaska Sealife Center is
open daily from 11 to 3 pm, with free admission on Wednesday for Alaskans this
winter through February 25. Drop by to get out of the weather and be prepared
to be amazed and inspired!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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