Thursday, March 23, 2017 Eagles and signs of Spring

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 7:48 am, sunset 8:21 pm for a total day light of 13 hours and 58 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 30 seconds longer.

The ever-warmer sun rises earlier and farther north above the eastern mountains, sails across the blue sky in an ever-higher arc, and clears the western mountains by greater distances every day. Its brilliance is almost too bright for winter eyes, especially when reflected off the feet-thick blanket of snow.

Today’s low was 19º at 8 am with a high of 36º at 3 pm. The strong NNE wind blew away most of that warmth, as it has for most of March, keeping a firm grip on winter. Due to the wind, birding has been challenging!

The forecast calls for a few more days of sunshine. An enormous low is approaching from the Aleutians with strong winds, temps in the low 40s, and rain/snow showers as March gives way to April. Batten the hatches!

Despite the snow and wind, Spring is in the air for RAVENS. On March 11 and for several subsequent days, I saw Ravens carrying nesting materials to their secret nest sites. They like an early start.

With the season opening of sablefish and halibut on March 11, fishing boats have been busy delivering to the Seward area seafood processors. The fish and fish waste piped into the bay are a magnet for Gulls and Bald Eagles. The most accessible viewing, with a scope, is from the Harbor Uplands to the “bird feeder” to the south, a white blizzard of birds.

Herring arrived in mid-March as well, marked by swarms of Gulls hovering and diving on the bait balls. Bald Eagles flew ponderously overhead, and dove repeatedly, talons outstretched, grabbling fistfuls of tiny fish, until they tired and had to rest onshore.

I also saw Bald Eagles grabbing larger fish, such as a Pacific Cod right out of the water. An exciting chase ensued with four other Eagles in hot pursuit. When the initial fisher flew to shore, it only had half a fish as the rest had been ripped away.

After a lean winter, the birds are nuts about the return of the fish.

Other signs of spring: On March 18, a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW and a ROBIN were singing despite the chilly 13º temperatures. They continued the next day as 4” of snow fell, and the next day in sunshine.

On March 21, I refound the pure white GLAUCOUS GULL at Fourth of July Beach, feeding in the intertidal zone on what I believe was algae, with GLAUCOUS-WINGED, MEW, and one HERRING GULL. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES chose to take a bath in the creek’s fresh water instead.

On March 22, official first day of Spring, I spotted 8 SNOW BUNTINGS flying in the distance. There’s not much left of the beaten down beach rye grass for them to eat.

This morning, I heard a terrifically loud drumming and searched until I spotted a little male DOWNY WOODPECKER whaling away on a small cottonwood trunk. I was very impressed and I hope his little lady was too!

Area feeders remain extremely important to many birds with the thick and hard snow cover: PINE SISKINS, PINE GROSBEAKS, ROBINS, VARIED THRUSHES, OREGON and SLATE-COLORED JUNCOS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, STELLER’S JAYS, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES, DOWNY and HAIRY WOODPECKERS.

Their sweet mixed songs and calls fill the air with hope and joy. They survived the winter!

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter