Sunday evening, May 7, 2017 Arctic Tern courtship

Seward, Alaska, light rain

Two resident TRUMPETER SWAN cygnets, apparently driven away by the parents, kept each other company in the pond at the head of the bay. They are now a year old and mostly white with a gray head/neck. I speculated that “Daddy’s Girl” was still with her parents, but who knows?

A single SANDHILL CRANE, remarkably alone, steadily fed in the still brown sedges, blending in with the early spring color scheme. I also spotted a single WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 13 WHIMBRELS, 7 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and a female NORTHERN HARRIER.

The joyful racket of ARCTIC TERNS zooming around filled the air. I chanced upon one sitting quietly on a post. But not for long! A sleek and handsome male tern arrived with a tiny fish and she burst into an excited chatter, red beak open wide to accept the offering. Hovering expertly, he gently placed it into her mouth like a kiss and wafted away to find another for his beloved while she gulped it down and then sat demurely to wait. He proved to be an excellent provider, and she dined well.

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter







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