Mile 38, Seward Highway
Sunrise 5:39 am, sunset 10:27
pm for a total day light of 16 hours and 48 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes
and 54 seconds shorter.
Cool, cloudy weather with
sprinkles; temps in the mid-50s. Feels muggy with 92% humidity. Forecast about
the same for the next few days.
I had an errand up the road
today and birded Tern Lake for an hour and a half. Just as I turned off the
Seward Highway to the Sterling Hwy, I caught sight of a mess of little ducklings
diving in a tiny slough across from Tern Lake. They popped up and dove down
like downy popcorn. Between the three SCAUP moms, I counted 28 cute ducklings,
all about the same age.
I find Scaup identification
very difficult. Size is relative, the head shape varies based on the bird’s
activities, who knows if the bill nail is larger or smaller? The white patch at
the base of the bill was diffuse and not even that obvious. Finally, one hen
stretched while preening. Based on the white stripe on the primaries extending
into the secondaries, I’m calling these GREATER SCAUP. I would appreciate any
verification, corrections, and ID tips!
In the back, three much older
AMERICAN WIGEON juveniles preened, their mom ever watching nearby. A single
older NORTHERN PINTAIL juvenile dabbled by itself.
The calm water reflected the
green trees and grasses from the adjacent hillside, spangled with the bright
magenta of the blooming fireweed. A lovely swimming hole for the duck families.
As if on cue, all the little
bobbers and moms bee-lined for the single log protruding from the water at a
perfect angle. Whether waddling, hopping, flapping, or flying, all abilities
were able to access a perch out of the water. Wing to stubby wing, they
immediately proceeded to preen furiously. A timer went off, and suddenly it was
naptime. A small raft of about 9 dozed nearby, drifting in lazy circles.
ZZZZZZZ. So peaceful!
Trying to blend in with the
intermittent traffic, I eased my giant car-blind away, hoping to leave them
snoozing.
I glassed the quiet waters of
Tern Lake. No Arctic Terns graced the sky or fed their begging young. Nope. All
gone by now, heading to the other hemisphere. So quiet without them! Only a few
MEW GULLS remained to try to fill the vacuum; I found one gray baby waiting
quietly for food.
Two long white necks rose up
like periscopes from the middle of a sedge island. I hoped the single TRUMPETER
SWAN cygnet was with them, hiding in the greenery. I did not see the Common
Loon family, but there were plenty of places to hide.
Next, I visited the USFS
Day-Use Only Picnic Area at the west end. Dave’s Creek flows out of Tern Lake
here, and thence to the Kenai Lake system. I did not see any adult salmon yet,
but a juvenile DIPPER proved very interesting and entertaining.
He didn’t seem to mind my
watching him at work in the rushing, clear stream. Plunging his head, and
sometimes whole body, underwater, he held on tight to the slippery rocks with
his sharp claws, the water pouring over his waterproof plumage.
The aquatic insect expert
probed and found invertebrates that were also trying to hold on tight and be
invisible. Caddisflies, mayflies, stoneflies, craneflies; I hope many were
biting fly larvae!
An excellent resource,
Aquatic Insects in Alaska by John Hudson, Katherine Hocker, and Robert
Armstrong, gives us a peek at the dipper’s dining menu with excellent photos
and descriptions. It’s a glimpse of the fascinating world of aquatic life hiding
just under the water.
Happy Birding!
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
Carol Griswold
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