Saturday, September 30, 2017 Shorebirds!

Seward, Alaska

The sky miraculously cleared last night and I saw a gorgeous half moon suspended in the sky! I haven’t seen the night sky for so long, it was a bit of a shock!

The sun reigned all day, gracing us with its warm, glowing presence. The SHARP-SHINNED HAWK still patrolled the neighborhood in the morning, accompanied by his Corvid buddies.

I decided to do my COASST beach survey a day early in case of inclement weather the next day. A single TRUMPETER SWAN fed in the pond at the head of the bay. It seemed very wary, which made me suspect it was a migrant, not one of our many locally raised swans. Three NORTHERN PINTAILS swam nearby.

I flushed a complaining SNIPE, so fast I was unable to get one photo before it dove back into the grasses. A GREAT BLUE HERON rose majestically from the wetlands and flew ponderously to the low tideline. I haven’t seen a GBHE in months! I wonder where they hide?

While admiring the white bones of a pink salmon carcass, one of a zillion along the beach, I glanced up and instantly dropped to my knee and started shooting images. Close by were three LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS intently probing the mud, and a single juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER. I was astounded! I haven’t seen shorebirds for weeks!

The Dowitchers did not seem perturbed at my presence, in fact, I had almost walked right past them. They kept feeding, probing their long, sensitive bills into the mud. The Pectoral Sandpiper, however, stood at attention, ready to flee. After a few long moments, he bolted, followed by the Dowitchers, but not far. They continued to feed, they and their reflections, in a shallow intertidal puddle.

Finally, they all took off, heading towards the tideline, the Great Blue Heron, and the noisy gulls. What a treat!

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter





No comments:

Post a Comment