Seward, Alaska
Turned out to be another gray, overcast day with a chilly
north wind and spitting rain. But I hardly noticed as it was a great day to
bird!
First bird, an adorable CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE at my
feeders, good start! Then I staked out my neighbor’s feeder. After chasing off
the PIGEONS (check!) and a long wait, I finally got a decent photo of the
brilliantly rufous Red (Interior) FOX SPARROW. He fairly glowed in the dim
light in the tangle of branches. What a handsome sparrow! His crisp white belly
looked freshly washed with a leading brand of laundry detergent, which offset his
rufous stripes and spots beautifully. Quite a contrast to our usual summer
Sooty Fox Sparrow!
A GOLDEN-CROWNED and SONG SPARROW hopped about in the
underbrush, much more camouflaged. The feeder area has two nice piles of brush
that the Sparrows really like for a hide-out; a highly recommended feature if
you want to attract and keep Sparrows. Just as I was about to leave, a VARIED
THRUSH hopped in. Check!
After an unsuccessful search for a Dipper at the Lagoon, I
hiked along the head of the bay. Two TRUMPETER SWANS graced the thawed portion,
surrounded by MALLARDS and GADWALL filching left-overs. Check! The light was dim, but I think there
were at least four Gadwall. A NORTHERN SHRIKE blasted past. Check!
As the tide ebbed (with the light), a flock of small birds
flickered along the water’s edge: 26 ROCK SANDPIPERS! Check! Wish I could say
there were Dunlin with them, but I couldn’t tell for sure.
I visited Ava’s Place and delivered suet as the birds are
devouring her supply. The RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET appeared briefly, clinging with
difficulty to the suet feeder. Check! Several PINE SISKINS perched in her
Mayday tree. Check!
I just had to look for the Swans at the Nash Road wetlands.
Yup, still there. A BELTED KINGFISHER rattled across the mostly frozen pond.
Check!
The sun peeked out from under the clouds at sunset around 3:50 pm and
blasted its lovely pink light on the snowy mountains and scattered clouds. Wow! What a splendid
surprise! I swung into the Harbor Uplands to enjoy the views to the west, south
and east.
As twilight descended, I happened to glance at the small group
of Gulls resting nearby. Hmmm. One looked SO white. Bi-colored bill. Larger
than the GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. Check on a GLAUCOUS GULL, first winter. But
wait! Another large gull was not as white, but had the bi-colored bill: TWO
Glaucous Gulls! But wait! Another slightly darker gull sure looked like a third Glaucous
Gull! How fun is that?
Apparently not as fun as it could be. The smaller, dark
brown gull with a darker tail, rounded head, and short, thick bill that I spotted
yesterday was still here. After mulling it over, I’m going to go out on a thin
limb and call it a THAYER’S GULL. Check! If anyone cares to confirm or correct,
I’m all ears as this is one of my nemesis gulls.
Fourteen (14) more species today for a total of 43 species for Count Week so far!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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