Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 7:48 am, sunset 6:33
pm for a total daylength of 10 hours and 44 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes
and 29 seconds longer.
After bouts of high winds and
angry seas the past week, and the briefest of snowfalls yesterday, the ground
is alas! once again bare and khaki brown. It looks like April. Temps bounced
around from the high teens to high 30s, with similar temps and a mixed
forecast of partly cloudy and snow/snow showers for the next week.
On Wednesday, February 28, a
single GREATER SCAUP female (first of year) popped up in the lee of the boat
harbor uplands near resting BARROW’S GOLDENEYES and COMMON MERGANSERS. She took
a little bath a short distance away. I haven’t
refound her since.
The RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER was reported at a different, private feeder within a half-mile of the first sighting. Nice to know he is still around!
The RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER was reported at a different, private feeder within a half-mile of the first sighting. Nice to know he is still around!
On Friday morning, March 3, I heard
three VARIED THRUSH singing somewhat feebly, but singing nonetheless. A short
time later, I received a report of an injured Varied Thrush in the same area,
likely mauled by a loose neighbor’s cat. So irresponsible and sad! Bird Note on public radio just happened to feature this handsome thrush that morning. They erred in implying only the male has a black breast band; both genders do but the female is overall much more subtle.
The beeping SAW-WHET OWL
seems to have relocated farther north on Mt Marathon, so I don’t hear him as
often. It was tough to hear anything when that north wind roars.
I’ve enjoyed visiting the
Alaska Sealife Center to check on the baby beluga and the seabirds. Most of the
birds are now in breeding plumage and looking mighty fine!
I watched a TUFTED PUFFIN
carefully gather bits of dried grass scattered around the habitat, walking with
that endearing bobbing gait. When she had a beakful, she seemed so pleased. It
must be a challenge to pick up successive pieces of grass without dropping the
others, but she managed just as she does with multiple tiny fish for her babies.
Unfortunately, another Tufted
Puffin sidled up and tried to steal a temptingly long piece. That resulted in a
splashy escape. When she surfaced, she only retained a few pieces of her fragile
prize. She paddled around with her few strands and such a serious and
protective demeanor. The grass attracted the attention of a COMMON MURRE who
also tried to swipe it. Mercy! What’s a Puffin to do? She dove and in the process,
lost it all. Ah, too bad. But, it’s only March; she has plenty of time to get
the job done.
After enjoying the King
Eiders, Puffins, Rhinoceros Auklets, and other beautiful birds, I was just in
time to watch the staff feed the Beluga calf his bottle. So cute! He’ll be
going to SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas sometime very soon, so I feel lucky every time
I get to see him.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report
Reporter
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