Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:01 am, sunset 8:11 pm for a total daylength of 12 hours and 10 minutes. (A tad more than equal day and night but we’ll enjoy it!) Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 30 seconds longer.
Cloudy today with a high of 39ยบ and mercifully calm in the morning until a strong south wind picked up. Crusty and settled snow still covers most of the ground but with increasingly bare patches; ponds and lakes remain mostly frozen.
The forecast predicts a spring mix of clouds, snow showers, sun, and blasts of a strong north wind with daytime temps well above freezing through Wednesday.
Though human routines have been severely impacted and disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Nature streams along unconcerned.
A determined TRUMPETER SWAN pair, not last year’s parents, has claimed the coveted Nash Road wetlands. Resting with heads tucked under wings, the pair stoically stood on the ice braced against the wind, waiting for Spring to reveal the wetlands and nesting spot. I suspect there will be a tremendous battle when last year’s parents ditch their bewildered cygnets and try to reclaim their home.
A few NORTHERN PINTAILS, reported from Clear Creek to the bay, are surprisingly early migrants. I found a very handsome drake yesterday, and was sorry to disturb him.
At low tide, the dabblers joined the divers in the Seward Boat Harbor to feed along the breakwater rocks. The bright sun shone like a searchlight Wednesday, illuminating a pair of MALLARDS whose gorgeous green heads glowed in the light.
The BARROW’S GOLDENEYES fed voraciously on small mussels and sometimes pried off barnacles. Both animals must be tough to get, the mussel with extraordinarily strong byssal threads and the barnacles with waterproof cement.
It’s fun to watch the young drakes change into adult plumage as their white crescent feathers gradually appear like the Cheshire cat’s grin.
Today, the Lagoon opened up just enough at the north end to attract the entire resident TRUMPETER SWAN family with all three cygnets. I’m so relieved they all survived the winter. A single Swan that was here yesterday shared the opening but did not mingle.
The happy family will soon break up, but for now, the capable parents continue to share their extensive knowledge of where to find food, shelter, and safety with their beloved cygnets. Happy Spring!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward, Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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