Seward, Alaska
Good news! I saw the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR today, feeding in a horde of PINE SISKINS at the usual hotspot on Madison and Second.
It didn’t linger long, but it’s nice to know that it’s still here.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:46 am, sunset 4:30 pm, for a total day length of 6 hours and 43 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 54 seconds longer.
Finally! The relentless precipitation in its many variations ranging from fog, rain, drizzle, sn’rain, sleet, and snow held off until a touch-up light freezing rain in the evening. The landscape is white, but it’s a deceptive, heavy, sloppy two-plus feet of snow. The sun peeked out this afternoon, illuminating the stunning mountains on the east side of Resurrection Bay, reminding me of why I love to live here.
More precipitation in the forecast for the next week with temps reaching 38 for the next few days. Maybe we’ll see some sun by next weekend.
First reported by Robin C, a handsome drake NORTHERN PINTAIL showed up, unbelievably early on January 10. I refound him on January 12 standing on ice at the airport pond among dozens of MALLARDS, calmly preening in a light snow. He'll have to wait several months for his true love to migrate north!
The SIBERIAN ACCENTOR at Madison and Second continues to be seen by some, but has proven elusive for me. As I searched yet again in vain, I was reminded of the song wherein an Eagle hauls off a Dove, and the Accentor can’t be found: “Love the One You’re With” by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Yes, it’s astonishing how PINE SISKINS can crack open a hard sunflower seed hull and extract the meat with only a tiny, thin bill, manipulating the seed with their tongue while standing on snow. I observed a lot of this action while waiting.
I haven’t seen the Brambling in a while either, but the 5 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS and single female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD preened and chatted high in a cottonwood during a brief sunny break on January 13, still in the alley behind Marathon Drive. Update: BRAMBLING reported today in same location.
On January 3, I saw an odd-looking Loon in the gloom just outside the boat harbor entrance. It had a large white patch on its right side that was not snow.
Today, I got a better look from Lowell Point Road. The left side was normal, and turned the bird into a PACIFIC LOON with a wing injury. Tasha refound it and said the injured wing is not resting in the correct position so the white side is now visible. She was concerned about the amount of time the Loon was preening, likely due to the injury, as that is time away from feeding and also a signal to predators like Eagles. She thought the body condition looked good, which is hopeful.
It was so peaceful watching and listening to the many MARBLED MURRELETS whistling to each other as they paddled on the calm bay backdropped by the scenic snow-clad mountains. Tasha estimated about 40.
As I finally drove off, I saw a BALD EAGLE suddenly swoop down over a pair. I hope they both dove in time, but the Eagle seemed to have something in its talons as it flew off. Though I pulled over to watch the Eagle after it landed on the road snow berm ahead, I never saw it eat, so maybe the Murrelet escaped.
The high tide attracted small rafts of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES to steam directly towards the road, then dive in synchrony up close. In reverse synchrony, they popped up facing the bay and paddled off a short way. Then the group turned 180 and headed back to repeat the show. In and out like a feathered tide. Such beautiful seabirds; I love their golden eyes and the males’ dramatic black and white pattern. The Eagle, now suspiciously perched above in a spruce tree, was also watching, but I didn’t see any attempts to nab one.
After I tore myself away, I almost immediately pulled over again to take photos of unusual wavy clouds. They may be Kelvin-Helmholtz Clouds aka billow clouds, formed when two horizontal winds meet. The higher velocity wind on the top picks up a layer of clouds and forms wave-like rolls. https://www.thoughtco.com/kelvin-helmholtz-clouds-3443792
All in all, a very interesting and uplifting day!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:55 am, sunset 4:17 pm for a total day length of 6 hours and 22 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 14 seconds longer.
Stormy weather continued with periods of rain, snow, and sleet, temps in the mid-30s, and 17 mph winds out of the north by mid-afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement until 6 pm Sunday for a long duration snow event for parts of the Seward Highway with up to 12 inches of snow for Turnagain Pass, and rain/snow mix for Turnagain south. Another 12 inches of snow is possible for Sunday night through Monday.
Despite the terrible roads, several birders from Mat-Su and Anchorage materialized in Seward to seek the elusive SIBERIAN ACCENTOR. After not being seen for the past two days, some got a glimpse of it at Second and Madison, and the alley between Second and Third Ave in the 500 block. Also spotted, the LINCOLN'S SPARROW and the first VARIED THRUSH reported this year.
The BRAMBLING, five RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, and the female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD were also reported around noon in the alley south of Marathon Drive.
When I checked Second and Madison at 3:20 pm, I found a beautiful, very alert, adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK intently birding the site from a nearby cottonwood branch, swaying in the wind, its feathers ruffled. The hot spot was completely silent and devoid of any visible birds.
After the imposing raptor flew off, it took a full seven minutes for the first BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE to come to life, giving its cheery “all clear, let’s eat!” signal. As if by magic, the hidden and frozen DARK-EYED JUNCOS, PINE SISKINS, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES sprang into action, feeding enthusiastically in preparation for the impending long night. A small flock of REDPOLLS flew in to feed on the tiny alder seeds, clinging upside down from the cone clusters. I did not see the Accentor.
Earlier in the afternoon, I checked the Harbor Uplands. A COMMON LOON paddled along in the harbor mouth, heading into the harbor. It paused a moment to stretch, then dove and emerged swallowing a small fish.
Suddenly, a cloud of raucous AMERICAN CROWS (aka Northwestern Crows) abandoned their feeding station by the Mariner’s Memorial and streamed to the coal dipper. They absolutely mobbed it, perching on the structure and guy wires like ship flags. I have no idea why. No food nor obvious predator lurked there, not even the anticipated Great Blue Heron(s). I counted over 200 Crows when I enlarged a photo later.
A few Crows remained. One took a fancy to a small round ball at the top of an antenna. It managed to perch, with difficulty, while simultaneously trying to grab the ball. Fortunately this stunt failed, but it was very entertaining to watch the acrobatics. Google identified the ball as an aluminum “corona ball” used to prevent static discharge off the tip.
Nearby, the restroom roof provided a resting spot and lookout for an assortment of Gulls, mostly GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. Sulli kindly helped me sort them out. One GWGU adult had light eyes, but apparently dark enough to be in range. One was a first cycle GWGU, overall a typical “dishwater” brown. One was a second cycle GWGU, changing from brown to gray.
The last was a puzzle, a first cycle Gull, likely one of those pesky hybrids between a GWGU and a HERRING GULL with wingtips too dark for a GWGU and not black enough for a HEGU, and oddly dark legs.
Endless anticipation, entertainment, challenges, and surprises, these birds!
Happy Birding and safe travels!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Seward, Alaska
What a pleasure to bird and photograph in the New Year’s bright sunshine for the first two days! Everything glowed under its spotlight, made even more special by the warm, low angle. Huge flat snow crystals delicately perched like glittering ice butterflies, coating arched beach rye grass stalks and every surface of bowing alders.
Yesterday, the sun peeked above the eastern mountains and chased the shadows down the western mountains and across the flats as it rose. I was thrilled to watch two DUNLINS feed voraciously in a freshwater stream in the tidelands as the sunlight finally reached them at 10:50 am. For a good three seconds, one stopped feeding while a waterdrop grew at the tip of its long, droopy bill, as if to acknowledge the wonder of the dawn. Then it resumed its rapid stitching in the sand.
As the sun sank behind Bear Mountain to the west at 4 pm and shadows crept up Mt Alice to the east, Alpenglow tinged her snowy cape pink. A magnificent RAVEN atop a street light bid farewell to the day in his secret, ancient tongue, his shaggy throat feathers puffed out and horns erect.
The starry sky, with a lopsided moon rising over the jagged silhouette of Mt Alice as Mars drifted to the west, bookended Seward’s clear skies for a long while.
Yet, even in today’s snow flurries and sn’rain, the SIBERIAN ACCENTOR, BRAMBLING, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, HOODED MERGANSER, and other unusual and expected species brightened the day for me and many visiting birders.
This afternoon I enjoyed the simple pleasure of watching COMMON MERGANSERS and Gulls bathe exuberantly close to shore. Water sprayed everywhere as the Mergansers rocked side to side, rose up, and shook off. The Gulls were more demure, dipping their heads underwater to let the water flow down their backs, then tipped over sideways to preen the belly and legs. Must have felt mighty fine!
I identified the HERRING GULL by its pale yellow iris and black on the primaries, and the GLAUCOUS-WINGED X HERRING GULL hybrid by its dark iris with a touch of black in its primaries, but both may be hybrids. No doubt Gulls will continue to be a fun and frustrating challenge in 2021, all part of the wonder and joy of birds.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Seward, Alaska
Here are a few more photos of the BRAMBLING, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, ROBIN, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW from the alley feeder behind Marathon Drive on January 1, 2021.
The 5 Rusty Blackbirds chose to perch low in a nearby tree, talking and cracking jokes in their wonderful, creaky voices. What a treat to eavesdrop! After some research, I realized that the females are the bright, rusty birds. The much darker-plumaged birds are the males, on their way to becoming all black as their feathers wear down after their once-a-year molt.
On January 2, 2021, I checked out the DOWNY and HAIRY WOODPECKERS, PINE GROSBEAKS, PINE SISKINS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, BLACK-CAPPED and CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES feasting on sunflower seeds and homemade suet at Ava’s Place. There’s always something interesting happening at Ava’s Hot Spot and the birds can be enjoyed up close.
Ava welcomes birders; park on the side of her long driveway so as not to block access to other users and bird from around the fenced yard. Check out the surrounding trees and shrubs as well. If there aren’t any birds, look for a predator like a Shrike, Sharp-shinned Hawk, or Merlin.
There is no need to knock for permission, just quietly enjoy her birds. She will come out if she is not busy. As she feeds year-round and goes through a ton of black oil sunflower seeds and other feed, donations are greatly appreciated.
Directions: turn on Nash Road, take the first left on Salmon Creek Road, go over the bridge and take an immediate right down her driveway. Her house has cedar siding and a blue roof, with feeders all along her porch railing and in the fenced yard.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
