Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:33 am, sunset 5:52 pm, for a total day length of 8 hours and 19 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 4 seconds shorter. After many days of dreary rain, about 4” of wet snow fell overnight with a low of 28º.
Today, welcome sunshine beamed on the surrounding snowy mountains down to the sparkling bay. The high reached 37º, leaving the snow soft instead of icy, without much melt. A remarkable high tide of 13.29’ crept in at 1:55 pm then stole most of the loose driftwood and debris off the beaches. What a glorious day!
I hung sunflower suet by my two bird feeders and enjoyed the action and chattering of several RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES, and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES zinging in and out for a quick snack.
Below, a handsome OREGON JUNCO hopped in for left-overs, joined by several DARK-EYED JUNCOS and a bossy SONG SPARROW. They all seemed to appreciate the food and I appreciated them.
I checked the amazing silver salmon run, still going strong despite the recent freeze, then rain, then snow. The rains raised the water level of First Lake and the creek flowing alongside Second Avenue to the Lagoon, enabling the salmon to fight their way past all obstacles to reach the lake. Some made it all the way to the base of the insurmountable waterfall.
I spotted not one, not two, but three DIPPERS checking out the salmon eggs sprinkled on the stream bed. BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES gathered to worry a salmon carcass. Earlier this week, I watched a BALD EAGLE tussle with a flapping silver on the lake shore.
At dawn (shortly before 10 am) seven Eagles gathered at the Lagoon for a silver salmon buffet. Three sat on the single power pole, overlooking the feast. So impressive!
In the afternoon, I checked Fourth of July Beach and found a single COMMON MURRE paddling quietly off shore. A flock of about 20 REDPOLLS swirled overhead and briefly disappeared into the alders before whirling off again.
Over at Spring Creek, a cheeky Red Squirrel chittered at my car tire then bounded off to continue his tirade from the nearby beach rocks, far from any protective trees. He was very opinionated and had a lot to say!
Just past the breakwater, two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS took note of an interested Eagle perched on a nearby piling. I had just received a report of another White-winged Scoter near Scheffler Creek by the harbor. I believe these are the first I’ve seen this year.
Two adult TRUMPETER SWANS fed quietly in the remaining open water surrounded by ice on the east side of the Mile 1 Nash Road wetlands. I wonder where the resident family is now?
I checked for the Scoter and a juvenile LONG-TAILED DUCK at the Uplands, but instead found 3 GREAT BLUE HERONS, perched on the derelict blue dipper. It seemed all the birds were celebrating this lovely day with no wind.
After unsuccessfully looking for the Anna’s hummingbird, to my amazement, I found a beautiful WILSON’S SNIPE standing in the snow at the side of Resurrection Boulevard. He froze when my car stopped in the alley and warily watched me. After a while, as nothing happened except peculiar click-click shutter sounds, he started bobbing his hind end, a precursor to moving. Bob, bob, turn, bob, bob, take a few steps, bob. He walked over the snow to a dirty puddle and stood in the icy water for a long time, pausing several times to take a drink, and bob.
Passing vehicles made him freeze and I suspect no one saw him, this remarkable, long-billed, large-eyed, chunky shorebird in the snowmelt. After a time, he walked carefully across the road and thank goodness, safely reached the other side. I hope he finds the Lagoon, not far away, and many invertebrates to eat.
I stopped by the south side of the Lagoon again to marvel at the high tide, covering the bottom two or three steps of the Rotary Pavilion. The other side of the road was completely flooded with silver salmon swimming all over the submerged grass. Another surprise! A small sparrow flew down and landed lightly on the floating mass of spruce needles and began pecking at tidbits: a very late SAVANNAH SPARROW with yellow lores and bubblegum pink legs.
Tasha reported three AMERICAN COOT still at Bear Lake. Cordova recently reported 13, among several other places. It’s a Coot invasion this fall!
Two intrepid hikers reported a GREAT HORNED OWL flew past them and landed in a tree this afternoon in the forest along the Mt Marathon Hiking Trail.
Residents, migrants, and lingerers. It’s a fantastic overlapping of birds.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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