Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:57 am, sunset 3:51 pm for a total day length of 5 hours and 53 minutes. Tomorrow will be 1 minute and 1 second shorter if anyone is counting crumbs.
The north wind mercifully diminished to a mere 13 mph, meaning there were places where it couldn’t curl around where you were trying to avoid it. The temp ranged from a low of 9 to a high of 12 with a wan sun struggling low across the southern sky. A few inches of snow are forecast over the next few days.
Today was the first day of the Seward CBC Count Week where every bird arbitrarily became more special than usual. It’s fun to focus on birds and know that others are as well. With all those eyes looking, unusual species might pop up.
In the quest to find as many species and birds as possible, it’s important to remember that most of the birds are very stressed and hungry in these cold, short, dark winter days. Please take care to search and observe with as little disturbance as possible. Their survival is much more important than a check mark.
The first bird (heard) on this first day of CBC Count Week just before sunrise was a cheery PINE GROSBEAK. As the sky brightened, a handsome OREGON JUNCO with more conservatively attired DARK-EYED JUNCOS became visible, hopping and jump-scratching below the neighbor’s feeder. CHESTNUT-BACKED and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES buzzed in to snatch sunflower seeds from the feeder and hauled them off to open in private.
I heard a plaintive sigh and found a cold ROBIN perched high in a cottonwood. It flew down; I believe there were more but couldn’t see them.
A nearby Mt Ash tree hosted a dozen PINE GROSBEAKS busily juicing the berries. Among them, to my delight, six BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS tossed down the frozen fruits whole. I haven’t seen any since mid-November. Their colorful waxy feathers glowed in the rising sunlight.
Tasha later counted 42 Pine Grosbeaks in the Second Ave area, and one NORTHERN SHRIKE diving after them.
At a known Pigeon feeder site, a SONG SPARROW, dwarfed by feral PIGEONS, ate breakfast with them, unperturbed. STELLER’S JAYS and BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES flew overhead.
Tasha and Robin reported two skittish TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRES cruising near the historic Episcopal Church but I did not find them.
AMERICAN CROWS, RAVENS, GLAUCOUS-WINGED and SHORT-BILLED GULLS (MEW GULLS) joined the list as I approached the Waterfront habitat.
Over at Fourth of July Beach, I found several dozen Short-billed Gulls. Among a line of ten resting on a gravel bar, a larger, very light-colored gull stood out: a THAYER’S/ICELAND GULL immature.
Seabird numbers were low, but I did find HARLEQUIN DUCKS, SURF SCOTERS, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON and BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, RED-BREASTED and COMMON MERGANSERS, PELAGIC CORMORANTS, and HORNED GREBES. An adult BALD EAGLE soared overhead.
At Afognak Beach, Tasha reported a new winter record of 33 TRUMPETER SWANS including the (likely) resident family with four cygnets and another family with two cygnets, a high of 56+ ROCK SANDPIPERS, and a DIPPER.
Back home, the female HAIRY WOODPECKER dashed in to dine at the suet feeder, scaring off the resident Song Sparrow, Chickadees, and Nuthatches.
Ava reported a possible flock of about 30 Common Redpolls and a Northern Shrike with a remnant tinge of brown immature plumage.
As the short day drew to a close, I tallied 27 species with a list of knowns and unknowns to find over the next week; an exciting bird scavenger hunt with citizen science at the core.
Have fun and good luck on your Christmas Bird Counts!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
Update: two WILSON'S SNIPE reported at the creek on Exit Glacier Road by the Salmon Bake! And 12 SNOW BUNTINGS reported at the end of Nash Road at SMIC (Seward Marine Industrial Center).
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