Thursday, July 28, 2022 Violet-Green Swallow Housing Crisis

Seward, Alaska

Robin C alerted me to his discovery of very late activity at a VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW nest. “Nest” is a very generous description. Due to an apparent housing crisis mirroring the human issue, these desperate Swallows had made their cozy home (accessory dwelling unit?) above a sagging plastic white soffit screen under the eave of an apartment building. The gap allowed the parents to zip in with fast food deliveries and exit with the occasional fecal sac. 

As I watched, the female seemed to be the predominant server. Initially, she landed and disappeared into the depths of the nest, babies cheeping excitedly. Then she poked her head out, leisurely taking stock of the scene, before launching over the edge. 

Soon, however, one of the genius babies figured out that if it sat right inside the entrance, it could intercept ALL the food, begging eagerly with its yellow target wide open to receive.

The parents then took turns hovering awkwardly mid-air, jamming the meal into the waiting beak before executing a backwards free-fall dive to get more. These acrobatic maneuvers saved a lot of time. However, only one hungry baby got fed. I hoped that eventually the recently stuffed whiz kid would retire to take a nap and allow the next hungry sibling a chance to nab some fresh, tasty, insects. 

Time is running short for these babies’ flight feathers to grow long enough to support them. It’d be so fun to watch them shoot over the edge of their unusual nest and sail out into the void, joining their harried parents as masters of the sky. Soon, soon!

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, July 22, 2022 Greater Yellowlegs Study

Seward, Alaska

I found some photos from April of a GREATER YELLOWLEGS in breeding plumage, fishing in a small stream. It carefully placed each bright golden foot in the water, slowly walking along on long golden legs, watching, watching. Suddenly, it dashed forward and plunged its head into the water to grab the surprisingly unsuspecting fish and gobbled it down. A thoughtful look around as the wriggling dinner descended the long neck, and then back to work.  

In contrast to a Lesser Yellowlegs, the GREATER YELLOWLEGS had a long bill more than 1.5x as long as the head and was heavily streaked on the throat and breast, with black wavy bars on the sides and belly. 

Two beautiful species, similar but slightly different and well worth a second look to distinguish them.

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, July 22, 2022 Lesser Yellowlegs study

Seward, Alaska

I almost ran over a juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS this afternoon, a good half-mile from the beach. Its white rump flashed as it flushed off the road and veered onto a gravel driveway. Stunned, I stopped. Totally recovered from its fright, it was calmly stalking something in a muddy rain puddle. I turned onto the driveway to watch.

I don’t know how macroinvertebrates might suddenly appear in a rain puddle, or crawling on the gravel, but it looked like the catch-of-the-day was possibly stonefly larvae. There is a small pond nearby, which might be the source, plus all the rain and runoff might have inspired an insect migration. 

The focused shorebird ignored a fat, bright metallic-blue blowfly that even I could see. It stalked along the tall grass and intently hunted in the gravel and puddles, grabbing lunch like a pro with chopsticks. How it knew this bonanza was available is a mystery.

When I saw a Lesser Yellowlegs recently at the tidelands, it was pretty far away. In the field, I find it hard sometimes to differentiate between the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. This was a great opportunity to get closer photos for future study.

To compare:

The Lesser is smaller, hence the name: 10.5” to 14” long, but size is hard to judge without something to compare.

Both Tringas (what a pretty name for the genus) have long yellow legs, but the Greater’s may be orange.

The Greater’s bill is stout and longer, more than 1.5x as long as the head, and may curve upwards. In breeding plumage, the bill is black, otherwise, it is two-toned with a grayish base.

The Lesser’s bill is dark, shorter, thinner, and straighter.

In breeding plumage, the Greater has heavy streaking on the throat and breast, and the sides and belly have black barring and spots.

In breeding plumage, the Lesser has less, especially on the sides and flanks.

The juvenile Lesser has a grayish-brown wash across the neck and chest without streaks, and is darker, whereas the juvenile Greater still has a distinctly streaked breast.

The juvenile Lesser often has fine spotting on the back. Both juvenile species have browner backs than adults.

So here was a small-headed, dainty bird with a short, straight dark bill on long yellow stilts with a brown back speckled with stars, a white belly and flank with no bars or spots, and a neck and breast with smudgy, gray streaks. A shorebird far from shore; a Lesser Yellowlegs juvenile.

I so appreciated this chance to observe a Lesser Yellowlegs hunting, and am relieved that I didn’t hit it!

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

 

 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022 Bonaparte’s Gulls, Arctic Terns

Seward, Alaska

The periods between the bouts of rain this week proved wonderful windows to bird. This morning, the clouds unexpectedly drifted off, allowing the warm sun to break through. I headed for the tidelands to check on the ARCTIC TERNS and enjoy them just a little bit longer before they leave.

As I wandered on the exposed ocean floor, a juvenile BONAPARTE’S GULL caught my eye scavenging in the mud and tidal creeks. Its multi-colored plumage ranged from subtle browns and grays on the back, with a prominent black spot on the head, black tail band, black-edged wings, and white underside. Occasionally, it cheeped just like the baby it was recently. 

Four immatures, now mostly white with a black spot and tail band, and one handsome adult with a black head and thin, black bill foraged nearby in a loose group, sometimes apart and then together. The adult's growly, low voice did not seem to belong to this petite, charming gull.

As I did not recognize the juvenile until I got home to research it, I learned a bit more about this small, handsome gull and wrestled with its 2-year plumage cycles.

Bonaparte’s build a platform nest in conifers in the boreal forest near lakes and marshes, not in the coastal rain forest. I wonder where they nested, and how far they have flown? I wonder where the first summer birds hang out until they are ready to start a family in their second year? This little group is apparently on its way to the southern coasts for the winter. 

Several BALD EAGLES patrolled the tidelands as well. As the sun warmed the soggy tide flats, ghostly ground fog wafted past an adult drying its wings. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS stalked prey on its bright yellow stilt legs. ARCTIC TERNS gathered on driftwood, sunbathing. I counted 21 lazing about uncharacteristically. The welcome sun felt good to everyone!

I returned home feeling rich with all the treasures I had experienced. I will miss these summer visitors!

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Odd CBC post

Dear Subscribers,

I did not send the December 15, 2021 Sporadic Bird Report and do not know why Blogger did. 

I also don't know why certain numbers and words are in bold. 

Or why the photos don’t display in a slideshow mode.

Very odd. Please ignore!

Carol Griswold 

 

Sunday, July 17, 2022 Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black Turnstones, and Arctic Terns

Sunday, July 17, 2022 Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black Turnstones, Arctic Terns

Seward, Alaska

Sunrise 5:06 am, sunset 11:04 pm, for a total day length of 17 hours and 58 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 55 seconds shorter. Cool temperatures prevailed with a low of 49 and a high of 56.

Fortunately, the weather alert for heavy and protracted rain all weekend did not apply to Seward for once. It did rain, up to 0.05” but not hard and not all day. I even saw a surreal blue eye in the shifting clouds this afternoon. 

Dead lawns and wilted trees have miraculously revived under Nature’s gentle sprinkler, restoring the landscape to an array of greens with a dash of red from ripening elderberries, salmonberries, and devil’s club fruit. Fireweed blaze magenta, ever-reaching higher on the spike. After a brief reprieve on Monday, more rain is in the forecast as another laden low from the Bering Sea approaches.

I ventured out in the drizzle this afternoon, determined to check on the ARCTIC TERNS at the tidelands. Their work is done and soon they will be migrating to the southern hemisphere, chasing the sun. Soon, however, the rain stopped and I gladly left my wet umbrella in the car.

I heard the joyful cries of Terns and found 6 still rocketing along the shoreline, hovering expertly, swooping, and diving and about six more farther out. Three rose upwards in a noisy spiral, higher and higher. I felt it was a farewell, a literal detachment from the land, ready to join those that have already departed.

Two immaculate SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS poked through the mud, stop and start. A bit farther out, I was surprised to see a LESSER YELLOWLEGS with its small head and slender bill, snatching up tidbits on the incoming tide. I haven’t seen one since spring, and even then, not many or often. I heard its cousin, the GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a species that is more common and here all summer presumably nesting.

A lone immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE paddled slowly away as I walked along the shore. Farther out, a mob of gulls suddenly mobilized en masse, rising up, screaming. A marauding Eagle? Not this time! The harbor crew was towing a fish-cleaning tote behind their skiff, emptying it offshore. Instant bird-feeder bedlam! I hope the crew all wore hats.

A few minutes later, I spotted two BLACK TURNSTONES and a juvenile PECTORAL SANDPIPER quietly working their way down the wrack line towards me. I immediately sat down to enjoy the show. Neither species is common here, though one Black Turnstone has been here since about July 10. Today, beach flies were on the menu.

The Pectoral Sandpiper was very aware of me, and cautiously eased its way past me, about 10 feet away, stopping to nab another fly or two as it went. I must have resembled an odd piece of driftwood that made weird clicking noises; the bird came right towards me to get flies, and actually passed back and forth several times. The Black Turnstones also crossed in front and flew over the invisible danger zone in front of me. 

Finally, all three birds were safely on the same side, walking away, and I was able to resume my walk in the opposite direction. I noticed waves of beach flies rising from the wrack, sand, and cobble ahead of me as I walked. Somehow, maybe vibrations from my feet, or actual view of my gigantic form (can they see that far?) stirred them up. Such an abundant food source, if one had patience and skill to snap them up, one by one by one.

On Friday in the rain, I parked at the Waterfront to take a look at the bay between wiper swipes of my rain-spattered windshield. Black-legged Kittiwakes, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Short-billed Gulls and a few Arctic Terns and Double-Crested Cormorants flew past in small groups or singly, patrolling the beach and near shore waters. MARBLED MURRELETS popped up to call to one another before diving once again.

Suddenly, three or four heavyset not-gulls with long red bills flew past! I could not get out of the car fast enough! CASPIAN TERNS! I spent a great deal of time searching along the shore in vain, hoping for another view and photos. They could have kept flying along the shore all the way to Lowell Point and beyond. Tantalizing!

Mid-July is a time of change with migrants like shorebirds already passing through and local nesters like the Terns and Hummers getting ready to leave. Time is flying on feathered wings.

Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter