Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:26 am, sunset 5:59 pm, for a total daylength of NINE hours and 32 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 25 seconds longer.
Waxing new moon, high tides.
Bright sunshine on fresh snow, with an overnight low of 21 and daytime high of 29. North wind 6-9 mph with gusts to 23 made it feel cooler. Monday forecast for sunny and windier with snow showers mid-week.
Not many birds at the boat harbor today; mostly American Crows eating melting snow on the floats, and a few BARROW’S GOLDENEYES paddling away. However, a Sea Otter proved very entertaining and let me watch it take a vigorous bath.
As flexible and fluid as water, he continuously rolled front to back, back to front, and side-to-side. Deft little paws like hands scrubbed every inch of fur (600,000-1,000,000 hairs, but who’s counting?) from tail to head and behind the ears. After several minutes, he dove and swam right underneath the dock where I was watching, and popped up in the next bay.
Now swimming on his back, he headed for another float between empty boat slips and, with a bit of effort, heaved himself up onto the snow. There he continued to preen and fluff that gleaming, luxurious fur coat in the sunshine, oblivious to the sharp wind. Even the wide back feet got into the act.
The extensive silvery-white fur cape extending down his face, head, and neck and his large size made me think he’s an old sea otter, but with the flexibility of a youngster. He’s probably a tour boat favorite in the summer, patiently posing and looking absolutely adorable as eager tourists lean over the side to snap his photo, just like me.
I thanked him for letting me watch, then left him in peace and strolled away.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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