Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 5:50 am, sunset 10:00 pm for a total day length of 16 hours and 9 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 10 seconds longer.
What a cold, crazy spring! The temperature hovered in the low to mid 30s this past week with strong north winds shifting to south, a surprise heavy snowstorm yesterday, squalls, hail, and cold rain. More snow and rain are in the forecast for the next few days.
The birds must migrate, no time to lose fretting about the weather. This morning, two FOS GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS materialized in my yard, followed by a bright male VARIED THRUSH also on the snow-sprinkled grass. ROBINS slung their sweet territorial songs from the tips of spruce trees, and Varied Thrushes declared their presence with referee whistles from the dense branches below.
I left my calm yard wearing my wet-winter gear to check out Afognak Beach, blasted by a chilly SW wind and whitecaps. As I approached the beach, I heard multiple YELLOWLEGS calling; the music reminded me of the haunting ringing of a frozen lake when rocks are tossed on the ice. At least 20 Yellowlegs flew down the beach, the largest number I have seen together.
About 50 Peeps, including WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, and DUNLINS flew in a synchronized swarm; others flushed from the gray rocks ahead of me, perfectly camouflaged. A huge pulse of GREEN-WINGED TEAL, grounded by the weather, gathered in a large dense flock near shore, some napping, others called or dabbled. The drakes’ chestnut-colored heads, white vertical side stripes, and a flash of green speculums made a striking pattern like a fancy feathered carpet. I moved slowly and detoured away to avoid disturbing the tired birds.
Slushy ice still covered portions of the mile 1 Nash Road wetlands. A pair of TRUMPETER SWANS, the presumptive nesters, ignored me while I photographed them close to the road. One preened continuously while the other fed, plunging her bill deep in the mucky water, staining her pure white feathers brown. I saw no sign of a nest in the usual spot in the middle of the pond, unlike previous years, but it should be soon.
Spring, even disguised as Winter, has arrived!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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