Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:53 am, sunset 6:33 pm, for a total day length of 9 hours and 40 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 21 seconds shorter.
Incessant NNW wind continued at 7-9 mph with gusts to 21 mph (seemed stronger!). Temps dipped to 23 overnight, evidenced by a thin layer of ice on area ponds and the Lagoon. High today barely rose above freezing at 33º though it felt warmer where sheltered from the wind. Similar weather forecast for the next week with slightly warmer temperatures.
Intrigued by an eBird report of two sandpipers at the airport, I dressed warmly and headed to the tidelands, blown by the wind to the beach. There in the shelter of an oasis of three small spruce trees among the beach rye grass, I found two juvenile WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and an immature male gleaning tiny seeds from the bounty of ripe cones.
Of all the cone-loaded spruce trees in the surrounding forests, it seemed an unlikely diner, but maybe they popped in for a snack on their flight around the bay. Numbers of this eruptive finch are up this year.
Two adult TRUMPETER SWANS honked softly in a reconnaissance flight over the frozen pond, and left seeking open water. Ducks hunkered down at the tide’s edge, too far to ID.
On the way back, past frozen Lion’s Mane, Northern Sea Nettle, and Moon jellies, I spotted a medium-sized sandpiper! I sat down and watched, clicking away as it slowly approached. Unstreaked buffy breast, bright rufous cap, large white eyebrow: a juvenile SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER!
This unusual Asian visitor is a late migrant: Seward records include September 28, 2022, October 17, 2022, and December 1, 2017. Before that, it was a Lifer for me on September 18, 2015.
I didn’t find the Dunlin; hopefully it will not blow away before the Rock Sandpipers show up to keep it company over the winter.
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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