Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 8:23 am, sunset 5:00 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 36 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 49 seconds longer.
Single digit temperatures the past several days froze the waterfall to a trickle trapped inside icicle-clad armor; billows of ghostly gray steam rose and writhed as the frothing bay released its relative warmth; and the north wind raged from 20 to 30 mph.
A stinging, light snow began midday, the start of the winter weather alert for heavy snowfall from the Copper River Valley, western Prince William Sound, Whittier, and Turnagain Pass south to Seward. We’ll see how much snow accumulates by tomorrow. Negative temps, sunshine, and strong winds forecast for mid-week.
At Lowell Point this morning, 100s of COMMON REDPOLLS flew overhead, flock after flock. I’ve never seen so many! Alders attracted them like iron specks to a magnet. They fed ravenously on the tiny seeds waiting in catkins or sprinkled on the snow, then swirled away.
A pair of HARLEQUIN DUCKS dove and preened in the wind and snow just offshore of the waterfront. A PELAGIC CORMORANT flew into the teeth of the wind.
From the shelter of my car, I peered over the Uplands rocks and found dozens of ducks seeking shelter from the wind. Pelted by the stinging snow, they rested, heads tucked under wings. To my surprise, a small raft of 17 GADWALL bobbed in the waves below. A few more expected but snow-speckled COMMON MERGANSERS, BARROW’S GOLDENEYES, MALLARDS, and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS also waited out the storm.
Robin C reported a RUSTY BLACKBIRD near AVTEC, and a YELLOW-BILLED LOON in the harbor. Ava reported 4 RED CROSSBILLS at her feeder among the other usual songbirds.
Tough birds in dramatic weather!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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