Friday, February 2, 2024 Last sunny day

Seward, Alaska

Clear, cold, and windy continued today with a low of minus four at 8 am and a high of plus four at 2:30 pm. The north wind still packed a punch with gusts to 27 mph. The forecast calls for temperatures rising from minus 4 to plus 19 by tomorrow evening and a chance of snow. The cold snap is over, hopefully.

 

The WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS flocked to Lowell Point beach this morning, a colorful bouquet of tropical colors. I noticed some used their pink tongues to pick up invisible-to-me items; maybe licking ice? Getting grit or small tidbits in the wrack? With such a specialized scissorbill, a tongue is an important tool.

 

A single WHITE-WINGED SCOTER hen popped up near Lowell Point Road. Unfortunately, the heat waves from the car distorted the images and I didn’t want to get out. A small avalanche partially blocked the road and I was glad to get past it.

 

Across the bay at Afognak Beach, I searched for TRUMPETER SWANS and found two adults far out in the north wind near an intertidal stream in the tidelands. An adult BALD EAGLE perched regally in a favorite spruce snag at the Point. A female BUFFLEHEAD took refuge in Afognak Pond with a napping drake MALLARD. Almost the whole beach was icy and slippery so after a while I gave up and drove to Fourth of July Beach.

 

The wind whipped around the shipyard, but 4 degrees almost felt warm, relatively. A raft of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES huddled in the lee of the breakwater. Four HARLEQUIN DUCKS dove just offshore accompanied by a GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL. Steam boiled and roiled down the bay.

 

North of the SMIC boat basin I found six SURF SCOTERS and a PELAGIC CORMORANT bobbing the waves.

 

The Seward Boat Harbor remained frozen at both ends with open water leads. I enjoyed photographing a small parade of unsuspecting Barrow’s Goldeneyes, a COMMON MERGANSER drake, and a red-eyed HORNED GREBE paddling past the dock below me.

 

The sun zipped behind the western mountains at 3 pm, casting the town into shadows. I thought the show was over and was on my way home when I spotted a fracas of RAVENS and BALD EAGLES circling around just south of the harbor by Scheffler Creek. 

Ten Eagles executed daring reconnaissance missions and then perched in a nearby cottonwood like Christmas ornaments. An immature Eagle, feathers comically askew, approached the crowd of Ravens hop-flying over an offering of food. Two more adults watched from a snow berm as the youngster paused, then made its move, scattering the crowd and scored on some calories. What a show! As the light seeped away, I backed out and drove home.

 

Despite the cold and wind, birding these past few days has been a joy, illuminated by that great spotlight sailing low across the sky.

 

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter