Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 5:01 am, sunset 11:08 pm for a total day length of 18 hours and 7 minutes. Tomorrow will be 3 minutes and 41 seconds shorter.
Seward’s outstanding sunny streak ended on July 4 in time to provide perfect racing conditions and a new race record for Seward’s world-famous Mt Marathon Race. In the successive two weeks of sullen skies, sprinkles, drizzle, and actual rain, the temperature stalled with lows in the mid-40s and highs in the low 50s.
I checked the tidelands this afternoon just as the sprinkles ceased, the south wind rolled the clouds away, and the sun shone in a surreal blue sky.
The ARCTIC TERNS, so ever-present and raucous since their arrival around April 23, were notably scarce. I saw only 5 flying along the shore; the families have moved offshore in preparation for their long migration south to Antarctica. Only a few SHORT-BILLED GULLS, also local nesters, remained in the tideflats. So quiet without them all!
A surprise flock of 16 adult and juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPES paddled about the estuary pond, dainty and improbable shorebirds, plucking tiny morsels from the water’s surface. They too, are finished with nesting and are headed to South America for the winter.
A few SAVANNAH’S SPARROWS popped up among the beach ryegrass, chipping. Then I heard a loud chittering. I whipped out Merlin, wondering what it could be. No bird was identified. I realized it was likely an ermine, mightily unhappy about my presence, so I moved on.
Another surprise was a single WHIMBREL feeding along an intertidal stream. I saw a Whimbrel on June 23 here as well.
A handful of LEAST SANDPIPERS, one SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and two GREATER YELLOWLEGS were all I found.
The TRUMPETER SWAN family at the mile 1 Nash Road wetlands is thriving. All four cygnets are growing and busy feeding in the water horsetails with their attentive parents.
In town, an occasional HERMIT THRUSH and FOX SPARROW still sing. Frowsy baby ROBINS, VARIED THRUSHES, STELLER'S JAYS, NORTHWESTERN CROWS and others have fledged. Chirping VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOW families swoop overhead and perch on power lines. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS are feeding ravenously at the feeder, wild geraniums, and lilacs, tanking up for their long migration; the males long gone.
Time is surging along, and with it, the birds.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
