Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:30 am, sunset 4:51 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 20 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 37 seconds longer.
Relatively mild temperatures around freezing and mostly calm winds prevailed this week, a relief after the prolonged cold snap. The forecast for next week includes a severe weather advisory starting Tuesday for bands of heavy snow with 4 to 8” in the Seward area. But with temps above freezing, this will more likely be the dreaded wintry mix and rain.
On Wednesday I spotted two hardy ROBINS and two OREGON JUNCOS foraging along the beach and in the tidelands at Afognak Beach. As the Mt Ash berry supplies disappear, the Robins have become resourceful, switching from fruit to amphipods. The resident BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES and one STELLER’S JAY loudly accompanied them from the nearby shrubs.
On Thursday at Fourth of July Beach, I found two LONG-TAILED DUCKS too far out to photograph, one COMMON LOON, and a sprinkling of HORNED GREBES. The Alaska State Ferry Tustumena is at drydock undergoing repairs; nice to see her in her former home port of Seward.
The harbor again rewarded my efforts with nice views of the YELLOW-BILLED LOON, a Common Loon, and a very dark immature BALD EAGLE with innocent, warm brown eyes. Two GREAT BLUE HERONS preened on the far side of the harbor jetty, revealing only their heads.
The ground is covered with about 4” of crusty snow and ice, yet my feeder is still not very active. Sporadically, the action picked up with six Juncos, a couple CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and the resident SONG SPARROW. A DOWNY WOODPECKER flew past, but did not stop to dine at the suet feeder hanging conveniently on the outside of the exclosure.
A SAW-WHET OWL was reported around 6 pm, beeping from the mountainside on Thursday, but has not been heard since. Just checking in.
Though the birding is slow, it’s been great to get out and about to look. We’ll see what this storm will bring next week.
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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