Seward, Alaska
Sunrise 9:13 am, sunset 5:12 pm for a total day length of 7 hours and 58 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 1 second longer.
Civil twilight rise 8:25 am, set 5:59 pm. Even with dark clouds, the increased day length is finally noticeable and increasing by 5 minutes and more every day!
Rain on Tuesday quickly reduced our 6” of new snow to slush followed by unseasonably mild temperatures in the 30s with calm winds and showers.
Last night however, the sky cleared revealing an almost full moon sailing high against a backdrop of stars including Orion and his faithful dog Sirius. Alas, the hope of a little sunshine today did not materialize. More rain and snow showers are in the forecast for this week.
The SNOW BUNTINGS are still around, though I only saw about 20 in the distance today. As the high tide ebbed, 36 ROCK SANDPIPERS chattered excitedly as they probed and prodded the mudflats for Baltic Macoma clams, amphipods, and other marine invertebrates.
As noted in the December 16, 2016 blog entry, the Rock Sandpiper flock consisted of very light gray Pribilof Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis ssp ptilocnemis) and two darker subspecies that may be the Aleutian Rock Sandpiper (ssp couesi), and/or the intermediate, tschukschorum. These subspecies are quite complicated, variable, and are still under review, according to Luke DeCicco.
Five snow-drift white adult TRUMPETER SWANS fed in the intertidal streams and tidal flats. Robin C reported about 30 Swans at the Trail Lake outflow in Moose Pass recently; maybe that is where “our” Swans are now overwintering.
In addition to MALLARDS, 8 AMERICAN WIGEON fed on the remains of the intertidal island sedges, and at least one GADWALL dabbled in the puddles.
Over at Fourth of July Beach, I found a COMMON LOON near and a YELLOW-BILLED LOON in the distance. Six HARLEQUIN DUCKS paddled along closer to shore.
Spring Creek Beach yielded a single LONG-TAILED DUCK, and the Harbor Uplands offered a raft of about 14 SURF SCOTERS. It was great to see the variety of waterfowl, even if in low numbers.
An AMERICAN CROW took an ice-cold bath in a large pothole, apparently enjoying it until a more dominant Crow strutted over to take possession of the prized bathtub. As if there were only one!
Happy Birding!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter
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