Friday, April 22, 2016 Geese!

Seward, Alaska

What a great 3 days! THIS was the big spring rush for geese and more cranes.

A friend reported geese at the wetlands at the head of the bay around 6 pm on Tuesday, April 19. When I finally got there around 9 pm, it was almost dark, but I saw the solid shapes of about 100-150 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and CACKLING GEESE feeding voraciously on sedges. It was even more fun to hear their joyous conversations, so glad to feast before their migration continued to the Yukon Flats.

At 9:30 pm, I suddenly heard garbled, high-pitched cries high overhead and looked up in the darkening sky to see hundreds of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and likely CACKLING GEESE, migrating overhead in long, wavering lines and curved bows, heading north. I could still hear them at 10:30 pm, though it was too dark to see.

I checked on them the next morning, April 20, and they were still there, feeding, preening, and napping, a wonderful sight! At 9 am, the dark, glowering clouds spit rain and SANDHILL CRANES. They flew high overhead, followed by another joyous flock a few minutes later. Ten minutes later, I heard the faint bugling of yet another flock and watched the long, undulating line of specks grow larger as they streamed up the bay, getting louder and louder until they were overhead and past. What a thrill!

I checked again on April 21, and Greater White-fronted Geese and Cackling Geese were still feeding at the wetlands, though it was impossible to know if these were the same birds. Walking around the block at 11:45 pm, I heard that laughing, garbled cry overhead as several flocks flew north in the dark. 

Maybe those were the stopover feeding geese, as they were all gone by the next day. If we are lucky, we’ll see or hear them in the fall for another brief visit on their way south.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Sunday, April 17, 2016 Arctic Terns! Golden-plover! Eagle eats Goose!

Seward, Alaska

Quite a lot of excitement today!

First song in the morning was the WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW’s clear ‘O, Can-a-da, Can-a-da, Can-a-da!” close by in my yard, but hidden in the spruce boughs. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, ROBINS, and VARIED THRUSHES added to the sweet spring chorus.

At the head of the bay, I heard a sharp “Chirp! Chirp!” and searched the sky in amazement. Sure enough, two ARCTIC TERNS zipped in tandem against the snowy mountain backdrop, glad to be back. It sure seems early!

I spotted a single FOS PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER foraging through the emerging sedges in the wetland pond, his dramatic white shawl extended down his sides, separating the golden spangles on his back from his black front. It’s always a treat to see one of these beauties.

Five BALD EAGLES soared lazily overhead, spiraling around each other effortlessly. Suddenly, all the ducks on the pond erupted into the air in panic as an Eagle streaked across, right above the water. A CANADA GOOSE flew up and tried desperately to evade the predator, turning in a sharp circle. Undeterred, the Eagle followed and slammed into it, then both fell heavily into the water.

The Goose struggled mightily, but the Eagle held on with determination, wings flailing to maintain balance. Still holding the Goose underwater to drown it, the Eagle began awkwardly stroking to shore. It seemed like a long time, but it was only a few minutes from the strike to lunchtime.

Several of the soaring Eagles cruised in to watch from various perches, hoping for a piece of the action, but were not invited to share. One brave Eagle did land nearby and gradually walked up near the diner who was still ripping away and gobbling great chunks of meat.

Now I could tell the hunter was the larger female. The male, presumably her mate, did not ask for or receive any Goose, but seemed to be guarding her, carefully scanning the sky overhead. Eventually, they both flew off, taking the leftovers with them, with only a small pile of gray goose feathers like crumbs to mark the scene. Wow!

Later that evening, a FOS SHORT-EARED OWL silently wafted over the drab grasslands, much like an oversized moth, swooping and turning as it hunted voles.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter

Friday, April 15, 2016 Harrier

Seward, Alaska

Spring is spurting! Around 6 pm this evening, I saw my FOS NORTHERN HARRIER, a handsome silvery-white male with jet black wing tips hunting for voles. He was first reported yesterday.

Shortly afterwards, I heard my second flock of SANDHILL CRANES flying across the mountains west of Seward. Another birder was lucky to see them emerge from the clouds and estimated between 150 and 200 cranes. It seems late to be on the move, but maybe they touched down in Kenai or Anchorage later tonight.

Sarah the birder also reported large numbers of GREATER YELLOWLEGS yesterday, which were FOS by Tasha on Monday. I found my FOS, a noisy one on Tuesday with a loud, ringing “TEW, TEW, TEW!” This evening, two were flying, adding “Riddly-riddley-riddley!” She also found FOS two AMERICAN WIGEON yesterday, joining the PINTAILS, MALLARDS, GADWALL, COMMON MERGANSERS, and BUFFLEHEAD.  

MEW GULL numbers are increasing around the usual nesting areas, with stiff competition for the best sites. All this posturing will be for naught when the Arctic Terns return and establish dominancy!

I watched a pair of BARROW’S GOLDENEYES in a local pond. It was interesting to watch them in freshwater after a winter of living almost exclusively in the ocean. The female mostly napped or occasionally dove while the male patrolled around her.

At one point, he lowered his head until it was just above the water and paddled quickly, leaving a wake as he snuck up on a pair of MALLARDS that were feeding quietly. With his unsuspecting quarry in range, he dove and goosed the drake underwater, resulting in a loud eruption and relocation. Pretty funny to see the sneak, as if he were invisible, but it worked. Given this evidence of territoriality, maybe they hope to nest here, which would be awesome.

Ava reported FOS WILSON’S SNIPE winnowing yesterday evening, and the FOS RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was reported from Salmon Creek Road. Last year, the earliest report was April 15, so it’s pretty close. Kate in Prince William Sound emailed that her earliest sighting is April 22. It is interesting that Seward may have them before PWS. I’ve got my feeder up and ready for whenever they arrive.

A friend kindly shared this link to a Tundra Swan satellite study that USGS did in 2008, involving capture/release of the swans in Cold Bay as part of the avian influenza study. http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/avian_influenza/TUSW/TUSW_research.php

On the way home, a very small yearling Moose grazed on fresh greens near the road. Momma must have given him the boot as she gets ready for his siblings’ arrival in May.

Happy Birding!

Carol Griswold

Seward Sporadic Bird Report Reporter