Date: 8/21/26 12:06 am From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Thursday, August 20, 2026 Black Turnstones, Hooded Mergansers, Merlin
Thursday, August 20, 2026 Black Turnstones, Hooded Mergansers, Merlin
Seward, Alaska
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Yesterday at Spring Creek Beach, a scruffy juvenile SONG SPARROW sitting on a rock near the parking lot sang like an adult, unless there was a ventriloquist about. Very talented either way!
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A short ways down the beach near the stream, a BLACK TURNSTONE standing on the upper beach surprised me as much as I surprised him. We both froze, though clicking noises might have been heard coming from one of us. He finally flew towards the remnant pond/creek, revealing a startling and beautiful pattern of black, brown and white.
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He landed and posed with his long wings pointed straight up, the brilliant white undersides signaling his presence to any predator, much like the SPOTTED SANDPIPERS down the beach. Then he waded in and took a refreshing bath, splashing water all over! On the way back, two Black Turnstones busily probed the exposed rocks of the small rock jetty.
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Two dark heads appeared offshore, surfacing then diving. Steller Sea Lions! I havenât seen any Sea Lions along shore for months! The mom surfaced and began bellowing for her much smaller and darker pup. Up popped the little one who quickly swam to mom for a reassuring whisker touch, then off they swam. So sweet.
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BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES seemed to be on the other side of the breakwater now, but a few GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS flew along the shore. All was peaceful, the gentle waves shushing in and out.
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Suddenly, a MERLIN appeared out of nowhere and dove at the Gull. A brief skirmish ensued with skillful evasive action. The Merlin gave up and kept flying as did the Gull. That was exciting!
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A large âdirty dishwaterâ juvenile Glaucous-winged Gull begged loudly and insistently while mom stood nearby, probably rolling her brown eyes, definitely not delivering sushi. Hard to stop wanting service even if you are bigger.
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I counted 14 ARCTIC TERNS resting on the rocks in their usual corner of the boat basin and spotted at least two youngsters with white foreheads. Always great to see them.
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At the Mile 1 Nash Road wetlands, the TRUMPTER SWAN family with one cygnet cruised around the far side of the wetlands pond. The light gray baby is about ¾ the size of her magnificent parents. Growing, growing!
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Then two crestless HOODED MERGANSERS with yellow lower bills popped up near the road. I was expecting the usual Mallards or GREEN-WINGED TEAL, not these fish-eating divers. One caught a fish while the other came up with an empty bill.
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Last year on August 23, almost a year to the day, I found a crestless female Hooded Merganser at the head of the bay. She too had a yellow lower bill, but also a white chin. Maybe the two I found today are juveniles as they didnât have whitish chins. I wonder if they are nesting somewhere nearby, though I havenât seen any adults this summer.
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Always more to learn when watching the Nature Channel!
Date: 8/20/26 2:54 pm From: George Matz via groups.io <geomatz41...> Subject: [AKBirding] Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project data
Attached is the final copy for the monitoring data from this year's shorebird monitoring project.. This report includes data from this year and summary data from the previous 17 years, as well as data from George West. It represents many hours of monitoring by many dedicated birders following a rigorous protocol.. This year's volunteer list is also included. Lots of data here that has already been turned into useful information needed by researchers as well as support for comments on various projects that might have an impact on Kachemak Bay birds and bird habitat.
I use the Kachemak Bay Birders website to archive each year's report. See the website if you want to delve down into more detailed data on specific species.
I want to thank all the volunteers who showed up for monitoring during some pretty nasty weather this year. Butas we learned, bad weather can result in good birding. Also, thanks to all the professional biologists who offered advice.
I have been contemplating the future for this project. While there definitely will be need for us to just keep on doing what we have, we also need to be aware that new opportunities that are arising.The state of the art for monitoring technology now is not the same as when we started this project 18 years ago, eBird being a good example.Some of these technologies may be beyond the scope of a citizen science project, So, I think we need to be on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate, such as the Surfbird capture and tagging project we assisted. As this project demonstrated, it can be exciting to see how our data gets used.
If anyone needs help in navigating our monitoring data, send me an email.
Date: 8/17/26 11:04 pm From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Monday, August 17, 2026 Black Oystercatchers, Arctic Tern update
Monday, August 17, 2026 Black Oystercatchers, Arctic Tern update
Seward, Alaska
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Sunrise 6:18 am, sunset 9:48 pm for a total day length of 15 hours and 30 minutes. Tomorrow will be 5 minutes and 16 seconds shorter.
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Much-needed rain returned on Sunday, dumping 1.85†of rain then misty drizzle. Cool, cloudy and rain in the forecast for the rest of the week with temps in the high 40s to low 50s. We sure need it; freshwater levels are low everywhere.
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Spring Creek continued to be a hot spot. On August 14, five BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS surprised me with their strident wheeping call as they flew past down the beach and out of sight, red eyes blazing.
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Today many 100s of Gulls screeched around the fish processor waste pipe outlet: BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES seemed to be the majority, along with GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. A single juvenile BONAPARTE’S GULL hung out with the Kittiwakes dabbling near the shore. The crashing surf from a Gulf storm mingled with Gull cries making seaside music.
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The ARCTIC TERNS linger. I could only see about 15 resting on the distant rock jetty of the harbor basin, and more were flying up and out of sight. I savored their chirping calls and even heard some begging.
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On August 11, a youngster perched and preened on a nearby mooring dolphin. Only a few white feathers remained of a fledgling’s white forehead photographed on July 29. Growing up fast!
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As I watched the Black-legged Kittiwakes and other Gulls bob in the waves and pick at the tidbits on the surface, I realized that I have not observed Arctic Terns float on the water. They seem to prefer resting on floating debris. How do they make it to Antarctica without landing on the water?
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Also observed today were a group of four SPOTTED SANDPIPERS plus another two, a LEAST SANDPIPER, and a juvenile SEMIPALMATED PLOVER. Lots of flies on the beach for these crafty foragers.
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No sign of the Rufous Hummingbird since August 6. She may be in Mexico by now!
Date: 8/13/26 11:51 pm From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Saturday, August 8, 2026 Foggy with Sandpipers
Saturday, August 8, 2026 Foggy with Sandpipers
Seward, Alaska
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Pea soup fog greeted the morning, creating a very eerie and mysterious scene where the familiar was no longer. Water droplets adorned the blooming fireweed and other plants, undisturbed by even a breath of wind.
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Peeps, including a family of SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and LEAST SANDPIPERS poked through the bright green algal mats at the head of the bay. A flock of about 45 peeps flashed along the tide’s edge.
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A slight breeze shooed the fog away by late morning. BALD EAGLES screeched from the treetops at Afognak Beach in bright sunshine and soared overhead. One adult and one immature Eagle circled each other in a graceful aerial ballet.
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Two juvenile SPOTTED SANDPIPERS walked along Afognak Creek, intend on lunch, oblivious of the spawning Chum Salmon nearby.
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Though the fog was magical, one cannot complain about a beautiful blue-sky sunny day.
Date: 8/13/26 11:11 pm From: Toby Burke via groups.io <kenaibirder...> Subject: [AKBirding] Resurrection Bay: Yellow/Orange billed Common Murre
Though not a rare species, nonetheless, a rare occurrence. On Tuesday, August 11 just after 9 AM we observed a yellow/orange-billed Common Murre about 5+ miles south of the Seward Small Boat Harbor. Interestingly enough another e-Birder reported a Yellow-billed Loon also south of the harbor on the same day and time. Perhaps we observed the same bird, even from the same boat?
Yellow/orange-billed Common Murres are thought to be of less than a 1 in 100,000 bird occurrence.
Date: 8/13/26 2:27 pm From: Martin Renner via groups.io <mrenner...> Subject: [AKBirding] Upland sandpiper Nocturnal Flight Call
At 3:48 this morning, an UPLAND SANDPIPER flew over my house in Homer. Unfortunately, I slept through it, but birdNET recorded the trilling call (raw and filtered versions included in the eBird list below). Despite all the false-positives any AI produces, I’ve only had one previous detection in 2.5 years of near continues listening (which I dismissed because I could not verify it myself amongst the crossbill chatter). eBird only has two previous records for the Kenai Peninsula (one from Anchor Point on 15 August 2022). Shorebirds are on the move!
Date: 8/6/26 11:09 pm From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Thursday, August 6, 2026 Rufous Hummingbird!
Thursday, August 6, 2026 Rufous Hummingbird!
Seward, Alaska
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Around noon, an insistent “tick, tick, tick†penetrated my multi-tasking thoughts. I glanced out the kitchen window to an empty space where the hummingbird feeder had waited in vain since July 28 until I removed it three days ago. Below, a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD buzzed from one purple pansy to another, emitting little hummingbird curses.
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Almost panicking, I quickly made a fresh sugar solution and rehung the feeder. What was a Rufous Hummingbird doing here in August??? They should have migrated in July.
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I hustled to get my camera ready and went outside to wait. Much to my amazement, I happened into a burst of activity. Birds I haven’t seen since spring zipped through the spruce branches, flitting from branch to branch, gleaning tiny caterpillars from the twigs. Most looked like youngsters: TOWNSEND’S WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, and resident CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES.
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It was impossible to get a decent photo, hidden behind the needles and moving fast, so I had to settle for pieces and parts.
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The Hummer returned and allowed me to savor her (?) presence as she silently sipped the sugar water; the offering apparently passed inspection.
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The mixed flock moved on, but the Hummer returned around 6 pm and enjoyed another long drink. What a beauty!
Date: 8/3/26 9:43 pm From: rainyday via groups.io <c_griz...> Subject: [AKBirding] Sunday, August 2, 2026 Arctic Terns, Shorebirds, Gulls, and a Deer!
Sunday, August 2, 2026 Arctic Terns, Shorebirds, Gulls, and a Deer!
Seward, Alaska
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August already!!!!
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Sunrise 5:41 am, sunset 10:28 pm for a total day length of 16 hours and 46 minutes. Tomorrow will be 4 minutes and 55 seconds shorter.
Mostly brilliant sunshine this past week with highs of 65. Yesterday featured ghostly fog wafting in from the Gulf of Alaska, obscuring then revealing the surrounding bay and mountains.
Rain, heavy at times, is in the forecast for the week as stormy weather returns.
Spring Creek Beach and the adjacent boat basin proved to be a hot spot this past week.
After the fish processing plant moved from its long-standing location on Lowell Point Road to the SMIC harbor in March, their feathered clients of the ground-up fish waste moved with them.
Hundreds of Gulls, including clouds of BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES and GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS, and some HERRING GULLS partied with maximum volume around the outlet pipe feast on the seaward side of the harbor breakwater.
As the fish-bits drifted along the shore, many of the Gulls followed. The Kittiwakes mastered the art of hovering and patter-feeding like Storm Petrels, plucking small morsels from the surface midair. The larger Gulls also tried this feeding method but not were not as graceful. Daintier SHORT-BILLED GULLS picked and paddled.
Two juvenile BONAPARTE’S GULLS rested quietly on the placid water, such lovely markings!
Four PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and at least 4 MARBLED MURRELETS dove for live fish just offshore. The shrill whistles of the Murrelets kept the family in touch after surfacing.
I spotted four ARCTIC TERNS on July 28. I heard begging, and the next day, found an adult carrying a small fish back for her baby.
I lucked out when a fledgling chose to land at the tide’s edge near me. She was as large as the parent, but insisted on fresh fish delivery services. She waited patiently for long minutes, looking around, then burst into full begging mode when the adult flew overhead, fish or no fish. Finally, the parent hovered overhead and carefully placed the fish into the wide-open beak. Delivery! And quiet, for now.
I totally missed seeing any Tern chicks this year before the colony at the head of the bay collapsed, so this felt like a serendipitous time warp.
On August 1, I counted 35 Terns swooping ensemble off the rocks by the breakwater. When they settled back down in the intertidal zone, I counted 44 Terns. So exciting! I wonder if this population included Terns from the collapsed colony, and if this will be the new colony location. I also wonder when they will migrate.
On July 28, a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, presumably a parent, still in her dashing spotted breeding plumage, walked along the rocks at the tide’s edge. Her sleek juvenile, with remnant downy feathers poking out from its nape, crept cautiously along the high tide line, stalking the numerous beach flies.
I also found a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER family at Fourth of July Beach later that afternoon, chasing beach flies, and a juvenile VARIED THRUSH grabbing flies at Afognak Beach on July 30.
A pulse of LESSER YELLOWLEGS showed up this week at the various beaches, with a few GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Â
On August 1, I was stunned to find a buck Sitka Black-tailed Deer walking along Nash Road by the Mile 1 wetlands. He soon realized that he was trapped with vehicles on the road and wetlands on both sides. He crossed over and hustled along the road trying to get around the water.
When he passed my somewhat pulled-over car, I snapped a photo that showed his long whiskers and eyebrows, something I have never seen in a taxidermied specimen. Such big, dark eyes, alert ears, and antlers covered in velvet. A beautiful deer, unusual for Seward, though a doe has been living in Seward for the past several years.
At home, the last RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD I saw was feeding on my red columbines on July 28. Safe travels!
An adult Varied Thrush hopped across the yard, and a ROBIN sang a few wistful bars from the top of a spruce tree. Resident CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES called from the nearby trees and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS called from clusters of green spruce cones at the tops. STELLER JAYS, BLACK-BILLED MAGPIES, RAVENS, and even BALD EAGLES passed through.
The flashy visitors are getting more scarce and the residents more noticeable as the season quickly moves along.
Date: 7/29/26 9:45 am From: James Herbert via groups.io <jherbert8000...> Subject: [AKBirding] Hacked - "invite"
Apologies to all. I was hacked and an "invite" was sent to many. Do NOT open or click on any "invites". Apparently this is a common hack these days. Sorry Jim Herbert
Sunrise 5:25 am, sunset 10:45 pm for a total day length of 17 hours and 19 minutes. Tomorrow will be four minutes and 35 seconds shorter.
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The week began with 5-6†of accumulated rain and flooding, and ended with five days of sunshine soaring to a July high of 66º today. Hot!
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After a long hiatus, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD action at my feeder really picked up during the rain. Two Hummers actually shared the feeder on opposite sides for several minutes rather than chasing each other off as usual. I had at least three zooming in and out all day.Â
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I learned from hummingbird expert Todd Eskelin that juveniles and adult females look very similar. Banders can look at their beaks with a magnifying glass to verify age. Hatch-year birds have fine striations covering most of the upper bill vs the smooth, hard bill of an adult with little or no grooving.
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Also, the juveniles rarely have any gorget feathers but just lots of stippling dots on the throat. Adult females will often have more of a central gorget spot. Of course, the dazzling adult males migrated a long time ago, so that helps a bit.
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It is also hard to tell the gender of juveniles without seeing the tail spread. Banders can lift the upper tail coverts and check the central tail feathers. If they are more than 50% rufous, it is a male, and less, it’s a female. So, I don’t know the gender or age of my hummers.Â
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On Tuesday at the beach, angry SHORT-BILLED GULLS dive-bombed an immature BALD EAGLE that had the audacity to sit at their nest in a short spruce tree. She must have found something of interest like unhatched eggs or nestlings, though it seems very late. The Gulls eventually drove off the giant predator, but it was probably too late for whoever was in the nest.
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A pulse of about 50 peeps moved through, flashing in synchrony along the tideline. Three SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS fed in the shallows. I also heard an ALDER FLYCATCHER and some ARCTIC TERNS.
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As the rain tapered off on Wednesday, “my†VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS fledged. The box was silent and looked abandoned. Happy they fledged, sad they’re gone.
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That afternoon at least six Violet-green Swallows swooped and chirruped over my yard, some begging mid-air, a joyous sound and sight. What exhilarating freedom after being cooped up in a nest box for so long! My neighbor’s TREE SWALLOWS also fledged.
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Later, there were at least 20 Swallows flying low over the street; I stopped in my tracks to enjoy the spectacle.Â
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The next day, Thursday, July 23, it seemed the unseasonable north wind with gusts to 24 mph blew everything south. No Swallows, no Hummingbirds, no Terns.Â
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Not quite everything; 16 Short-billed Dowitchers stitched at the tidelands with two Yellowlegs.
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One Rufous Hummingbird remained on Friday. She actually hovered at my kitchen window where I was lurking, as if to complain about the service. I swapped out the feeder solution!
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Also on Friday was a surprise SOLITARY SANDPIPER at First Lake in Two Lakes Park. At first, I thought it was a Lesser Yellowlegs, but not with those conspicuous white eye-rings. It bobbed its tail and walked through the shallows, picking up tidbits. A newly emerged dragonfly zoomed past.
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Saturday around 11:30 pm, I again heard a distant SAW-WHET OWL beeping from forested slopes of Mt Marathon. Nice to hear him, but is he still trying to attract a mate?
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Sunday morning while enjoying breakfast in the yard, I froze as a Rufous Hummingbird hovered in a nearby lilac, sipping nectar from one fragrant flower after another. It’s a lot of work to hover-feed, and after several minutes, it perched on a twig to rest. Lilacs, like many other flowers, bloomed late this year, and provide food for any lingering hummers.
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A walk at the beach turned up one GREATER YELLOWLEGS and a singing LINCOLN’S SPARROW.Â
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This afternoon, in the heat, I came across an adult ROBIN all stretched out, relaxing and soaking up the sun on the Two Lakes Trail. I stopped, but eventually two other hikers joined me and he flew off, disgruntled at being disturbed. He, like the rest of us, appreciated the return of summer.
