A great day of birding! The began with a yummy omelet breakfast at the Kenai home of Ken and Connie Tarbox, who graciously invited me to stay with them last night. We then packed up and joined other Kenai birders for their field trip to Homer. The group was well-led by Cindy Avery. I have included a couple of pictures of her and some of the other participants as well.

 

On the way to Homer, the cars stopped at Anchor Point State Recreation Area. It was quite breezy and cold, but we were able to see all three scoter species and many of the other wintering birds there, highlights of which for me were Brown Creeper and Harlequin Ducks. I spent a fair amount of time gazing across the water at the spectacular Mount Redoubt.

In Homer we drove to the end of the spit and scanned the water where we saw the normal wintering gulls, including Black-legged Kittiwakes. At various areas along the spit were the usual multitude of Bald Eagles, Common Goldeneyes, Harlequin Ducks, Long-tailed Ducks, both Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, Common Murres, the usual Pelagic Cormorants and one Double-crested Cormorant, a Red-necked Grebe, more scoters, and a couple of flocks of Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches.

 

 

 

Beluga Slough was teeming with ducks, most of which were Mallards and American Wigeons, but I was delighted to find that a male NORTHERN SHOVELER (I had been told that there was one there on my last trip to Homer but I did not see it then) and a distant male EURASIAN WIGEON were also at the Slough. Everyone was able to see both of these birds and I managed to get a blurry but identifiable picture of the wigeon.

At the Beluga Slough Overlook we saw three Trumpeter Swans, more Mallards and a Northern Shrike.

When we walked the trail behind the Islands and Oceans visitor center down to the slough we came upon a little flock of passerines, which included Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees, about three calling Golden-crowned Kinglets, and at least one scolding RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, which obligingly actually let us see it as it flitted about in the spruce trees.

We did one more scan of the water, looking for but not finding eiders, and then it was time for me to begin the 200-plus mile trip north to Anchorage, while the rest of the participants went off for a pizza dinner. I’m looking forward to being back in Kenai to speak at and go on field trips at their bird festival in May, but I may also go back sooner if those elusive owls show up again.

122 species so far

After a few errands this morning in Anchorage, I drove south about 150 miles to Kenai and Soldotna. There was a bit of new snow coming down and a bit of slush on the road, but otherwise it was an uneventful trip.

After I arrived in the Kenai area, my time was split between looking for the recently reported Great Gray Owl and looking for Short-eared Owls. Neither quest was successful.

The Great Gray Owl quest was led by Laura Burke (with baby on her back) and one of her sons. We searched the areas where they had seen the owl yesterday, ducking under spruce branches and checking out many, many spruce trees. It was a very nice walk with much potential. but….

After a couple of hours, I went where  I had arranged to meet Ken Tarbox off Cannery Road where Short-eared Owls have been seen, but the result was the same.

Bottom line: to see birds that you want to see, you must go looking for them, but that is no guarantee that you will see them. It’s early in the year – I will keep trying.

119 species so far

Today I decided to try to find the White-winged Crossbills reported north of Girdwood (south of Anchorage). As usual, it was a beautiful drive and I stopped to take numerous pictures.

 

In some areas, such as across the highway from the road into Girdwood, the ice was beginning to melt and there were open areas of shallow water that soon should be suitable for shorebirds and ducks. None there yet, however.

The birds were not too numerous, and I only saw Common Ravens, Black-billed Magpies, a Bald Eagle, and three Pine Grosbeaks on the drive down. The Grosbeaks were singing as I passed them on the way south and still singing on my return trip. I did not find any crossbills.

At a roadside stop not far from Portage Glacier, there were two Barrow’s Goldeneyes flying around in circles, apparently looking for open water where there appeared to be only frozenness.

The highlight on the way back was the sighting of many mountain goats/sheep (I never know which), all of which were munching on something growing on or among the rocks. People were stopped all along the road taking pictures, and I joined the crowd.

Tomorrow I am going to try to head back to Palmer where a Northern Harrier has been found by Justin Saunders. While I am quite certain to see more of them on the hawk-watch north of Anchorage in the coming weeks, I am eager to get a year bird soon. March so far has been slow, as expected.

118 species so far

 

Last night about 10:00 pm I heard a Northern Saw-whet Owl in our neighborhood for the first time this winter. Last winter, there was one calling, audible from our yard, nearly every night from Feb. 24 to April 6, so last night’s regular tooting was a hoped-for and welcome return sound. As I watched the sun set tonight beyond our back yard, I hoped to hear it again tonight and to hear it again many times over the next few weeks. I also really hope one will find the owl-box in our back yard but I know that’s a long shot.

 

Today’s birding in Anchorage, while not yielding anything quite so exciting, was nicely birdy. At Spenard Crossing, the trail was not nearly as icy as a few days ago due to the recent snowfall, but the ice that is under the new fluffy snow did mean that it still was easy to slide unintentionally.

 

 

The sun was bright and many of the eighteen (!) Black-billed Magpies thought today was a good time for a bath. The Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees were very chatty, a Brown Creeper quietly worked the trees and poles and multiple Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers were noisily chasing each other. In addition to the omnipresent Mallards, there was a single female Common Goldeneye.

 

 

Halfway across town at Cuddy Pond, in addition to the omnipresent Mallards there, there was a single male Common Goldeneye. Although I think the Mallards wander back and forth between open water areas, the Goldeneyes seem to stay separate.

 

The bright sun today meant that the male Mallards, usually ignored as birders look for something less common, were at their absolutely most beautiful.

Still 118 species so far this year

 

 

 

I spent the morning checking out a few different places in Anchorage, trying to avoid the most icy places and trying to avoid Iditarod traffic.

I first went to Potter Marsh. As I walked through the woods to one of the boardwalk access areas, I heard the call of what I believe was the Northern Goshawk that I had seen there a few weeks ago. All I saw was a large bird flying away through the deciduous trees below treetop level. Off the end of the boardwalk, there were two adult Bald Eagles sitting next to each other near the nest spot calling loudly every now and then. On a nearby tree, an immature Bald Eagle sat, possibly last year’s young one. A few Black-billed Magpies were squawking and displaying, holding their tails up at an odd angle.

 

After briefly checking out a couple of other sites, I finished my birding trip at the area near Anchorage International Airport at the end of the road that winds around Point Woronzoff and ends near the airport fence. Beyond the end of the road was a Northern Shrike and later closer to Point Woronzoff was another shrike. Although I had not spotted the Northern Hawk Owl on my drive out the road, when I returned an hour later, it was perched up toward the top of a tree actively looking around, possibly in hunting mode.

The Hawk Owl once again made me realize how much I love owls. I will probably do my biweekly ABA blog post in a couple of days on owls seen so far this year and owls that I hope to see.

Still at 118 species for the year

 

It wasn’t actual sunrise when I arrived at Potter Marsh in south Anchorage this cold winter morning, but the sun was finally coming over the mountains to the southeast, so it seemed that way. All was silent at first, except for my boots scraping on the new frosty ice layer on the boardwalk.

Gradually, the frequent four species at the marsh appeared –  Black-capped Chickadee (out in the low brush), Bald Eagle (on the nest), Common Raven (fly-by) and two Black-billed Magpies (squawking at me and then flying away fast). As I was about to leave the boardwalk, a Downy Woodpecker flew by. So, five typical winter species.

 

 

I figured that was all that I was going to see, and got in my car to leave. As always, I kept my window down as I drove out, just in case there was something to hear. Immediately after I left the parking lot, I heard a beautiful, jumbled sound like nothing I had heard all winter long. There high in a deciduous tree to my left was a singing male Rusty Blackbird! Because I had seen a Rusty Blackbird in Hoonah in early February, this was not a year bird, but it was still a very welcome bird. For a moment, it seemed like spring was on its way. A bit premature, I’m sure, but the singing sound of a Brown Creeper shortly after that added to the illusion.

I still had a bit more time before a morning appointment so I made a quick trip to Spenard Crossing. There was nothing new to report there. Mallards did seem to be pairing up, or maybe it was just my spring-seeking imagination. The trail was dangerously icy so I did not stay long.

Tomorrow I may head north again to try to find one of those Ospreys that keep being reported.

Still at 118 species for the year