Kenai Birding Festival

Went to Kasilof Beach a few minutes before high tide about 11:30 this morning. Water flat with very light wind.  Ice has gone out maybe the first mile up from the river mouth.  River is still frozen over above that.  Beach is still clogged with heavy ice cakes. 

The  flock of common goldeneyes has been joined by a few more females.  There were quit a few males displaying at the same time by splashing up little water spouts, stretching their necks, and throwing their heads back.  6 or 7 longtails were still with the goldeneyes.  A male common merganser was also with the goldeneyes.  He was enjoying a very elaborate bath.

At our house after dinner we had a varied thrush call briefly.

This morning there were two Varied Thrushes singing in our yard.

On Sunday and Monday we have had fleeting views of a Northern Flicker in and around our yard (off mile 12 K-Beach).

More processing was going on at the lower Kenai River and there was a Slaty-backed Gull in amongst the 125 gulls present at noon today.

On Friday the 18th our family spent a long day birding Seward. With the help of local bird authorities Robin Coleman and Carol Griswold we able to enjoy a great day of winter birds. Everyone got satisfying views of the King Eider drake. We were also impressed with the Hooded Merganser drake and his Common Goldeneye girlfriend. Our 13 year old son Ed surpassed 200 bird species for the Kenai Peninsula. The King Eider was #200 and the infamous European Starling was #201. Despite much effort we were unable to relocate the Great Blue Herons that had previously been staked out by Robin Coleman. Fortunately our six year old son spotted a lone heron 60 feet up in a snag 200 yards west of the Stash & Store while we were leaving town. Dad did not get rear-ended as he slammed on the brakes... herons are far and few between in the greater Kenai- Soldotna area.

         5 Gadwall

         6 American Wigeon 

       30 Mallard

         1 King Eider

       90 Harlequin Duck

     350 Surf Scoter

         1 White-winged Scoter

       25 Black Scoter

       30 Bufflehead

     200 Common Goldeneye

     150 Barrow’s Goldeneye

          1 Hooded Merganser

     100 Common Merganser

        45 Red-breasted Merganser

          2 Red-throated Loon       

          2 Pacific Loon

        25 Common Loon

          4 Yellow-billed Loon

        20 Horned Grebe

        15 Red-necked Grebe

        40 Pelagic Cormorant

          1 Great Blue Heron

        25 Bald Eagle

      150 Black-legged Kittiwake

        50 Mew Gull

          3 Herring Gull

      250 Glaucous-winged Gull

          1 Glaucous Gull - juvenile

      300 Common Murre

          1 Thick-billed Murre

        15 Pigeon Guillemot

      125 Rock Pigeon

          1 Downy Woodpecker

          1 Hairy Woodpecker

        20 Steller’s Jay

        35 Black-billed Magpie

      250 Northwest Crow

        40 Common Raven

          7 Black-capped Chickadee

          2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee

          8 Red-breasted Nuthatch

          1 Brown Creeper

          2 American Dipper

          5 Golden-crowned Kinglet

        30 American Robin

        15 Bohemian Waxwing

          4 Cedar Waxwing

          3 Song Sparrow

        10 Dark-eyed Junco

          2 Pine Grosbeak

        20 White-wined Crossbill

   1,000 Pine Siskin

The Burkes

Kenai

In the previous post instead of reading "1 Glaucous-winged Gull" it should have read 120 Glaucous-winged Gull. In any case the gulls are returning.

Here are the birds observed from the lower Kenai River on Thursday from the Port of Kenai Birding Platform. It appears that winter fish processing on the Kenai River has begun.

    13 Mallard

    65 Common Goldeneye - all drakes

      4 Common Merganser - all drakes

    20 Bald Eagles

    70 Rock Sandpiper - on bank ice and drifting ice bergs near high tide

  100 Mew Gulls

      5 Herring Gull    

      1 Glaucous-winged Gull

      1 Glaucous Gull - first year

      1 Slaty-backed Gull - adult

      2 Black-billed Magpie

    20 Northwest Crow

    30 Common Raven

On Tuesday the 15th our family spent a long day birding Homer. Everyone got satisfying views of the Western Meadowlark and Aaron Lang already provided all the details. At 0830 we observed 6,500 Rock Sandpipers and 150 Dunlin roosting along the west side of the Spit opposite the fishing hole. Later at 1830, at low tide, we saw 10,000 Rock Sandpiper in Mud Bay from below the airport. At that time there were two flocks of 5,000 each. At the Steller’s Jay Drive sparrow feeders at least 10 American Tree Sparrows, 2 White-throated Sparrows, and 2 White-crowned Sparrows were in full song at 1900. Mud Bay still has a substantial amount of heavy ice. Duck numbers, though respectable (further out) at low tide, should grow substantially with some warm days and high tides to clear out the ice.

        4 Eurasian Wigeon 

      80 American Wigeon 

    200 Mallard

 1,400 Greater Scaup

       20 Steller’s Eider

       18 Harlequin Duck

     200 Surf Scoter

     500 White-winged Scoter

  1,000 Black Scoter

  2,000 Unidentified Scoters

  1,000 Long-tailed Duck

          5 Bufflehead

        70 Common Goldeneye

          2 Barrow’s Goldeneye

        10 Common Merganser

        30 Red-breasted Merganser

          1 Ring-necked Pheasant       

          1 Red-throated Loon       

          1 Pacific Loon

        20 Common Loon

          7 Horned Grebe

        20 Red-necked Grebe

        40 Pelagic Cormorant

        50 Bald Eagle

          1 Northern Harrier

10,000 Rock Sandpiper

     150 Dunlin

          5 Black-legged Kittiwake

  1,000 Mew Gull

        12 Herring Gull

          1 Thayer’s Gull - first year

  1,000 Glaucous-winged Gull

          1 Glaucous Gull - adult

        15 Common Murre

          7 Pigeon Guillemot

        10 Marbled Murrelet

          6 Rock Pigeon

          1 Downy Woodpecker

          5 Steller’s Jay

        60 Black-billed Magpie

      500 Northwest Crow

        25 Common Raven

        25 Black-capped Chickadee

          1 Boreal Chickadee

          4 Red-breasted Nuthatch

          5 Golden-crowned Kinglet

        10 American Tree Sparrow         

          3 Song Sparrow

          2 White-throated Sparrow

          2 White-crowned Sparrow

          2 Dark-eyed Junco

          1 Western Meadowlark

        30 White-wined Crossbill

        50 Common Redpoll

      500 Pine Siskin

Saw two Swans fly overhead today near where the power lines cross the Moose River in Sterling. They were headed up river.

To let you know, we're WORKING on spring down here...


The MEADOWLARK was seen again on the 8th in the Waddell St area behind the Bidarka Inn.  (I would presume it's a WESTERN MEADOWLARK.)

On the 6th there was a report of TRUMPETER SWANS in China Poot Bay.  Also possible EUROPEAN STARLINGS over there. (First starling report I've had for many years.)

On the 11th out on the Spit more HERRING x GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL hybrids are being seen.  Also a THAYER'S GULL and a GLAUCOUS GULL (adult).  No Kittiwakes could be found.yet. SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the 13th by Louie's Lagoon, a group of 6-10.

Report from the Portlock/Fernwood area: TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was singing and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS catching some insects.  On Steller's Jay Dr. TREE SPARROWS were singing. Must be spring!?

A NORTHERN HARRIER continues to be seen in the Seaside Farm and Miller's Landing area.

At Mile 10 East End Rd: BROWN CREEPERS, SAW-WHET OWL, BOREAL CHICKADEES, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH.
On Old East End Rd: GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, BOREAL CHICKADEE, NORTHERN SHRIKE. Near Eveline Park (out past McNeil Canyon School): HAIRY WOODPECKER, PINE GROSBEAKS, COMMON REDPOLLS, BLACK-CKAPPED CHICKADEES, GRAY  AND STELLER'S JAYS. 

IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BIRD!!