Birding Alaska

Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendi, Homer, 7 December 2009.

Townsend’s Solitaires are uncommon to rare breeders at treeline on the Kenai Peninsula.  They are rare and erratic winter visitors to Homer.  This individual has  been frequenting chokecherries and mountain ash trees on Fernwood since at least 3 December.

Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum, Seaside Farms, Homer, 5 December 2009.

This hatch-year Cedar Waxwing was one of two present at Mossy’s Seaside Farm on 5 December.  She’s seen up to six Cedars in her fruit trees, usually with a flock of American Robins, sporadically since mid-September.  Cedar Waxwings are relatively new arrivals to the Homer list.  The first reports for Homer came from the winter of 2004-2005; they have since occurred in small numbers nearly annually in the fall and winter.

Other frugivores currently in Homer include Homer’s first record of Mountain Bluebird present since 18 November and still present on 7 December, and hundreds of American Robins and Bohemian Waxwings.  What will be next?

Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides, Homer, 18 November 2009.

Perched alone on the top of a birch, I pulled over to take a look at what I was expecting to be an American Robin.  Instead, this Mountain Bluebird made for a big surprise on my way home from town today.   It moved around frequently, but finally settled down in a choke cherry on the west side of the Church of Christ, East End Road.  There is a lot of fruit on the trees in town right now so maybe it will stick around.

Anna’s Hummingbird Colypte anna, Homer, 9 November 2009.

The Anna’s Hummingbird seems to have left my yard in Homer.  It was last seen around noon on 14 November, the 8th day since it appeared at the feeder on 7 November.  There have been at least five other reports of Anna’s Hummingbirds in Alaska this fall–four from Juneau and one from Haines.  Homer is probably the westernmost site where this species has been recorded.

White-throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis, Seaside Farms, Homer, 8 November 2009.

Battle of the yard birds in Homer.  The Anna’s Hummingbird was still present at our feeder today and just a mile or so down the road Mossy Kilcher had this beautiful White-throated Sparrow in her ravine.

Anna’s Hummingbird Colypte anna, Homer, 7 November 2009.

The first snow of the year brought a nice surprise to the yard today.  There are only a few previous Homer records of Anna’s Hummingbird.  It is listed as “casual” on the Alaska checklist.