Originally found on the Homer Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on 19 December 2009, this Emperor Goose was a dandy way to ring in the new year. It is of less than annual occurrence on the Kenai Peninsula.
Other Alaska CBC totals for Emperor Goose this year include: Adak–102; Unalaska/Dutch Harbor–1368; Kodiak–588; Narrow Cape/Kalsin Bay (on Kodiak Island)–114; and Homer–1.
The migratory habits of Northern Saw-whet Owls are far from understood. A banding study in Homer this fall captured and banded 179 Saw-whets from one site! It’s clear that many Saw-whets do move further south for the winter months, but it’s also clear that some do remain in southcentral Alaska throughout the winter. However, during the mid-winter months these birds are most often silent and detecting their presence is not easy, usually requiring luck. These owls were two of three at Mossy Kilcher’s Seaside Farm in Homer today. Both birds were roosting quietly in dense spruce but were given away by the scolding calls of mobbing chickadees, nuthatches and others.
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.
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?
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.
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.
High tide today pushed a flock of about 2,500 Rock Sandpipers, 150 Dunlin and one stubborn Long-billed Dowitcher into the rocky corner of the Homer boat harbor. Rock Sandpipers and Dunlin are regular at this time of year, but the dowitcher is setting a new late record each day.
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.
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.
