Birding Alaska

I returned home this afternoon from birding only to find more birds in the yard than I found on the outing. The bird of the day was this Townsend’s Solitaire, a new addition to our yard list. It is probably one of the two that I saw yesterday as our property is situated squarely between both of yesterday’s sightings and, as the Solitaire flies, within a mile of both.

Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendii, Alpenglow Circle, Homer, 21 November 2o10.

Townsend’s Solitaire Myadestes townsendii, Waterman Road, Homer, 20 November 2010.

November in Homer means it’s time to check the fruit trees. The south facing slopes of Homer and East End Road are loaded with mountain ash, European bird cherry, and a number of varieties of apple and crab apple trees. Each winter this fruit attracts a large gathering of American Robins, Bohemian Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks and smaller numbers of rarities like Cedar Waxwing (now annual in winter since the winter of 2004-2005), Townsend’s Solitaire, and Mountain Bluebird (one record, see here).

Despite being a rare breeder at treeline in the mountains of the Kenai Peninsula, the first Homer record of Townsend’s Solitaire wasn’t until 1992. All Homer records are from the late fall and winter (see below). Yesterday I found two Townsend’s Solitaires in two different birdy neighborhoods. One on Waterman Road and one on Fernwood Drive. Fernwood Drive hosted the Solitaire last year and the bird cherries on Waterman attracted the Solitaire from the winter before. Yesterday’s sightings mark four consecutive winters for the species in Homer.

Townsend’s Solitaire Records from Homer:

• One on 22-30 January 1992 (American Birds 46:301-303)
• One on 11-22 November 1994 (Field Notes 49:84-87)
• One on 18 January joined by four more on 5 February 2005 (North American Birds 59:308-310)
• One on 5 January 2008+ (North American Birds 62:288-291) A bird reported on the PEEPS bird alert from late November 2007 may pertain to the same individual.
• One on 20 December 2008 (North American Birds 63:309-312)
• One on 3 December 2009-3 January 2010 (see here)
• Two on 21 November 2010

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?