Date: 5/4/24 10:25 pm From: George Matz via groups.io <geomatz41...> Subject: [AKBirding] Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project Session #5
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project
2024 Session #5
The Peak Is Approaching
On Friday, May 3the Kachemak Bay Birders had its fifth of nine scheduled
shorebird monitoring sessions for this year. Our sessions last two hours.
Starting time is when the outgoing tide approaches 15.0 feet. This session
started at 11:00 am and lasted until 1:00 pm. This is our 16th consecutive
year of monitoring following the same protocol each year. All observations
are submitted to eBird and the ISS portal.
Spring is still a tease. According to the Homer Airport NOAA weather
station at the base of Homer Spit (
https://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/PAHO.html), at 10:53 pm winds were E
at 17 mph, skies were overcast, the temp was 49°, and the barometric
pressure was 29.69 in. At 12:53 pm the winds were out of the E at 12 mph
with gusts to 21 mph, the temp was 49° skies were mostly cloudy, and the
barometric pressure was 29.64 in. The average temperature for this time of
the year is a high of 52° with a low of 36°.
A total of 35 birders participated in this monitoring session. There were
15 birders on the Spit, 5 at Beluga Slough, 4 on the south side of the Bay,
1 at Seldovia, 8 volunteers at Anchor Point/River and 2 Keen Eye Birder
volunteers at the Kasilof River. No monitoring was done across the bay
because of the winds.
More shorebirds and more new arrivals.
· Black Oystercatchers (2) were at Cohen Island. This pair was
reported last session. Also, 2 were seen near Seldovia.
· Black-bellied Plovers were in big numbers. Mud Bay had 26, Green
Timbers had 25, Louie’s Lagoon had 16, Outer Spit had 1, Beluga Slough had
8, McQuoen Island had 3, Anchor River had 8, the Kasilof had 10.
· Pacific Golden Plover are still here with 1 at Green Timbers, 5
at Louie’s Lagoon, 10 at Anchor River.
· Semipalmated Plovers are increasing. Mud Bay had 1, Green Timbers
had 3, Louie’s Lagoon had 8, Outer Spit 2, Anchor River had 9, Kasilof had
3.
· Whimbrels were at Mud Bay (1), Beluga Slough (1), Kasilof (1).
· Hudsonian Godwit was only at the Kasilof (1).
· Marbled Godwit were first seen on the Spit with 1 at Mud Bay, 2
at Beluga Slough.
· Wilson’s Snipe was displaying at the Kasilof.
· Short-billed Dowitcher numbers increased. Mud Bay had 24, Green
Timbers had 10, Louie’s Lagoon had 5, McQuoen Island had 4, the Kasilof had
44.
· Long-billed Dowitcher made its first appearance this spring in
Kachemak Bay. Mariner Park Lagoon had 3, Beluga Slough had 5, the Kasilof
had 1.
· Dowitcher sp. were reported at the Anchor River.
· Red-necked Phalarope (1) on Kachemak Bay which will be in the
thousands later on.
· Lesser Yellowlegs was at the Kasilof (2).
· Greater Yellowlegs are still here with 3 at Mud Bay, 2 at Marine
Park Lagoon, 2 at Beluga Slough,1 at Seldovia, 4 at Anchor River, at
Kasilof (4).
· Black Turnstone made their fist appearance this year with 1 at
Green Timbers,
· Ruddy Turnstone was at Louie’ s Lagoon, which may be the one at
Green’s Timber last session.
· Surfbird, which are often with turnstones, also made a first
appearance with 6 at Green Timbers, 243 at McQuoen Island. The Kasilof had
4.
· Dunlin numbers are increasing; Mud Bay had 241, Mariner Park
Lagoon had about 40, Green Timbers had 13, Louie’s Lagoon had 9, Outer
Spit had 2, Beluga Slough had 4, McQuoen Island had 18, Anchor River had
4, the Kasilof had 270.
· Least Sandpipers have arrived. Mud Bay had 19, Mariner Park
Lagoon had about 30, Green Timbers had 1, Louie’s Lagoon had 2, Beluga
Slough had 6. Anchor River had 1, Kasilof had 1.
· Western Sandpiper, our most abundant shorebird during spring
migration are present in big numbers; Mud Bay had about 2,000, Mariner Park
Lagoon had 220, Green Timbers had 52, Louie’s Lagoon had 37, Outer Spit had
1, Beluga Slough had 250, Seldovia had 25, Anchor River had 30, the Kasilof
had 1,800.
· Semipalmated Sandpiper, which are not numerous here, were at Mud
Bay with 1.
· Peeps were recorded at the Anchor River (245).
That is a pretty nice list of shorebirds; 20 species. The Kenai Peninsula
may not have huge numbers of shorebirds during spring migration, but it has
a lot of species.
Listed below are the non- shorebirds that were seen.
Songbirds; Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped
Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Horned Lark, Ruby-crowned Kinglet,
Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin, American Pipit, Common Redpoll, Pine
Siskin, Lapland Longspur, Dark-eyed Junco,
Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Details, including photos, of these birds can be seen via eBird. Go to
Explore, enter Kenai Peninsula, and then to More Recent Visits and scroll
down to May 3
