I took a bike ride to New Thompson Harbor to try for better pictures of the goose I had seen previously. On the way I was distracted by a warbler that seemed a little out of season. Fortunately, I was able to get some photos and determine that it was both out of season and out of its normal range, so that was fun.
Weather: It was overcast, chilly, and relatively windy. Snow fell off and on throughout the day, with a total of an inch or so accumulating. On the bike ride back from New Thompson Harbor, my hands got very cold, even with gloves (though they were not wind proof gloves).
Birds: There was one, and possibly a second, Nashville Warbler in the rose hedge bordering the Pioneer Home Lawn. The bird I photographed is only the fourth confirmed record in Alaska, though this species has most likely been seen (and not confirmed) on a number of occasions other than these. In any case, it’s a pretty unusual bird to see here.
I did not manage to find the goose at Thompson Harbor, though I did see several loons, cormorants, grebes, a couple of Marbled Murrelets, and assorted ducks from the harbor floats. I am going to try to make it down there a little more often, as it seems to afford a pretty good location for viewing birds that like to hang out just a little too far to see well from the beach.
The Common Merganser males are molting into their breeding black and white plumage now.