Another busy day kept me from spending much time outside. Temperatures were pretty chilly today, and there was enough wind to keep the warmth of the sun from helping too much. While at the house this afternoon, the kids told me the Eurasian Collared-Dove dropped by the yard near where they were watching the fire (burning up the scrap wood).

I headed home around sunset, and thought I had a chance to look for a green flash. I was a little surprised at how far north the setting sun has moved since I last watched it set from near Hillcrest. I didn’t have much time, but was able to just catch it going down from Lincoln Street near Sage Rock. I’m not positive I was seeing the horizon, however – as there was just a small gap between other islands and such.

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Mountains called The Pyramids make up the skyline looking south from Sage Beach.

Mountains called The Pyramids make up the skyline looking south from Sage Beach.

Wind blown snow off the Pyramids reflects the pink light of the setting sun.

The sun is now setting to the north of Turning Island as seen from the vicinity of Sage Beach.

Temperatures warmed during the night from the middle 30s up to 41F and then stayed around 40 throughout the day. The higher temperatures made a big difference to the amount of snow on the ground – a fact I first noticed when I saw a dozen or more Dark-eyed Juncos scattered throughout the mostly bare backyard foraging. I am not sure what they were finding, but I suspect many were finding seeds released during the cold dry weather and then subsequently covered by snow.

Clouds were mostly quite thick through the day, though around noon there were some thin spots that made it almost seem as if the sun would break through. By the time I walked over to check on house progress, the ceiling was below 1000 feet. The air was calm and I could smell wood smoke that seemed to have been pressed back down to earth by the humid air.

After seeing the house progress, the kids and scared up a couple of pigeons from a Oja St. yard. Connor said he had seen a dove take off with them, and we were able to see where it had perched on a wire a few houses away. It seemed likely to be a Eurasian Collared-Dove, a fact which we were able to confirm when it started calling. Among the other typical neighborhood birds was also an American Robin and a Steller’s Jay (the latter of which I only heard, but did not see).

We were running late by the time we got the bridge, so I only paused briefly to scan the birds in the Channel. The Long-tailed Ducks were almost all gathered together in a flock of over 70 birds not far from the Fuel Dock – quite a bit closer than I’m used to seeing them. I’m not sure if they coordinate their diving on purpose to optimize foraging efficiency underwater, but there dives were synchronized today – behavior I’ve seen on other occasions as well. There was also a pretty good group of scaups swimming toward the middle of the Channel from near the Coast Guard dock.

Walking quickly by the new wind turbine adjacent to the Coast Guard cutter station, I was interested to see it spinning slowly from a wind out of the south that I couldn’t feel at ground level.

On the way home this evening, I decided to walk barefoot from Crescent Harbor. The campus lawn was pretty much free of snow, but I could feel the ground was frozen just below the surface.

Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) one of two observed near Sealing Cove.

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Eurasian Collared-Doves have only been reported in Alaska for a couple of years, and I think last summer was the first time any were reported in Sitka. However, their numbers do seem to be expanding, so it remains to be seen how common this bird becomes and in what seasons.

The recording above features a Eurasian Collared-Dove making the lower frequency (compared to other birds) cooing/hooting sound.

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) obsvered in Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin's yard.

Marge Ward called to tell me that there was a Eurasian Collared-Dove in their yard. I was able to get some photos of it this morning.

Eurasian Collared-Doves have been reported from Southeast Alaska several times over the past 3 years. This is the first report from Sitka. It is unclear whether they are birds that have arrived on their own from further south, or if they have been released in the region. They are not included in the official checklist of Alaska Birds. This is probably due to the questions about where the birds seen in the state have originated. The official list only includes those that are “naturally occuring”. For example, Rock Doves (pigeons) are not included, though European Starlings are. Though neither are native to the state, starlings have made it an established on their own, while Rock Doves are only present in communities where they were introduced.

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) obsvered in Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin's yard.

Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) obsvered in Marge Ward and Marlys Tedin's yard.