Date: 5/22/26 11:31 pm From: George Matz via groups.io <geomatz41...> Subject: [AKBirding] Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project, Session #9
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Monitoring Project
2026 Sessions #9
This was a Rare Year
Jumping into the headline, this was a rare year for two reasons; 1) unusual
number of stormy (windy) days, and 2) unusual number of birds species we
saw. Is there a connection?
The spring issue of Audubon magazine says “When skies are clear and winds
push them onward, long-distance migrants are focused on covering distance
and might be scarce on the ground. Dreary spring weather, on the other
hand, can bring a bounty of birds down to earth. A good rule of thumb is
that the worse the weather is, the more you want to bird near water.” (
https://www.audubon.org/magazine/how-harness-spring-weather-spectacular-birding).
And there is the added factor of big Pacific storms blowing birds to
Alaska’s shores, which may be a significant reason why Eurasian species are
showing up here.
More below.
On Thursday, May 21, the Kachemak Bay Birders had its ninth and final
shorebird monitoring sessions this year. Our sessions last two hours. This
session started at 8:00 AM. For consistency, starting time is when the
outgoing tide approaches 15.0 feet, or high tide if less. This session when
we started monitoring the outgoing tide was 15.2 feet. A high tide of 18.3
feet occurred at 6:14 this morning. This is our 18th consecutive year of
monitoring, following the same protocol each year. Because our monitoring
dates try to bracket the spring shorebird migration, the first and last
sessions tend to have just a few shorebird sightings. All observations are
submitted to eBird and the ISS portal.
Despite the weather forecast, this session we had 20 birders at Homer Spit
sites, 3 at Beluga Slough, 2 at Island and Islets, 6 at the Anchor River,
and 2 at the Kasilof River. A total of 33 birders participated in this
session.
It turned out that the forecast was worse than the actual weather.
According to the NWS station at the Homer Airport (
https://forecast.weather.gov/data/obhistory/PAHO.html ), at 7:53 AM winds
were variable at 5 mph, the sky was overcast with light rain, the
temperature was 44°, and the barometric pressure was 29.81”. At 9:53 AM
conditions were the same with the exception of the barometric pressure
dropping slightly to 29.79”. The average high temperature for this date is
55° and the low is 39°.
Although the weather in Homer over the past several weeks has been on the
cool and wet side, what has been rare for spring is the windy, gusty
conditions. The chart below illustrates.
This brings up the many rare sightings we have had this year Using the
Checklist of Birds; Kachemak Bay, Alaska as a reference, which define;
Rare (R) -Nearly annual in small numbers in appropriate habitat,
Casual (Ca) – Not annual, but future occurrence is likely.
Accidental (A) – Exceptional occurrence (I or 2 records).
This year we saw species which aren’t even on this checklist. Not all were
seen during one of our sessions, but all were by birders who participate in
the shorebird monitoring project.
Not on the list.
· Wood Sandpiper
· Garganey (duck)
Others are;
· Steller’s Eider - R in spring
· Common Eider – R in spring
· Bristle-thighed Curlew – Ca in spring
· Ruff – A in spring
· Ivory Gull – A in winter
· Caspian Tern – R in spring
· Osprey – R in spring
· Barn Swallow – Ca in spring
Now for the close-out. This session, 17species of shorebirds were seen, and
their counts by site are:
· Dunlin – Mud Bay (20), Louie’s Lagoon (1), Green Timbers (18) .
· Least Sandpiper- Louie’s Lagoon (1), Green Timbers (1), Anchor
(2), .
· Western Sandpiper – Mud Bay (44), Louie’s Lagoon (32), Green
Timbers (120), Anchor (3),
· Semiplamated Sandpiper – Mud Bay (1),
· Peeps – Louie’s Lagoon (10), Anchor (7).
· Wilson’s Snipe; Kasilof (1).
· Red-necked Phalarope – Mud Bay (1), Kasilof (1).
Below are the non-shorebird species reported for the eighth seventh
session. Swallows have arrived.
*Homer Spit*
Waterfowl: Greater White-fronted Goose, Brant, American Wigeon, Northern
Shoveler, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Harlequin Duck,
Greater Scaup, Black Scoter, Common Merganser.
Loons and Grebes: Pacific loon, Common Loon.
Gulls: Short-billed Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake,
Short-billed Gull, American Herring X Glaucous-winged Gull,.
Raptors; Bald Eagle.
Misc; Ring-necked Pheasant, Rock Pigeon, Sandhill Crane, Pelagic Cormorant.
Songbirds; American Crow, Common Raven, Song Sparrow, American Crow,
swallow, American Robin, Fox Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savanah
Sparro, Song Sparrow.
*Beluga Slough and Bishops Beach*
Waterfowl; American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal,
scoter,
Misc.; Ring-necked Pheasant, Rock Pigeon, Sandhill Crane.
Gulls; Black-legged Kittiwake, Bonaparte’s Gull,
Loons and Grebes; Common Loon.
Raptors: Bald Eagle.
Songbirds; American Crow, swallow, American Robin, Fox Sparrow,
Golden-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Yellow-rumped
Warbler.
