Birds pt. 6

Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella) above and below. "Auks seek out areas where their pray is concentrated by strong currents flowing over shoals and banks in passes between islands...where water masses of different density and temperature meet to form an underwater wall against which prey items are trapped...The violent upwellings and strong currents in passes among the Aleutian Islands provide rich feeding grounds for auks. This resource is shared by four auklet species, each exploiting a different food source. Recent field work has shown that the Crested Auklet, the most powerful diver among this group, probes the depths on the upstream side of a pass to intercept helpless krill driven towards the surface by vertical water flow." -The Sibley Guide.

Crested Auklets are known for their "crest" or facial plumes. Interestingly, these plumes smell like citrus and we've read that birders can detect the odor when near large flocks. It's perfume.


Common Loon (Gavia immer). Loons eat mainly fish. While swimming they peer beneath the surface keeping a look out for prey. During the dive they hold their necks coiled back (think snake) ready to strike their victims.



Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). A Perigrine, probably this one has been here our entire stay. We see it racing through the sky, wings beating quickly, often harassing the eagles. They nest on cliffs (and now skyscapers) and hunt from high in the air. They feed mainly on birds, catching them alive.


Most if not all birds can see in the near UV and UV range. At least one species has plumage decorated with UV patterns, visible to other birds but not to us. Falcons and other raptors use their UV sensitivity to track the urine markings of rodents. Soaring overhead, they can see the paths their prey routinely follow, including the marked rodent dens, and focus their prey-scouting along these trails.



Surf Scoter (Melanittta perspicillata)!


Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus). These birds, three males pictured here, have been our longest and closest companions. They tend to cluster in groups and prefer the shallower water near the shore, thus we see them most often. Their call sounds like the squeak of a rubber ducky.