Birds pt.8

Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus)

There are both willow and rock ptarmigan in this area. Only the male rock ptarmigan has this distinct black eye patch. Normally rock ptarmigan gather in large flocks during the winter months.





We spotted these ptarmigan in the tundra behind the house. Originally it was a flock of about 15, only these three males were not scared away. We had been trying to get a closer look at these birds for some time. When we saw them we were able to watch them for some time, gradually getting closer and closer before we eventually scared them off.


Pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba)

The pigeon guillemot has just begun to change from its grayish winter plumage to this sleek black. Many in the pass are in various stages of molting.



Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus)

Ancient murrelets spend their lives at sea and come to land only to breed. They are active at night at their colonies. This adaptation for avoiding daytime predation by gulls and raptors makes them hard to observe on land. They can be identified by the distinctive nighttime vocalizations they use for sexual display and individual recognition.





On the 14th of April we headed in to town and noticed quite a change on the pass. All winter the water has been full with thousands of Oldsquaws or Long-tailed ducks. Their calls normally fill the air. On this day there was no sight or sound of them. In their place suddenly there were hundreds of Ancient murrelets. We hadn't seen any of these seabirds since fall. They dotted Isanotski Strait in flocks of 5 to 50. Two weeks later they are still out there in large numbers.

Eagles pt 2

Eagles

Yes, indeed. That is excrement leaving the backside of the adult eagle.











"The immature Bald Eagle has a prolonged period of exploration lasting for four years. Some young from Florida have wandered north to Michigan, and birds from California have reached Alaska."




Immature eagles are variably patterned with dark brown and white. It takes five years to acquire full adult plumage. Their white markings are not restricted to well defined areas, but appear scattered throughout body, usually with brown mottling in same area. White in the wings is primarily in linings and not flight feathers.

Falconidae vs. Corvidae

On a recent excursion to the cliffs of the Palisades we spotted ravens guarding what turned out to be a nest, in a chamber high on the rock face. They were flying back and forth and crying out, quite disturbed by our presence. As we started heading on a pair of peregrine falcons entered the territory and the fight was on! At one point a peregrine made a dash towards the raven's nest and one of the ravens flew like a bullet into the chamber to guard the nest while the other made a fierce attack on the guilty peregrine. Our friend Jacobus was visiting at this time and had brought his spotting scope. We had an awesome view. These antics went on for 10 minutes!

Birds & Fox pt. 7

Common Redpoll (Carduelis flammea)

Coming back to the house from a hike along the ridge, Bob spotted these little red polls by the north dam. Good eyes. We came up to them slowly anxious to get a good look. We were able to get right up next to them as they were completely consumed by the small area of dead grass that wasn't covered in snow!




Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator)




Emperor Goose (Chen canagica)


Emperor Geese with Black Oystercatchers on Sankin Island

Our first attempt at landing on Sankin Island was unsuccessful. The only beach is made up of large cobbles and has a very steep incline. We stayed on the beach about one minute as the waves were crashing into the back of the boat. We threw Inde back in the skiff and decided it was probably smarter to just cruise around the island. Then we spotted these birds on the rocks along the opposite shore. To see a full photo of Sankin Island check out the posting titled Rounding Sentinel 2.




A juvenile male King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)

Fun Treats

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.