Birds – Page 30 – Sequim Daily Photo

Icy Kittiwakes

The Black-legged Kittiwakes hang out all over the icebergs in the Arctic.

Swans in Flight

You can hear the swans before you see them on their annual migration.

Faraway Friday-the Arctic. There is a story behind this splash…

So this is a Brunnich’s Guillemot chick landing in the water after jumping or often after being PUSHED off the CLIFF because it’s time to migrate to Greenland.

Here is dad who flew right after him to protect him from the Kittiwakes and Glaucous Gulls who swoope right in to munch the defenseless chicks. THe chick black head can be seen to the right of dad. He was a good dad, he reared up and snapped at all the gulls trying to get the chick. He then hid the chick under the cliff wall at the waters edge while he continued the battle. Then he acted like he could find the chick until the gulls went away (we were all devastated thinking the chick had drowned). Suddenly when all was clear he went and got the chick.

Chicks, we were told, can’t fly for almost a month. Chick and dad will swim to Greenland together!

Wildlife Wednesday-Arctic Puffin

Here’s a shot of our puffin’s cousins in the Arctic. The colony was huge. BUt it was SOOOOOO HARD to get a shot of them from a Zodiac. The buggers are fast and small. It didn’t help that it was our 1st zodiac excursion of the trip.

Eagle Root

This root on Protection Island is ALWAYS occupied by a bald eagle. It’s about 20ft from shore and gives a good vantage spot. (And a perfect spot to pose for passing photographers!)

NW Puffins

I didn’t even have to go to the Arctic to find these guys. They nest here at Protection Island. It’s the largest colony in the US. But these guys (there were 5 left that we could see) should have left in July or August for sure.

But thanks for hanging around guys–you’re fun to photograph!

Protection Island

I’m so glad protection island exists. In this one tiny spit on the island were three kinds of gulls, seals, bald eagles and puffins. All a 15 boat ride from my house! Oh yes and a great backdrop of the Olympic Mountains….