Monday, August 19, 2019
BREEDING COMMON MURRE AMONG ATLANTIC PUFFINS, MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND,GULF OF MAINE,US/CANADA, 8/12/2019
We can ID the other Alcid (the bird with the dark, straight, pointed bill) among the Atlantic Puffins as a breeding Common Murre as follows:
- Dark brownish-black head, neck and upperparts
- White underparts
- Long, straight, dark, pointed bill
- The wing pattern (see fourth photo) is that of a Common Murre
Similarly to the Razorbill, we were able to photograph only one Common Murre among the hundreds Atlantic Puffins. Almost all of the Common Murres have migrated from their breeding grounds on Machias Seal Island. The Common Murre dives for it's food, often to depths of 100 ft. It has been recorded reaching a depth of 550 ft.
The Common Murre is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 911.
The Common Murre is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 911.
BREEDING RAZORBILL, MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND,GULF OF MAINE,US/CANADA, 8/12/2019
We can ID this Alcid as a breeding Razorbill a follows:
- Thin white loral line
- White underparts
- Black head, neck and upperparts
- Thick, black bill with blunt end
- Raised tail - the Razorbill often raises its tail while swimming
Among the many hundreds of Atlantic Puffins, we were able to photograph only this single Razorbill. Almost all had already left their breeding grounds on Machias Seal Island. The Razorbill is the closest living relative to the extinct Great Auk. Razorbills are exclusively an Atlantic species, with no counterparts in the Pacific. The Razorbill chicks cannot fly when they leave their colony, so the breeding site must have immediate access to the sea.
The Razorbill is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 910.
The Razorbill is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 910.
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