EAST QUODDY LIGHTHOUSE, CAMPOBELLO ISLAND, NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

BONAPARTE'S GULL TAKING OFF FROM WATER- MOLTING FROM BREEDING TO NONBREEDING PLUMAGE, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE,CHARLOTTE COUNTY,NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

NONBREEDING LITTLE GULL, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE,CHARLOTTE COUNTY,NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

   We can ID this gull as a nonbreeding Little Gull as follows:

• Very small size for a gull
• Black underwing with white wingtip.  This is the main field mark that differentiates the Little Gull from Bonaparte's Gull and other gulls.
• White face with smudgy black crown, black eye patch and black ear patch
•  Small black bill
• Pale gray back
• White tail

   The Little Gull is the smallest gull in the world.  Its average length is about 11".  In North America the Little Gull is usually associated with larger flocks of Bonaparte's Gulls.
   The Little Gull is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 917.

 

GREAT CORMORANT ON BUOY, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE,CHARLOTTE COUNTY,NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

BREEDING BLACK-LEGGED KITIWAKES & COMMON EIDERS, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE,CHARLOTTE COUNTY,NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

BREEDING BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES TAKING OFF & ON WATER, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE,CHARLOTTE COUNTY,NEW BRUNSWICK, 8/15/2019

   We can ID these gulls as breeding Black-legged Kittiwakes as follows:

• White head and underparts
• Grey back
• Grey wings tipped solid black, that look like they were dipped in black ink. You can also see the solid black tips on the birds in the water. This solid black tip is one of prominent field markings of this species.
• Black legs
• Dark eyes
• Completely white tail
• Yellow bill - in the first three photos, where you can see the bill, it looks dark.  However, in the fourth photo, which is cropped from the third, you can see that the bill is really yellow.

   The Black-legged Kittiwake is a pelagic bird.  Typically it nests on cliff ledges, but has been known to occasionally use man made structures, such as buildings and shipwrecks.  The hind toe on the foot of the Black-legged Kittiwake is a bump, giving the bird its scientific name tridactyla, meaning "three-toed" ( instead of four on each foot).
   The Black-legged Kittiwake is a new species to our Photographic Life List, which now stands at 916.

 

WHIRLPOOL, HEAD HARBOR PASSAGE, NEW BRUNSWICK

         The Old Sow is a whirlpool which occurs on incoming tides off of Eastport, Maine.  It is the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere.  The Bay of Fundy and Passamaquoddy Bay come together on the southern tip of Deer Island.  Beneath 300 feet of water is a 250-foot hill. This and the narrow passageway of Head Harbor Passage causes the water to swirl, forming eddies.  The biggest whirlpool is named Old Sow. Smaller eddies surrounding it are known as Piglets.  In the photos below you can see such a whirlpool.
   The upwellings of water bring food, such as krill, to the surface.  This is why Head Harbor Passage is such a great feeding ground for birds.