Seabirds (AK) — 2008

Jun 28, 2008 -
Gull Island, Alaska is the site of a productive rookery for eight species of seabirds: black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic cormorants, tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots, horned puffins, and red-faced cormorants (endemic to Alaska).

Jun 30, 2008 -
The Common Murre does not use nesting material and instead lays a single egg on bare rock or soil of a steep cliff or ledge facing the sea. Notice the shape, pyriform to elliptical, with a pointed end to prevent rolling off the ledge.

Jul 09, 2008 -
This species nests in colonies on cliff ledges that are often so narrow they must face the cliff with their tails hanging over the edge. The young are semi-precocial and nidicolous (remain on the nest after hatching).

Jul 15, 2008 -
Common Murres are the most numerous of the species nesting on Gull Island. Because of the markings and an upright posture when on land, people often mistakenly think they are related to penguins. Common Murres are alcids, close relatives of auks and puffins.

Jul 21, 2008 -
During the building of their nests both sexes grab gobs of mud in their bills, then fly back to their site to build a mud/vegetation platform first, followed by shaping a nest cup with their breast or shoveling backwards.

Aug 02, 2008 -
You will often be hearing loud guttural croaks of the Common Murre. In their dense breeding colonies communication is critical and maintains order in this highly agressive species. Mate and neighbor recognition are especially important with frequent reaffirmation. See video highlights.

Aug 03, 2008 -
The Glaucous-winged Gull chicks now twice the size as last week. The chicks are grey to dark grey with spotted wings and back. Adult gull image from a different location by Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences.

Aug 04, 2008 -
The Kittiwake chicks, except for a few, have lost most of their yellow down and now have taken on the colors of the adults except for the black collars. Image taken in Iceland by Gerald and Buff Corsi © California Academy of Sciences.

Aug 15, 2008 -
The young will forage in flocks with adults and other fledglings until departure from breeding grounds.

Aug 19, 2008 -
A female Murre has been brooding one chick for over two hours. Some of the Kittiwake chicks are almost as big as the adults. The Glaucous- winged Gull chicks nearly the size of adults. Many are already in the water. Eight Tufted Puffins are prancing about. Red Faced Cormorants seen on the other side of the island and at least 10 Pelagic Cormorants on this side of the island.

Aug 26, 2008 -
Most commonly this species nests in earthen burrows. They use their feet and bill to excavate the burrows. Duties are shared between mating partners, one brings nesting material and the other cleans/digs.

Sep 05, 2008 -
At 3-4 weeks of age the Common Murre chicks depart for the sea in the company of the male parent. There the remainder of their development takes place.

Sep 15, 2008 -
A lone Murre chick was abandoned long enough for a Glaucous-winged Gull to approach it. An adult Murre returned to protectively cover the cowering chick.It seems so odd to see one Cormorant standing in the middle of a tightly packed crowd of Murres, and Glaucous-winged Gulls sitting in Kittiwake nests. More and more birds have vacated Gull Island.

Sep 23, 2008 -
The Black-legged Kittiwakes will soon be migrating over the ocean and sometimes inland, arriving to offshore California between November and January.