While I am sorting out all my images from my recent Alaska trip, I figured I would post some images of  a few Alcids and Waterfowl from the last few years. As I wrote...... I haven't posted anything on my blog for quite some time; I am still a little rusty! 

The images were taken in various locations throughout New England, which will be noted with the images. These Razorbill images were taken at MacMillan's Wharf in Provincetown, which is my favorite location in my area to look for birds, especially Alcids! Usually in the later winter from late November to March you can usually find a Razorbill or two, or a bunch, a Thick-billed Murre or two, Dovekies in singles and small groups, and Black Guillemot...... singles and multiples. Even an rare Arctic ssp. of Black Guillemot (ssp. mandtii). The later in the winter season the better chances for the Murres and Dovekie. 

My wife and I usually make at least 3- 10 visits to Cape Cod and Provincetown (about 3 hours from our home) a winter. This one morning in late November our timing couldn't be better. Just as we arrived on the pier at first light, we were greeted by a several dozen Razorbill all throughout the harbor. The birds mingled through and under the docks and main pier..... the close-up photo opportunities were endless!

I had just finished making a group of Razorbill decoys for a Biologist who would be using the decoys for his field work and studies. Before I handed them over to him, I wanted to make sure they floated properly and had the correct "Razorbill" gestalt and features that made them look as realistic birds on the water, Since the ultimate goal was to deploy them and attract the birds to them, I brought them with me hoping that there were a few Razorbill in the harbor by the pier that day. I floated them off one of the small docks and waited for (hopefully) good results! 

                                                           Thick-billed Murre

When it gets to be late January, February and early March, you can usually get lucky seeing a Thick-billed Murre or several at MacMillan's Wharf. This one was very accommodating for the camera at MacMillan's. It flew in from outside the harbor breakwater and landed under the pier. Since it was low tide, it was easy to get a look under the pier by walking down the Boston Ferry dock located at the end of the pier. The murre took a snooze under the pier huddled next to a piling for about an hour. After its nap, it came out from under the pier and just swam around and preened.... all in close range of my camera!

I photographed this Thick-billed Murre in March at Jodrey's Fish Pier in Gloucester, Mass. This one seemed quite content resting the day away by this boat mooring buoy.- 

One of the many Common Murre I photographed in the last few years. This bird was photographed off Coxes Ledge, 35 miles south/southeast of Rhode Island from he deck of the cod fishing boat, the Gale Frances in January. 

 

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          Part 3, continuing with short blog.................. My absolute favorite Alcid species is the Great Auk. Since it is not possible to observe them in the wild any longer, all I can do to enjoy them is to pay them my most profound tribute; to honor them in my art. Here are a few of my decoys and carvings that pay tribute to this remarkable Auk species which was taken from us so long ago. Hopefully, man has learned something from the extinction we caused!!

            Here are a few decoys that I made that represent the Great Auk in winter plumage. Much of the written material about the Great Auk directly from the accounts of witnesses who knew and saw the Great Auk, they often commented on the posture of a Great Auk when it was swimming on the sea. They mentioned that the Auks would hold their heads "tucked down" with their bills pointed to the sky. This posture with the heads down and bill pointed upward is the common posture of one of its cousins the Common Murre. Swimming Murres when relaxed and resting will tuck down their heads and their bills would point upwards at a 30 degree or more angle. 

      Much about the Great Auk is not known, or little known at best. In all of the personal accounts from people that had handled the Auk, or in only a few cases; handled the Auk (usually for cooking or skin/oil preparation) specifics such as eye color and the color of the inside of its gape were only documented in journals or through conversations from only a handful of people. I created this actively preening Great Auk in winter plumage to showcase the iris color and the inside gape coloration. The active pose is my way of conveying life and vitality...... an artistic metaphor bringing attention to its catastrophic termination and extinction due to selfishness and ignorance of man! HOWEVER......the few accounts from people that actually handled the birds mentioned that they had eyes that were hazel brown to chestnut-colored reddish brown. The gape coloration inside the bill was a bright "dark yellow" (aka- yellow/orange).  To compare to its cousin Auks......Razorbill and Murres have a yellow gape, Black Guillemot have a coral red gape, and the Puffin and Dovekie have a pink gape. 

                5 Razorbill, 1 Common Murre and 1 Dovekie decoy I made for a Biologist for his studies- 

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