Photo ABCs

Rock Sandpiper

A Rock Sandpiper forages in the mist. Photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, during the last week of June.

Lapland Longspur

A female Lapland Longspur, photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in June of this year.

The bird is perched on the fence surrounding the St. Paul airport. She had a nest nearby, and if you look closely you can see that she has an insect in her bill, which she is bringing back to the nest.

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Lapland Longspur

The Lapland Longspur breeds in Arctic tundra.

This male longspur, in breeding plumage, was photographed just over a week ago on St. Paul Island, Alaska. The softness surrounding the bird is caused by out-of-focus lupines near the camera.

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Pacific Wren

A Pacific Wren sings away, with lupine in the background. Photographed last week on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Tufted Puffins

"Honey, I'm home!"

The same Tufted Puffin (as in yesterday's post) returns to its mate, perched on a high ledge overlooking the Bering Sea.

Photographed last week on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

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Tufted Puffin

Puffins are a primary reason birdwatchers travel great distances and endure cold and damp weather to visit St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Who doesn't like these adorable creatures!

St. Paul Island is home to breeding Tufted Puffins and Horned Puffins. The third puffin species, the Atlantic Puffin, is found on the Atlantic Coast of North America and Europe.

Here a Tufted Puffin takes a swan dive, er, puffin dive, from its rocky perch while its mate looks on.

 

Tufted Puffin and Pacific Wren

This Tufted Puffin and its mate shared a ledge 100 feet above the waves below. During my last morning on St. Paul Island, Alaska, I spent an hour watching the pair, as one or the other took short flights to feed or to survey the area (I presume they would later use the site for a nest).

While its mate was gone, a Pacific Wren perched just below the ledge and started to sing. It appears that the puffin is investigating where the song is coming from!

This may be my favorite photograph I took during my recent trip to St. Paul Island. I wouldn't have taken it if our flight off the island had not been delayed for one day due to weather conditions!

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Snow Bunting

I have just returned from a trip to St. Paul Island, Alaska. I can't use enough superlatives to describe this trip. Though a long way to travel, cold, rugged, and misty, the island is a paradise for bird photography.

One species found in abundance on the island is the Snow Bunting. Here is a fledgling waiting for food from its parents. The immature Snow Buntings are not white like their parents, but colored to blend in with their surroundings.

In the background are lupines, which during the month of June cover the entire island with a blanket of blue.