Photo ABCs

Crested Auklets

A pair of Crested Auklets enjoys a tender moment on St. Paul Island, Alaska.

Crested Auklets are found only in the Aleutian Islands and other islands in and around the Bering Sea.

Photographed in late June of this year.

Lapland Longspur

Another handsome male Lapland Longspur, in the dewy fields of St. Paul Island, Alaska. Photographed in late June of this year.

Horned Puffin

A Horned Puffin, showing the typical cliffside habitat puffins prefer. What the picture doesn't show is the sheer, 300 foot drop to the ocean below. As someone who does not like heights, obtaining pictures of puffins was not easy for me!

Long-tailed Duck

A male Long-tailed Duck, showing how it got its name.

The Long-tailed Duck breeds in Arctic tundra.

This duck was photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in June of this year.

Tufted Puffin

A Tufted Puffin, doing its best imitation of a bighorn sheep!

Photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in late June of this year.

Northern Fulmar

I don't think the Northern Fulmar will win any beauty contests.

This bird is rarely seen on land except when breeding, which it does in high northern latitudes, such as on St. Paul Island, Alaska, where I took this photo in late June of this year.

Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

St. Paul Island, Alaska, does not have a number of common birds that we take for granted, such as the House Sparrow or House Finch. It does, however, have the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, which is as equally at home around buildings and structures and the one bird-feeder in town as it is outside of town, in fields, meadows and next to cliffs.

The Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch is one of three types of rosy-finches in North America, and is the most widespread. The subspecies found on the Pribilof Islands is up to two inches larger than all other rosy-finches.

Here is one displaying on a blind for viewing seals. After our small group had been on the blind for a few minutes this bird appeared, displayed for a few seconds, and then flew off.

Rock Sandpiper

Another Rock Sandpiper, photographed on St. Paul Island, Alaska, in late June of this year.

Rock Sandpipers breed primarily in the Bering Sea, on the Aleutian and Pribilof islands as well as the coast of northwest Alaska.

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.

(tap or click to enlarge)