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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Spiffiness is happening!

[Photos are copyright by Tony Leukering; click on image(s) to see larger version(s).]

With the approaching spring, as noted in a couple previous entries in this venue, song is being sung, migration is being migrated, and, now, spiffy is being, hmm... I've painted myself into a corner. The wintering adult Great Cormorants have now, for the most part, put on their fancy dress and are all ready to go to the ball. These two were flying out the Cape May inlet as Glen Davis, Michael O'Brien, and I were coming in the inlet after having conducted a day of at-sea bird surveys off Delaware.


Note the bright white flank patches -- part of their alternate plumage -- and the second bird's extensive gray tipping on the feathers behind the ears, so to speak. Er, write.

Speaking of off Delaware, but on a completely unrelated note, we ran across a smattering of Common Murres today (see below); we hadn't seen any since 25 January. I'd sure like to know what moves the alcids around out there (other than their wings, of course).


I'll leave you with yet another spectacular Villas sunset (this evening).

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