Harbor light

  

Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle) in the harbor on Heimaey (Iceland) with beautiful golden reflections from the cliffs.

The journey begins

  

Well, this bird was pretty far away, but since I haven't posted a photo of a juvenile Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) yet, here you go!   

Note the mottled feathers on the back and upper wing areas.  

For comparison with adults (in breeding plumage), see "Sharing a shelf" on 26 July 2022.

Photographed off Bodega Head on 5 August 2023.

Sharing a shelf

 

 

Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba), photographed 25 June 2022

 

High tide roost

 

Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba), Oregon coast, 3 June 2019

ADDENDUM (4 June 2019): Alice mentioned the red feet and red mouth lining of guillemots.  They aren't visible in the roosting birds (shown above), but here's a mating pair that highlights the red feet:

 

Vermilion

 

Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba), Bodega Head, 1 August 2015

My, what red feet!

 

 

On 18 April 2014, Eric and I enountered a nice gathering of Pigeon Guillemots (Cepphus columba) — at one point Eric counted 23 individuals.

Some guillemots were displaying in the water.  In the photo below, look for the bird with its head feathers raised (its head looks "puffy" relative to the others) and its tail held upright.

 

Occasionally one or two birds would take off and fly up to an offshore rock where it looked like they were investigating possible nesting sites.

The image below shows one guillemot in flight, with its white wing patches and bright red feet.  But there's another guillemot in the picture that's barely visible because it's tucked away in a crevice.  Can you spot it?

 

The second guillemot is in the upper right corner of the picture (see red circle below, highlighting the bird peeking out of the crevice and looking to the left).

 

A few fun facts: The males probably choose the nest site.  They defend a territory of about 1-4 square meters around the nest entrance. The females lay 1-2 eggs, usually some time between mid-May and mid-June.  Females and males will incubate the eggs for ~30 days.  It will take ~40 days for the young to fledge (after being brought many fish by both parents).  

And if you're wondering about those red feet — it's possible they're used in courtship displays.

[All facts from The Birds of North America account by Peter J. Ewins, 1993.]

Back in black

A high-pitched whistling call led me to this seabird floating just offshore of Bodega Head today:

 

Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba)

Pigeon Guillemots are primarily seen in the Bodega Head area from late spring through fall.  They forage near shore at depths of 10 to 30 meters, and a few pairs nest in cavities on the outer cliffs.

They're known for their black plumage with white oval wing patch.  Also distinctive is the bright red lining to the mouth and the red legs and feet (see below).

 

Photo taken on the South Jetty in 2007.

 

  The large webbed feet are used for both propulsion and steering while diving.   

Photo taken on the outer coast in 2009.

On the West Coast, Pigeon Guillemots range from Alaska to California.  One of the largest breeding concentrations occurs at the Farallon Islands, with over 2,000 pairs (Ewins, 1993).  

In an unusual migration pattern, birds nesting in California fly north for the winter, as far as British Columbia.

Welcome back, guillemots!