Bird of the Day: Pigeon Guillemot

There are a number of reasons why I decided to take on this project. My first reason has to do with my interest in birds. This began shortly after moving to Victoria ten and a half years ago. With our house backing onto a wooded area, the chirping of birds is a familiar sound all year long. I often glance out the window to see birds of all forms in the yard throughout the day. Frequently I will pull out the Birds of Victoria or Birds of North America reference guides we have on hand. Unfortunately, the drawings in the first aren’t overly helpful for identification and the number of entries in the second is overwhelming. My second reason has to do with a photography course I took a number of years ago. Since that time I have been trying to think of a practical reason to buy a new camera. Taking pictures of birds requires a powerful zoom lens which my previous point-and-shoot camera could not accommodate. Perfect! My final reason was my desire to take on a new project to welcome in 2011. Hence, bird of the day was born.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Pigeon Guillemot

Ceppus columba

Appearance:
Medium-sized alcid (auk)
Thin, black bill
Red mouth lining
Red legs and feet
Breeding:
   Black plumage
   White patch on wing
Non-breeding: (below)
   Mostly white with mottled back
   Dark eye line

Listen to its call.

Taking advantage of the nice weather, my husband and I launched our kayaks from Island View Beach this morning. As I haven't been having much luck finding new birds on the land recently, I was pleased to encounter a wide variety of birds on the water. Unfortunately, I didn't have my usual camera along (for obvious reasons) but I managed to get a few shots of this bird with my old Canon PowerShot.

Learn more about the Pigeon Guillemot.

Additional pictures: