January 10, 2022
Life has carried me through some serendipitous twists and turns the past few months. I’d never heard of Montauk, NY or a Common Eider, yet there I was birdwatching at the edge of Long Island at Montauk Lighthouse.
Crisp wind created violent turbulence in the ocean and left my nose bright red. Unfazed by the rough waters, a bird whose bill reminded me of a dog snout was busy fishing. I speculated she was a scoter of some sort because of her peculiar bill, but I wasn’t sure.
I eventually landed an ID for the bird with the help of the World Wide Web: a Common Eider. This wasn’t the first time I’d been stuck on an identification, only to find out “common” was ironically in its name. Common Eiders are typically only found along the coasts of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and the Northeast, so I suppose it’s no wonder it was outside of my wheelhouse.
The Common Eider actively swam and bobbed on top of the rocky water, all while avoiding menacing gulls trying to steal her food. After 20 minutes of strenuous diving, she emerged with a crab clenched in her beak. What a skilled fisherman she was! The crab’s pincher is hanging out of her mouth in the photo below…
…but it wasn’t long before she swallowed it whole.
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Gone Birdin' 