Gulls
/Pine Point, Maine
Hovertrotting
/The hovertrot: a how-to guide for gulls
- angle into sea breeze; lift off lackadaisically
- hold wings outstretched without flapping
- skim across beach without gaining altitude
- periodically paddle ground with feet
- maintain trajectory/nonchalance for 100+ meters
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
As performed by a herring gull yesterday.
Airborne Identity
/California or the Yukon? You can use DNA from a single feather to find out where a migrating bird hails from, and where it stops along the way (I wrote a story about this for Living Bird Magazine).
Wilson's Warbler, the star of this study. Drawn in 2008 for Acadia Birding Festival.
Beware of Falling Clams
/Two gulls chasing each other this morning, fighting over a quahog. First they almost collide with my head, then they drop the clam on me.
Owl-style survival gear
/
Tawny owls come in two colors: gray or brown. Brown morphs seem to fare poorly during harsh winters. Do gray morphs have feathers with better insulation?
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