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Murre in Kachemak Bay, Homer, AK


Posted by Dick Ginkowski on Sat Mar 13, 2004 7:11 pm

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Make Canon
Model EOS 10D
Flash Used No
Focal Length 700 mm (%00mm f/4+1.4x)
Exposure Time 1/750 sec
Aperture f/6.7
ISO Equivalent 200
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Last edited by Dick Ginkowski on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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by Greg Downing on Sat Mar 13, 2004 7:49 pm
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Dick this is a Murre. ;) Cute shot! A touch of flash might have lit up the eye a bit.

BTW I need to move this over to birds...:)
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by Chris Fagyal on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:07 pm
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Based on bill shape and size this would be a Thick-billed Murre :)
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by Dick Ginkowski on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:09 pm
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Thanks. Greg and Chris. I thought this was like an otter but could not find it on any of my charts. Now I know why.

These guys fly????
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by Chris Fagyal on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:11 pm
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Yes they do. Very rapid wing beats. Most alcid runs across the water before takeoff, similiar to what loons do.
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by Greg Downing on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:22 pm
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Actually this is a common Murre. Sorry I should have said that in my first post. A Thick-billed Murre would have a white gape-line but a also black nape, not white like a Common. Also indicative of Common Murre is the thin black line behind the eye.
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by Chris Fagyal on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:24 pm
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Isn't the bill shape and size totally wrong for a Common Murre though? But yea, you are right...I should have looked at the eye line which is a truer indicator. My mistake :)
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by Greg Downing on Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:40 pm
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Chris Fagyal wrote:Isn't the bill shape and size totally wrong for a Common Murre though? But yea, you are right...I should have looked at the eye line which is a truer indicator. My mistake :)
Chris,

Here is a shot of a thick-billed (of course in breeding), see the difference in the bill? The upper mandible has more of a hook to it and the lower mandible has that bump (not sure what to call it).

http://www.naturescapes.net/memberpics/ ... 4itg01.jpg

I think the angle here is playing tricks because the bill appears shorter at this angle.
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by Bill Whala on Sat Mar 13, 2004 9:15 pm
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Cool shot, Dick. 8)
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by LindaY on Sat Mar 13, 2004 9:54 pm
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So this is what a murre looks like. I am preparing for a trip to Alaska around Labor Day and saw references to these in some of my readings, but hadn't found a picture of one. When it doubt, check Naturescapes...right. :wink: Nice shot! I agree that this would have been a bit better with more definition on the eye, but the feather detail looks good and the silvery water really compliments the colors of the bird.
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by Alan Murphy on Sat Mar 13, 2004 10:37 pm
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Very nice shot Dick. All is missing is a catchlight.
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by Sandy Mossberg on Sat Mar 13, 2004 11:59 pm
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What Alan said - as usual.
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by Dick Ginkowski on Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:01 am
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But where ARE the EYES on these critters! I sure didn't see them! :oops:
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by Colin Inman on Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:14 am
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Nah this is a Common Guillemot (as opposed to a Brunnich's Guillemot) :)

I'm of to the cultural meaning of words topic now.
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by Heather Forcier on Sun Mar 14, 2004 12:22 pm
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I saw the Murres in Homer, but they were quite far out and I didn't get a shot. Cute, kind of looks like the bird is smiling.
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by Dick Ginkowski on Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:00 pm
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These poor critters were being jostled about by the wind and the waves. I kind of felt sorry for them.
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Farewell, dear Alex.
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by Greg Downing on Sun Mar 14, 2004 1:25 pm
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Dick Ginkowski wrote:But where ARE the EYES on these critters! I sure didn't see them! :oops:
Upon further inspection the eye appears to be closed (thanks Juli. ;) ). This guy is sleeping!
Image
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by Jim Zipp on Sun Mar 14, 2004 8:07 pm
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Hey Dick,
Yeah, the eyes were hard to get on these guys..... like razorbills. Nice job on the exposure.
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by Mike Danzenbaker on Mon Mar 15, 2004 6:51 pm
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Greg Downing wrote:...the lower mandible has that bump (not sure what to call it)...
If it were a gull, it would be the gonydeal angle.

To go off on an unabashed tangent here, are there any other alcids present at Homer in winter? In particular, I'd think there might possibly be Kittlitz's Murrelet, an extremely desirable species from a birder point of view. There might also be Marbled Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet. A zodiac ride around the harbor on a calm day might be pretty rewarding.
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by Dick Ginkowski on Tue Mar 16, 2004 8:13 pm
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Heck, that's no gull!

That's A Murre! :P
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Farewell, dear Alex.
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