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Mystery Alcid

Mystery Alcid

I’m pretty sure this is an alcid, but I can’t figure out what it is. I saw it twice this afternoon between Crescent Harbor and the end of the runway. Looking at the beak, it seems most like a Rhinocerous Auklet, but the white at the front of the wing seems out of place. I would dismiss that as a lighting effect, but I could still see it on the bird in the later photographs (which aren’t even as good as the one seen here) in different light. It seemed to stay underwater for a long time and/or it swam a long way before surfacing. Both times I saw it dive, I was not able to see where it came up despite looking all around for at least a couple of minutes.

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