10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Penguins are flightless, but some species locomote over long distances on antarctic ice to travel between breeding grounds and the sea. Fossil Evidence for Evolution of the Shape and Color of Penguin Feathers Science, 330 (6006), 954-957 DOI: 10.1126/science.1193604 Salas-Gismondi, R., Altamirano, A., Shawkey, M., Vinther, J.,

Penguins 191

Penguins Seals Peru Science 191

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

What I didn’t know was how this relationship actually works: the mechanics of Red Knot migration, the reduced digestive systems necessary for their long flighta, the need to fatten up quickly so they can fly to the Arctic and breed, how they compete with other shorebirds and gulls and, it turns out, humans, for horseshoe crab eggs.

Delaware 179

Delaware New Jersey Research Eggs 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2011

There is a very distinctive smell found on seabird colonies, where thousands upon thousands of birds come to breed and, coincidentally, deposit large quantities of waste. A great place to watch whales and pelagic seabirds. As well as gulls the islands home large colonies of Brandt’s Cormorants. And finally, a view from that step.

Breeding 181

Breeding Stray Seals Whales 181