Little Tutka Sea Ducks

I just got back from four days at our cabin in Little Tutka Bay on the south side of Kachemak Bay. I was finishing a bunch of little projects before closing the place up for three months.

I took my cameras along because I know that a variety of sea sucks overwinter in the bays and coves on the south side because the weather is relatively mild and the coves protected. You can see Bufflehead, Barrow's Goldeneye, Mergansers, and Harlequin.

The photo above is of male and female Harlequins taking flight after I sneaked up to them from behind a rocky point. They didn't see me, but my shutter noise spooked them and I panned the camera at a slow shutter speed to get the great motion of their wings and water splashing as they flew off.

The detail you can see from the telephoto, especially of the males, gives you an idea of why they are named after the comic character developed in 17th century pantomime plays.

I'll be doing a sea duck tour, with lunch at our cabin prepared by Ruth, during  the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in May 2016. If you want to want to see what we experience on the south side of the Bay, check the Festival's website for more details, and to sign up for any of the talks, classes and tours being offered. Registration begins in March.

Our tour will be called Sea Ducks & Soup.