Just after 1:00 this afternoon, I found a pair of King Eiders in Cell 4 on the Spit. This is the small bay that opens onto the Lake and just west of Pipit Point. When I first saw them, the Eiders were against the north shore of the cell, and then they moved out into the middle. They were associating primarily with Mallards and Black Ducks, though there are also a number of Long-tails, Mergansers, and Buffleheads in this area. The Eiders appeared to be first-year birds, a male and female, with the white breast of the male clearly visible. Other notable sightings included three Horned Grebes off the Eastern Headland, a Northern Shrike by Cell 2, a small flock of Common Redpoles west of Pipit Point, and a beautiful male Northern Harrier coursing over the open area before the lighthouse.
