While standing in a light rain on Jeannette’s Pier while on a birding trip in Nags Head NC, I spotted this lone Dovekie paddling waaaaay offshore.
This smallest member of the Auk family was tough to get a clear photograph of as it bobbed and dove in the waves.
I hadn’t seen one before so it was pretty neat to finally get a good look and a few photos, even if they aren’t the best pics lol!

These little birds feed mainly on crustaceans and zooplankton, but will also dine on invertebrates and small fishes swimming near the surface of the water. That being said,they can certainly dive much deeper to snag a meal if needed. Using their wings for propulsion, they steer with their feet while diving underwater, in some cases down to depths of 100 feet!
They’ll capture their prey one at a time with their beak then ascend rapidly in a zig-zag pattern toward the surface where they can consume their food before repeating the process.

Dovekies are Arctic circle breeders with large colonies residing in Greenland during the summer. They spend the winter months in the Atlantic Ocean south/southwest of Greenland, off the east coasts of Canada, New England, and in offshore waters of the mid Atlantic States of the US.

Since they primarily forage in the open ocean, the best way to see one here in North Carolina is to take a pelagic trip departing from the Cape Hatteras area during late January or February.
Or maybe you can lucky like I did by walking out into a pier with a long lens or a spotting scope in hand on a rainy afternoon.
After all, half the fun of birding are the unexpected surprises found along the way 😉

Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame @canonusa
#5Ds