If I Were Going...: Silver Salmon Creek Lodge: Puffins and More!

A Horned Puffin in the flowers

When I visited Silver Salmon Creek Lodge (SSCL) in September 2015, I remember the Lodge website mentioning Puffin-viewing. When I inquired about it, they informed me that it was too late, the Puffins had already gone out to sea. Puffins only come to land to mate, nest and raise their chicks, spending eight months or so on the open ocean, hunting for fish.

Floating on the water

Alaskan Puffins (both Tufted and Horned) return to nesting grounds around mid-May each year and they are gone by late summer.

When we visited the Katmai Wilderness lodge in 2008, the same thing happened. When I booked this trip to SSCL, I had totally forgotten about Puffin viewing. So, I was pleased when one of the planned activities was a boat trip to see some pelagic birds, including Puffins.

This was not my first time seeing Puffins – far from it. I have seen all three species: Atlantic, which live in the (duh!) Atlantic Ocean (I have seen in Iceland and Svalbard, Norway) and Horned and Tufted, which live in the Pacific (I have seen elsewhere in Alaska).

CW: Horned Puffins, Atlantic Puffin, Tufted Puffin

But, I love Puffins and they are fairly tricky to photograph as they zip past. So, going out to see some was a plus.

When we had arrived at SSCL, the weather was (as you could see in most of my Bear photos) gorgeous.

A beautiful day at SSCL

However, as our visit progressed, it was starting to get a bit overcast, foggy and windy (this will come into play later). Our scheduled morning trip was cancelled because of rough seas. But, when it cleared in the afternoon, we took off in one of SSCL small boats.

The boat (with birds in the air above): Bear Guide Dave was also our captain!

They gave us a general idea of where we were headed – a small island in Cook Inlet – but didn’t tell us exactly where. After I got home, I figured it out and got confirmation from David Coray, SSCL’s owner.

But, he also asked me not to reveal the location because not many tours go there now and he wants to protect it for his visitors.

Just a rocky little spot

This makes sense because SSCL is experiencing some increased restrictions and scrutiny from the NPS based on the fact that the number of fly-in day tourists Bear viewing on the beach in front of the Lodge has been rapidly increasing.

ATVs in the now "no-go" zone

In fact, Dave told me that NPS had told them on our last day there that they could no longer drive ATVs out on the tidal flats. Rather, they now have to park on the dry sand and walk. That will make it harder to get good photos.

So, I will not reveal location; I will simply call in Island.

"Island"

After about a 30-minute-or-so ride, we started to see lots of seabirds, especially huge flocks of Common Murres. I mean HUGE; probably thousands.

My photos do not do show volume because the flocks had dispersed subgroups

This was not a new bird to me; I have blogged about them numerous times, including this overview.

The Common Murre, also called the Common Guillemot or Thin-Billed Murre, is a large Auk that lives in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North Atlantic and North Pacific.

Common Murres in flight

Puffins, by the way, are also Auks.

As we approached Island, we also started to see Puffins in the water. Almost all the ones we saw were Horned Puffins (probably a ratio of 200 Horned to one Tufted). I got no good Tufted Puffin photos on this trip.

I didn't get Tufted Puffin photos; but here's a Horned Puffin with a Common Murre

Horned Puffins were present in huge numbers on Island

About Horned Puffins

In breeding plumage

I have blogged about Atlantic Puffins before. But, let’s talk about Horned Puffins.

An Auk found in the North Pacific Ocean, including the coasts of Alaska, Siberia and British Columbia, the Horned Puffin is a pelagic seabird that feeds primarily by diving for fish.

It nests in colonies, often with other Auks, such as the Common Murres we saw.

The Horned Puffin’s common name comes from a "horn" of black skin located above the eye, present in adults in breeding plumage.

The distinctive "horn"

Its scientific name, Fratercula Corniculata, comes from the Medieval Latin words for "friar," referring to black-and-white plumage that resembles a monk’s robe paired with the Latin word for "horn-shaped" in reference to the horn above the bird's eye.

Dressed in monk's robes

The vernacular name “Puffin,” which means puffed or swollen, was long ago applied to the fatty, salted meat of young birds of the unrelated species, the Manx Shearwater.

Manx Shearwater (photo: eBird) and the no-look-alike Horned Puffin

The Atlantic Puffin acquired the name much, much later in 1768. I have heard two different explanations: that they taste the same when roasted or that they have similar nesting habits. Later, the related Auks now called Horned Puffins and Tufted Puffins were given the name.

The Yup'ik call the Puffin Qilangaq, which means "little nose,” or Qategarpak, which means "large white breast." The Ainu call them Etupirka, which means "beautiful beak."

Although chunky, Puffins are actually quite small: an adult is just about eight inches tall and weighs a hefty 18 ounces. The wingspan is approximately 23 inches.

A distinctive bill

Unlike many birds, male and female Horned Puffins exhibit the same coloration.

The bill, which is larger than those of other Puffin species, is red at the tip and yellow at the base. In the summer breeding season, the bill's outer layer gets larger and turns bright yellow with a dark orange tip. The size and color help attract a mate, a factor that is magnified by the Puffin’s ability to see ultraviolet light, allowing them to spot luminescence on the bills of other Puffins during the courtship display.

The brilliant outer layers are shed in late summer, as the face reverts to a gray and black color, and the legs and feet fade to a pale fleshy color. Because Puffins are at sea during this period, you seldom see photos on non-breeding plumage.

Chicks have smoky-gray cheeks, a black triangular-shaped beak and pink/gray feet. They are smaller than adults when they fledge, not reaching full adult size and coloration until five years. There were no chicks yet when we visited Island.

An adult and a juvenile

Horned Puffins are relatively common throughout the northern Pacific Ocean. In North America, they are found on the western coasts of Alaska and British Columbia, Haida Gwaii and the Aleutian Islands, the Chukchi Sea, Wrangel Island and the coasts of Oregon and California. They don’t migrate, per se, but they do move between the coast and the open sea.

Range map: All About Birds

When onshore, Horned Puffins live on steep rocky slopes and cliffs. Unlike other Puffins, they don’t dig burrows, preferring rock crevices or shelters under piles of rock.

The like rocky cliffs

To achieve flight, Horned Puffins either jump off a cliff or race across the water to gain momentum.

They are too heavy for a stand-still take-off

They generally fly 30 to 100 feet above sea level, using constant, rapid and regular wing beats. They fly in groups of about two to 15 individuals, traveling between nesting and foraging grounds, sometimes with Tufted Puffins or Murres.

They walk upright, gripping rock surfaces with their claws, climbing with ease.

Their webbed feet have grippy claws

Horned Puffins live and breed in colonies of tens to thousands or more. They fly in circular motions above the colony before landing, upon which they adopt a dominant or submissive posture towards other birds. The sign of submission is to briefly hold their legs slightly apart and spread their wings over their head for about four seconds.

The Puffin's dominant display is to hold its beak open with its tongue lowered, back feathers erect, stepping in place as it rocks from side to side. This gesture is often made towards a rival Puffin, who may either back down or fight with the intruder. During fights, Puffins lock bills and beat each other with their wings; the two combatants may tumble down a slope or cliff still locked in battle.

Two Puffins greeting each other

On the water, Horned Puffins paddle along the surface with their feet. They are extremely agile underwater, to the point that their movement can be called "underwater flight" rather than swimming. Their powerful wings serve as oars and their webbed feet work as a rudder. Water pressure keeps the feathers glued to the body, placing the puffin into an aerodynamic shape. Puffins can easily stay longer than one minute under water.

Underwater Atlantic Puffin; Photo: The Guardian

Like most other seabirds, Horned Puffins have waterproof plumage, which permits them to dive and keeps them warm. A specialized gland near the tail secretes a greasy and hydrophobic liquid that the Puffin spreads on its plumage with its beak, permitting it to float.

Buoyant birds

Adult Horned Puffins eat a varied diet, feeding on fish, small invertebrates, crustaceans, seaworms, squid, small algae and marine plants.

Puffin with catch; Photo: Alaska.org

To catch fish, Horned Puffins dive headfirst into the water, while at the same time staking out a school of fish and keeping an eye out for predators. Once they spot prey, they go down 50 to 100 feet in pursuit.

They most commonly hunt in the early morning in areas fairly far offshore from the nest. They usually swallow several small fish before bringing the rest back to the colony in their specialized bills. They do not readjust their prey within their beaks, so as not to risk losing their meal.

The chicks have a less varied diet, feeding mainly on sand eels or capelin brought in by their parents two to six times per day. Unlike many other seabirds, which employ regurgitation to feed their young, Horned Puffins feed their chicks whole fish directly from the bill. Both parents participate in the feeding and rearing of the chick.

Horned Puffin pairs are monogamous. Courtship begins as the male and female swim alongside on the water. The male displays by rising from the water, neck outstretched, opening and closing the bill while jerking the head. The female makes a hunched posture with her neck contracted inwards, close to the water surface. This is followed by billing, a practice where mated birds touch beaks. A slight head movement from both partners confirms that the couple will now mate for life.

Puffin couple

Pairs choose a nesting ground a week after arriving at the breeding area, preferring rock crevices.

Burrow

They clear a space and gather grass and feathers to line the nest. Each pair lays only one egg per year during the same week as the entire colony.

Bringing in nesting material

Both parents take turns incubating the egg over about 41 days, and spend another forty days raising the chick. The fledgling leaves the nest alone and at night, making its way towards open water, then quickly dives and swims away to begin independent life.

Rises in ocean temperature have increased the reproductive rate of the Horned Puffin. The total number of Horned Puffins is estimated at 1.2 million, of which 900,000 are in North America.

Alaska has 760,000!

Our Puffin Experience

At first, we saw Puffins mainly on the water and in the air and not on land.

Taking off from the ocean

Still, when given the option to land on Island, I said yes (Scott stayed on the boat).

On shore

Slowly, the Puffins started to fly in …

… land …

… and occasionally, snuggle into their burrows

Over time, the number on land grew steadily

Being on Island made it much easier to photograph the birds because, despite high cliffs, some landed fairly low.

A great vantage point

And, many stood still.

The most magnificent thing about being on land was that the rocky cliffs were covered with a profusion of wildflowers in purple, white, yellow and red.

An artist could not have created a prettier setting for these gorgeous birds

After about an hour on island, we re-boarded the boat and headed back to SSCL.

A waterfall we passed on the way back

It was so, so worth going.

A great adventure

Other Birds

It turns out that SSCL is a great birding destination if you are looking for seabirds and you go in the early summer. Besides the Puffins and Murres, I saw only a few other species. But, all birds are worth a mention.

My not-quite-as-bad shot from Hawai'i

When we arrived, I was very excited to learn that there was a Short-eared Owl nesting on the property high up in a reasonably prominent tree. My Merlin app didn't even list a SEO as a possibility! Maybe I could finally get a good picture of one!

Alas, this was not to be. We saw it twice from a great distance and I got a few terrible photos. But, Dave was trying to stay clear of the nesting area so as not to spook the Owl away. I get it. I just wished I could have had just a minute with it.

This was all I managed (it was so far away!)

Of course, we saw Bald Eagles (it's Alaska!), but I didn't nave any spectacular encounters. When It was sunny, one of the resident birds was high up in a tree and a pair were on the beach. When it was overcast and drizzly, one very soggy bird was super close. That's OK, I had some great Bald Eagles later in Dutch Harbor.

SSCL Bald Eagles

That, plus ...

... a lone female Common Merganser swimming in the creek ...

... a couple of Savannah Sparrows ...

... a whole flock of Surf Scoters ...

... and Glaucous-winged Gulls on the beach (the Bear cub was teasing this one)

That was about it! But, we weren't there for birds. We were there for Bears!

Crimped ear and one of her cubs

Lake Paddle

Another outing that I participated in was a brief paddle around Silver Salmon Lake in a small rowboat (powered, again, by Dave!).

A beautiful setting

We had not visited the lake before (or even known that it existed!). I guess you learn a lot more when you aren't visiting after the Lodge is officially closed as we did the first time.

Lilies and horsetail rush

I was hoping to see a Moose or maybe even the Wolverine that some other guests had seen the week before. Nope!

But it was a beautiful and peaceful hour or so on a lovely Alaskan lake

A Tricky Departure

Our first two days at SSCL were graced with beautiful weather, which was a huge relief because we had had some pretty significant rain when we visited in 2015.

Great for Bear viewing

However, as our visit started to wind down, the weather started getting very Alaskan ...

Foggy

Rainy

Overcast

A couple who were scheduled to depart the day before we were ended up staying an extra night because no planes could fly in (and no new guests could come in, either – bummer for them!).

Ain't nobody goin' nowhere; Photo: Scott Stevens

Since we had rain gear and Bears don't care if they get wet, it didn't interfere much with our activities, although I did much prefer the sunny days.

Time to go

The day of our departure dawned (maybe it dawned, it was hard to tell) much worse. Would we be stuck too?

It would mess with our plans a little bit, but it wouldn't be catastrophic. The next two days were basically killing time until we had to leave for Dutch Harbor. I wouldn't complain about an extra day at SSCL.

We were supposed to leave in the morning, but didn't. In mid-afternoon, they decided to take us back by boat. SSCL generally has to do this a couple of times a summer, but rarely as early as June. It takes about 40 minutes to cross Cook Inlet, which is about the same amount of time as the plane. The problem is that the harbor is north of Soldotna, which is about a three-hour drive to Anchorage where we were supposed to be going (and where we were scheduled to pick up a rental car).

So, we headed out on one of SSCL's small boats