Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle

A short film illustrating a Black Guillemot Cepphus grille in close-up. The bird is sitting at the opening of a presumed drainage pipe in the sea wall in Oban Harbour and it is one of a small colony of about 30 residents that nest in these pipes and hunt small fish and invertebrates in the clear shallow waters there. The high-pitched call employed by the Black Guillemot is reminiscent of a squeaky wheel or hinge that needs oiling and it is used both to communicate with other members of its species fishing in the Harbour or with its mate tucked away further back in the pipe. The bright red gape comes as something of a surprise if one is unfamiliar with these birds! Black Guillemots are seemingly untroubled by humans when approached and they are utterly endearing birds to watch, photograph and film.

[Birdfun]

Nice footage Dave. It looks like they have a red light in their beak!