Auk in the dark

Reports came in from further west that there was an auk swimming our way. I looked up the beach and sure enough we could see a small auk just offshore. It was repeatedly diving and spending only short periods on the surface but it was possible to see it was a Little Auk.

We walked up the beach towards it. It was getting late into the day and the light would soon go. I wanted to photograph it while I still could. The Little Auk was obviously feeling the end of the day was imminent too as it stopped feeding and started to preen just the other side of the breakers. If only it had chosen to do this earlier, when the sun was out.