Strength, grace and absolute control of sea birds has always been amazing to me.
Altho Terns are the best mackerel-pointers, SHEARWATERS are not far behind and even in the hustle of pursuing a school of fish, I took time out to shoot a glimpse at these stiff-winged flyers, circling, swooping and feeding.
They usually convey an impression of restlessness — ordained to follow the wind's path; never resting, homeless but I have seen them gathered in groups gossiping while the long swells slowly lifted them aloft or sunk their dark forms from sight. If the boat happened to approach this "sea party" at a certain angle, the dark dots seemed to be slowly unwinding like a screw thread. Squid is their favorite food but they eat anything that is edible. Protracted gales kill numbers and wash their bodies ashore. This destruction is not wrought by the power of the wind but because the disturbed ocean gives them no chance to feed. All birds I have examined were emaciated.
North and South Atlantic. Off coast of North America from June to November.