Photos by E.J. Lefavour
That this is an adult male common eider in eclipse plumage? Male eiders are very handsome sea ducks, who exhibit strong sexual dimorphism to attract females, so when I saw this mangy looking fellow feasting on a mollusk beside Capt. Joe & Sons, I didn’t know what it was. In the non-breeding season, they moult into this drab female-like appearance, which is called the eclipse plumage. When they shed feathers to go into eclipse, the ducks become flightless for a short period of time. Some duck species remain in eclipse for one to three months in the summer, while others retain the cryptic plumage until the next spring when they undergo another moult to return to their breeding plumage.
E.J. Lefavour
www.khanstudiointernational.com
About E.J.
Artist, researcher, spiritual traveler of this fascinating orb we inhabit, lover of life and all it has to offer.
Hi everyone out there in GMG land. My name is Ellen “E.J.” Lefavour (a/k/a “Ejay Khan” – the pseudonym I used during my years as a political activist artist). I am a newcomer to Cape Ann, and thrilled to be a new contributor to Good Morning Gloucester. I am a painter and photographer who has lived and worked as an artist for 20 years, since leaving the corporate world in 1990 to pursue my passion. My contributions to GMG will consist of images (either my paintings, photographs, or the occasional video) and a little history about the image, called “Did you Know?” I hope to come up with tidbits of information that people don’t already know, or had forgotten they knew. As I am new here, everything is new and fascinating to me, especially the amazing history, so bear with me if I post something that is common knowledge – I’ll eventually come up with something that’s new to you. Please take a minute to comment on my posts, like them or not, especially if you have corrections or something to add, as that is how I, and all of us, learn. Have a Good Morning Gloucester, and a blessed day.
Alicia
blackswanbeth
Joanne
Paul F. Frontiero Jr.
Marty Luster
Craig Kimberley
David B. Cox
Ed Collard
Sharon
Vickie & Peter
Kim Smith
Fr Matthew Green
patrickr
Paul Morrison & RD
Manuel F. Simoes
S.D. Kelly
Thom Falzarano
Joey must be in eclipse mode! He was pretty Mangy looking today.
Now Paul, that’s not very nice. Guess what – I’ve sold 3 GMG T-shirts since opening at noon.