Pic Of The Week: You Smell (Like Me)

This Buller's Shearwater was photographed off Half Moon Bay, CA, last fall. Buller's Shearwaters are far and away everyone's favorite shearwater species, although I am partial to Wedge-tailed and Christmas Shearwaters. Getting some crippling shots of this chic shearwater are high on my list of things to do.

On the news front, researchers have found that European Storm-Petrels have the remarkable identify their relatives by scent. The birds seem to actually avoid their relatives, seeking out the scent of unrelated birds. It is thought that this habit serves to prevent inbreeding, which we all know is A) a bad idea and B) gross. I would not be surprised if other tubenose species, who are also gifted with a sensitive sense of smell, do this as well. You can read about it here.