One of my favourite seabirds always reminds me of Christmas morning. Crested Auklets—charismatic, comical little birds with wild head feathers—have a unique trait: they produce a citrus-scented oil from a gland near their shoulders. The smell is surprisingly reminiscent of tangerines, which instantly takes me back to the scent of the fruit tucked into my Christmas stocking every year when I was a child.

I created this image with the trusty Sony a1 mirrorless camera and the versatile, portable Sony 200-600mm zoom lens as I sat atop a windswept cliff on Saint Paul Island, one of the remote Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, situated between Russia and Alaska. The day was blustery and overcast—standard weather for that far-flung corner of the world (and yes, that’s part of its charm).

Despite the grey skies, the Crested Auklets put on an incredible aerial show. With ease and joy, they rode the strong currents sweeping up from the sea, appearing to hang effortlessly in the wind. There was a sense of playfulness in their flight—as if they were simply enjoying the ride.