Glacier Bay National Park

Onomatopoeia: The formation of a word by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action involved.

"Kittiwake! Kittiwake!" A cacophony of sound bounced from the rounded white islet and skipped across the water. The rush of wings was like the wind and the flurry of bodies swirling in random frantic motion was like snowflakes tossed in a blizzard. "Kittiwake! Kittiwake!"

They called their names in harmony like the intermingling phrases of a song. Nests perched precariously on a precipitous cliff edge, Black-legged Kittiwakes were poised for action, ready to sound the alarm and rush forth to confuse a curious Bald Eagle in search of an easy omelet or two. Resting on a floating berg, their delicate inky black-tipped primaries matched ebony feet and legs and rounded coal black eyes. A charcoal gray cape adorned their wings and mantle while their remaining feathers were milky white.

Sumdum. A deep and throaty rumble shook the walls and echoed from the mountain peaks. The glacier roared, its face fracturing into car-sized blocks which fell further fragmenting into a cascade of powdery snow. A word from the Tlingit language rolled in our heads mimicking the sound - sumdum, white thunder. One word is all that is needed now to paint a scene of action and resonance.