A tiny pelagic seabird, the Dovekie, was discovered this morning laying dead in the sand. I think it must have died very recently as it was completely intact. Dovekies are the smallest of the auks (the puffin family) and when on the beach they are in serious trouble because they walk very poorly and have difficulty taking off. Most of us will only ever catch a glimpse of this tiny treasure far away and out to sea and although very dead, it was beautiful to see.
Dovekies (also known as the Little Auck) breed on islands in the high Arctic and move south to the the north Atlantic in the winter. Several weeks ago, one was spotted off the shoreline on Atlantic Road.
Photos of living Dovekies courtesy wikicommonsmedia.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Poor little thing.
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Similar- https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/can-anyone-identify-this-bird/#comments
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How close was this location to shoreline road? I wanted to share the below also FYI only! Dave
Source: USFWS…
https://www.fws.gov/birds/management/managed-species/migratory-bird-treaty-act-protected-species.php
Click to access dovekie.pdf
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I have only ever seen one once, and it likewise was dead, on Plum Island when I lived there one winter.
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