Tweeters,

Thought I'd pass this along from a fellow in the Yukon who saw the
"Steller's Eider" photos on the web at

http://www.wolfenet.com/~scray/eider.html

His comment in the 3rd paragraph about STSA is interesting.


>Date: Wed, 11 Oct 1995 21:39:28 -0700
>X-Sender: ceckert at mail.yknet.yk.ca
>To: Scott Ray <scray at WOLFE.net>
>From: ceckert at YKnet.YK.CA (Cameron Eckert)
>Subject: Re: Quiz bird
>
>Hello Scott,
>
>Interesting photos!
>
>Bill shape and colour, wing pattern, and overall body shape are all right
>for Steller's Eider. As well, the date of the photo (Aug 9) is just right
>for an eclipse plumage male (which is what the bird appears to be - based on
>the orange patch on the breast). Steller's Eiders tend to have a sort of
>square head shape which is a bit vague in the photos.
>
>Anyway, it must have caused a bit of a sensation!
>
>Not too many odd-balls in our area this season. A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was
>a highlight (probably fairly regular in your area). And on a jaunt to
>Haines, Alaska this past weekend we managed to find 3 Yellow-billed Loons
>(including one still in breeding plumage) and a Gyrfalcon. Lots of gulls.
>
>All my best
>Cameron
>Cameron Eckert
>ceckert at yknet.yk.ca
>
>
_____________________________________________________________________________
Scott Ray Washington Birder Newsletter
Yakima, WA PO Box 191
email: scray at wolfenet.com Moxee, WA 98936
http://www.wolfenet.com/~scray/