Subject: Re: quick trip to the water
Date: Sep 26 08:52:41 1995
From: Dennis Paulson - dpaulson at ups.edu


Eric Henriksen wrote:

>A group of terns passed quickly by divebombing for fish.
>Because of the distance and relative quickness of their
>departure, I was left somewhat confused. The crown to nape
>area was black as in most terns, and the lore area was white
>on all 8 of them. The whiteness of their breasts contrasted
>with their slightly darker bellies. My NGS guide range maps
>helped somewhat but did not lead me a definitive decision.
>According to the range maps the only tern that would summer in
>our area might be a Caspian. However, the birds looked more
>like 1st summer/1st fall Commons. Given the time of year,
>what would be the most likely possibility? Would migrating
>Common's be in the south sound at this time?

Yes, Common Tern is *the* tern of Puget Sound during fall migration. They
could have been either juveniles or adults well along in their autumn molt.
Field guides have long ignored the substantial migration of Common Terns
along the Pacific coast, for some reason.

>Also, I witnessed a Great-Blue Heron that regularly hangs out
>here being harassed pretty heavily by crows. This seemed odd
>to me in that I would think that their respective foraging
>niches are completely separate. Is this true? Is this a
>territorial thing? Crows have been known to do just about
>anything they want so maybe this is an anomolie (sp?).

Crows harass just about everything larger than them and many things
smaller; doesn't seem to relate to logic. I don't know if I'd call
anything a crow did an anomaly. Maybe crows are the avian version of a
street gang.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416