April 10, 1997
6:15 p.m.
Edmonds Fishing Pier
calm, sunny

While searching for a Pelagic Cormorant which had been diving near the =
north-south jetty (I "lost" it and was looking south of the jetty), I =
observed a lot of splashing, apparently caused by a small diving bird. =
This was taking place approximately a couple of hundred meters due south =
of the pier (perhaps 150). The bird appeared to "plow" around the =
surface of the water, and I saw it flip a herring in its bill. I =
continued to watch as the water was stirred continually by this bird, =
and THEN in an area perhaps 2 or 3 m in diameter a school of herring =
jumped clear of the water, perhaps 15 cm, and a couple of hundred fish. =
They jumped "in mass", their silvery bodies flashing, and then =
disappeared. Soon the bird was seen on the surface (it had been =
submerged) again, and then it dove once more. This phenomenon occurred =
another three times while I watched, the herring jumping up together as =
if to escape the attacking bird. The bird was a Rhinocerous Auklet, =
when it slowed from the fishing frenzy, I could clearly see the "horn" =
on the bird. A couple of minutes later, the auklet came in towards the =
jetty and resumed diving near the Pelagic Cormorant I was observing, =
apparently not having eaten its fill yet.

Susan McDougall
Susan.C.McDougall at Boeing.Com