Subject: Surfside Birds
Date: Aug 12 10:44:18 1997
From: "Henry Gilmore" - hgilmore at willapabay.org


I would like to make a quick report of my morning walk along the beach
at Surfside. As I walked south along the beach I observed a dark cloud of
birds circling low just beyond the breaking surf. There was probably
4,000+ Sooty Shearwaters on the water and in the air working the ocean in
an area of bait fish. Lumbering Brown Pelicans and quick terns were diving
into this melee. Also, flying about were many Heerman's gulls and
California gulls. This mass of birds worked their way north about a
hundred and fifty yards off shore. A Parasitic Jaeger joined in the
feeding frenzy hoping to steal a meal. After about 10 minutes the birds
began to break up and continue on their way north. A sporadic stream of
Sooty Shearwaters were passing by me also heading north. Finishing my 2
mile walk south along the beach I headed back north for the 2 mile walk to
the exit that leads to my home. A Osprey flew by working the surf area as
I walked. I have seen them many times over the surf, but I have never seen
them dive into the water. After a mile I arrived at the area where I have
seen the Elegant Terns on a daily basis. There were 12 Elegant Terns on
the site along with 14 Caspian Terns, 28 Heerman's Gulls and only 3
California Gulls. A Bonaparte's Gull flew in for my first sighting of the
Summer. As I was checking through the flock a dark phased Parasitic Jaeger
flew in low over the gulls and terns, but none of the birds flew up as
usual. The Parasitic Jaeger then flew after a Sanderling that was flying
along the beach. Again I had great views of the chase as it took place
around and over me. I had close views of the jaeger as it flew within 10
to 20 feet of me. This now is my seventh encounter with a Parasitic Jaeger
and all over the beach with flights over and around me. I am beginning to
think that they are waiting out at sea and upon seeing me walk along the
beach they decide which one has the pleasure of exciting me. Each of
jaegers that I have seen appeared to be a different bird. This one was a
dark phased adult with beautiful long tail streamers. The other jaegers I
observed had shorter streamers, were pale phased bird or a juvenile.
As I finished my walk I noticed that many of the Sooty Shearwaters were now
heading in large numbers south along the beach.
Other birds observed on the beach:
Sanderlings the most abundant
Semipalmated Plovers still an abundant shorebird
Western Sandpipers only small numbers since most stay on the
bay side of the peninsula.
Least Sandpipers same as above
Black Turnstone 1
Black-bellied Plover 1 again they are in large concentrations on
the bay side of the peninsula
Short-billed Dowitcher 2 calling as they flew by

Henry Gilmore
Surfside, WA
hgilmore at willapabay.org