Hi Tweets,

Scott Downes writes:

>The birds were murrelet sized, pointed beak, very dark on the back with no
>other markings. The color of their back would be similar to the color of
>dark chocolate. On their underside the color was almost snow white and it
>extended to the gape line of their bill. I could not see if there were any
>eye line or rings. The bill was completely black. Any suggestions?

Looking through my National G shows only two murrelet species with that
configuration: Craveri's Murrelet (Synthliboramphus cravei) and Xantus'
Murrelet (S. hypoleucus). Craveri's has a brownish cast to the back that
Xantus' Murrelet apparently lacks, and gray underwings to Xantus' white
(though hard to see in typical buzzing alcid flight), and a longer dark
shoulder spur, according to the guide.

Harrison, in Seabirds, says that both Xantus' and Craveri's post-breeding
dispersal is in Aug-Oct and both reach southern CA waters and have visited
further N in warm-water years.

Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
mprice at mindlink.net