Subject: RBA: XANTUS' MURRELET at SJCR
Date: Sep 13 15:54:38 1997
From: Mike Patterson - mpatters at orednet.org




My apologies if you've already received this once, but my mail server
has been acting up this morning...

Two probable XANTUS' MURRELETS were seen this morning from the South
Jetty of the Columbia River while I was doing my weekly seawatch. At
about 0845hr I saw two small (murrelet-sized) black and white alcids
flying out to see along the ocean side of the jetty.

They were black above and white below, one banked enough so that I could
see white wing linings. The transition between the black above and the
white below was clean and sharp. The forehead, crown and nape were black
and the black came down to the eye. The chin and throat were white.

I watched them in flight for about 30 seconds until they were out of sight.
I walked out to the bend in the jetty after the timed portion of the count
and looked for any alcids and found only a few Common Murres.

I am certain enough of this sighting to post this as an RBA, but cannot
categorically exclude other species.




--
********************************* I am but mad north-north-west;
* Mike Patterson, Astoria, OR * when the wind is southerly,
* mpatters at orednet.org * I know a hawk from a handsaw.
http://www.pacifier.com/~mpatters -ws