Mike -


Were they were <italic>hypoluecus</italic> or <italic>scrippsi</italic>?
(Since they probably will be split!)


<<grin>


Phil Davis



At 03:54 PM 09/13/1997 -0700, you wrote:

>

>

>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

>

>




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Phil Davis


home: PDavis at ix.netcom.com Davidsonville, Maryland, USA

work: PDavis at OAO.com Greenbelt, Maryland, USA

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