Subject: Parasitic Jaegers at Golden Gardens (Seattle)
Date: Sep 27 16:27:28 1998
From: "Martin J. Muller" - martinmuller at email.msn.com


Tweeters,

Throwing frisbee at Golden Gardens (Seattle) at 2:30 PM on Sunday with a
ten-year-old companion, my attention was drawn to a three-some of birds
wheeling and screaming just offshore. A Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) was the
one screaming, and for good reason. It had two adult Parasitic Jaegers
(Stercorarius parasiticus) hot on its tail. The tern dropped something small
from its bill in the water (almost surf) and the jaegers went after it.
Seconds later both came overhead cutting across the northern spit of land.
Pointed tail streamers clearly visible without aid of binoculars. They
disappeared to the north around the bend in the shoreline.

Light N wind, 18C/65F, sunny.

Not bad for a non-birding afternoon...

Martin Muller, Seattle
MartinMuller at email.msn.com