Greetings All

This is from the fall 2001 issue of North American Birds: Researcher pelagic
efforts located 35+ S.h. hypoleucus, 4 scrippsi, and 6 unidentified Xantus's
Murrelets off Oregon from mid-Aug into late Sep (MF, Rrw). In Washington, 2
hypoleucus were 36 nmi. w. of Leadbetter Point 6 Sep and pairs of scrippsi were
85 nmi. w. off Westport 13 Aug and 60 nmi. s. of Destruction I. 5 Sep (RRw).
Eight unidentified Xantus's/Craveri's Murrelets were also found off Washington
13 Aug-5 Sep (Rrw). Michael Force, who has conducted several late summer/early
winter oceanographic surveys off Oregon and Washington, noted that "of the
106 Xantus's Murrelets I've seen off Oregon and Washington, at least 90% of them
were hypoleucus. Most of these were beyond 50nmi from shore. As one moves
farther south, scrippsi begins to predominate. It would appear that hypoleucus
leapfrogs over scrippsi, particularly far from shore." There were only three
previous Regional reports of hypoleucus scattered between Jun and Sep.

Cheers
Steven Mlodinow
Everett WA