Subject: [Tweeters] Cape Flattery PTERODROMA, cranes 9/22
Date: Sep 23 21:39:00 2006
From: Scott Atkinson - scottratkinson at hotmail.com


Tweeters:

Just back in from another couple days out in Clallam County, where the
birding was quite good. Given the remarkable reports from Flattery over the
summer (one recalls Xantus' Murrelet and Manx Shearwater in particular), I
was determined to get in a good seawatch through the scope.

I arrived at about 10 on Saturday, with calm seas and clear skies, pretty
good visibility, although fog still obscured some of the offshore sites most
apt to have pelagics. The first half-hour was the best, as the fog
weakened. I had a fair-sized feeding flock of gulls far out when the first
pelagics turned up: a SOOTY SHEARWATER gilded in to land near the gulls,
and moments later a PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER came close by but continued
southward; two other shearwater, sp. were close behind but too far out for
certain i.d.

Then the big surprise--another approaching tubenose, gliding and careening
just above the waves. As it approached the gull flock, I thought great, a
Short-tailed Shearwater--a little smaller than the Sooty and no white wing
flashings this time from below. A nice bird to have from here and a bit on
the early side, too, I thought. But as it got closer, I noticed strange
behavior, specifically it had a more leisurely style, rising for a couple
nice arcs, and at best side view I was struck by the fact that it banked
twice, probably 5 ft or so above the waves, with deep wing
strokes--providing clear views of deeply angled, long, narrow-based wings.
The other thing dissimilar from Short-tailed Shearwater was that in good
light, the upperparts and wings from above had a distinct silvery
grayish-brown cast, not a deep or chocolate brown that I expected in perfect
light. The bird had a pale throat, but then so do some ST Shearwaters.

Alas, the sighting was brief--and I could not make out a M pattern above,
nor much of any detail for underwing pattern except that for certain there
were no bright flashings or white. But I am convinced the bird was not a
Short-tailed or Sooty Shearwater, nor any of the other regular n. Pacific
pelagics I have seen so many times over the years. The bird was a
Pterodroma, and I am strongly leaning toward the Murphy's Petrel, but for
the fact that I have no prior experience with that species and have nearly
none with the closest cogeners with which it would be most apt to be
confused. Harrison's Seabirds leaves me puzzled, Sibley seems more
up-to-date on Murphy's, which seems a rather little-known taxon. Also,
Murphy's have apparently been seen in our offshore waters chiefly in spring,
I recall an earlier report from further south in WA this last July if memory
serves.

Either way, I was electrified by the sighting, and there were other birds
around as well. The Cape's skies were alive with SANDHILL CRANES--I had
several southbound groups that eventually totalled 90 birds, and 22 more
flew right over Neah Bay later, at one point this group circling as if to
land in the flats along the Waatch River. This later group was seemingly
followed by about 20 VAUX'S SWIFTS. It was also entertaining to witness the
southbound SAVANNAH SPARROW migration: about every 15 minutes I could hear
one flying in from the north, several birds landed right at the Cape before
moving on. Among other marine regulars, I had single PARASITIC and POMARINE
JAEGERS, a CASSIN'S AUKLET, a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, and the Skua-like morph
of HEERMANN'S GULL--only the second time I'd seen it. This bird really
looks like a skua or Pomarine at first look. Finally, there were many
migrant passerines all around the Neah Bay area (especially OC Warbler and
GC Sparrow), but nothing out of the ordinary.

Eastward at Sequim and PA late yearsterday and this morn, things were much
less eventful. I missed on all the Three Crabs notables (thinking about the
Ruff especially) with a HORNED LARK providing some interest, and Graysmarsh
beach had nothing to add. But it's September, and birding doesn't get any
better than this!

Scott Atkinson
Lake Stevens
mail to: scottratkinson at hotmail.com