Hi Robert,
Thanks for the interesting insight on Peregrine races and offshore
migration.
As far as I know, no one got photos of the bird on Saturday's pelagic. I
was standing next to Cara as it flew in low over the water, and it struck
me as a dark juvenile, possibly Peale's. It had the ragged smudgy plumage
of a young bird, but had a full dark hood and broad mustachial stripe. It
was sufficiently dark overall that it initially had several of us thinking
it was a dark-plumaged jaeger.
I've previously been struck by the similarities of jaegers and Peregrines
in flight. They both have strong, direct flapping flight with occasional
glides, a powerful build, and pointed wings. The wings of jaegers are
proportionately much longer, but this can be hard to discern on a bird in
gliding flight. I remember seeing a bird flying low over Puget Sound that
had me going back and forth before finally settling on jaeger.
Good birding,
Matt Dufort
On Mon, Oct 1, 2018 at 5:14 PM Robert O'Brien <
baro at pdx.edu> wrote:
>
I wonder if the Peregrine was of the Arctic race Tundrius. This is the
>
race often found far offshore but quite rare on the West Coast. We had one
>
aboard the Princess Cruise 60 miles offshore for most of a day in Southern
>
California a few years back. This bird was a juvenile very distinctive and
>
very beautiful. It spent the day occasionally flying out and coming back
>
with a storm Petrel- easy pickings. Did anyone get photos? Bob O'Brien
>
Portland
>
>
On Monday, October 1, 2018, Cara Borre <cmborre1 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Last Saturday, at O-dark 30, Westport Seabirds and hardy birders from
>
near and far, headed out on what would be our penultimate trip this
>
season. With winds perpendicular to our direction of travel, the
>
conditions were less than ideal but better than predicted for Sunday which
>
had just been cancelled. As the dark lifted to dusk, we saw our first Sooty
>
Shearwaters followed shortly by the "shearwater parade" which is often
>
viewable from shore. This time of year large numbers of Sooty Shearwater
>
can be seen streaming by on their way to southern hemisphere breeding
>
grounds off South America and New Zealand/Australia.
>
>
>
> We headed toward a known shrimper in the area only to find it alone,
>
without birds. Such would be our day with the few boats we found either
>
too distant and headed away from us, or passive in the water without bird
>
activity. With our hopes still high, as pelagic birders have within their
>
power the means to summons tube-noses at will, we continued on to the
>
deeper waters at the continental shelf. On the way we were able to pick up
>
Pink-footed and Buller's Shearwater with good looks at both. We had very
>
good numbers of Cassin's Auklet and decent numbers of Rhinoceros Auklet,
>
another pair of species that can be difficult to distinguish even under the
>
best of conditions for those new to pelagic birding.
>
>
>
> We arrived at the chum spot off the shelf and Captain Phil kept the boat
>
directed into the swells as First Mate Chris set out our cod-liver oil
>
slick. If you have never experienced this demonstration of "tube-nose
>
calling" where you arrive at a spot devoid of birds, drop a couple cups of
>
fishy bird attractant in the water and wait… well, you've got to join us
>
sometime to marvel at this adaptation for a pelagic life, it's simply
>
amazing! The first to arrive usually aren't tube-noses, but immature
>
California Gulls who have learned that a boat means food. Chris welcomed
>
them with bait fish as they could help us attract more of our targets. Not
>
much time passed before we had a few Northern Fulmars joining the gulls
>
with shearwaters zipping by, but we still were without an albatross for the
>
day. The "chum spot" marks our turn around point for the voyage and is a
>
good time to eat lunch or use the head as it's easier than when underway. I
>
joked to fellow spotter Bruce LaBar that I was going to the bathroom so
>
they could find a good bird. This had happened on my last trip when all
>
aboard (except me) were treated to an Arctic Tern "flying right over the
>
boat". Sure enough, during my time in the head I heard Phil's voice on the
>
speaker announcing something good. I arrived back on deck to happy birders
>
and our first (of only two for the day) Black-footed Albatross. This is the
>
show stopper bird and it would have been very disappointing for a first
>
pelagic, or a first western pelagic, conditions which applied to some
>
onboard, to have missed seeing one. After holding out for a visit from a
>
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, we accepted what birds we were granted and turned
>
"storm-petreless" for home.
>
>
>
> On the way back we had a few Dall's Porpoise, one of which paralleled
>
the boat a bit giving those on the port side a great, barely underwater
>
view. We did have a couple jaeger sightings both on the way out and back.
>
Several of us on the port side encountered a jaeger-like bird coming
>
straight at us at tremendous speed. We began yelling "jaeger, jaeger", and
>
as this bulky bird got closer we realized it was a Peregrine Falcon! Very
>
exciting 20 miles from shore.
>
>
>
> Sea and weather conditions improved as we neared Westport so Phil slowed
>
the boat and we enjoyed some inshore sightings of Pacific Loons still in
>
breeding plumage and other expected waterfowl. Back at the dock, Captain
>
Phil Anderson, First Mate Chris Anderson, and my fellow spotters, Bruce
>
LaBar and Scott Mills, thanked this enthusiastic group for joining us and
>
having great spirits despite less than optimal conditions.
>
>
>
> The last pelagic outing this year is scheduled for Saturday, October 6th
>
with good weather forecasted, space available, and probably a Laysan
>
Albatross lurking out there somewhere. Here's hoping you're not in the
>
head when it's sighted! Booking information is available at
>
westportseabirds.com
>
>
>
> Happy birding,
>
>
>
> Cara Borre
>
>
>
> Gig Harbor
>
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>
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>
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