Subject: [Tweeters] Murphy's Petrel and other bedlam from Pt Wilson
Date: Mon Oct 25 12:01:45 PDT 2021
From: Steve Hampton - stevechampton at gmail.com

I just ducked into the bathroom here to send out this message. Doing storm birding from Point Wilson tucked under the dune bluff looking north. I had an apparent Murphy's Petrel and the number of Sooty shearwaters is building, now probably 30. Ancient Murrelets are coming into the Sound.

With 50 mph winds offshore, I suspect more pelagic species are ducking into the Strait.

Here's my description of the Petrel:

Dark Pterodroma with ridiculously fast and acrobatic flight style, between Point Wilson and Whidbey, outbound. A little smaller than SOSH with more angled wings; twice as fast with much higher, much steeper arcs-; absolutely electric in flight. Watched it do about eight of these fast towering steep arcs before I lost it behind shearwaters and gulls.



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