[obol] Dux at Yaquina Bay South Jetty.
- From: Wayne Hoffman <whoffman@xxxxxxxx>
- To: obol <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2013 16:10:29 -0800
Hi -
Over the past several days we have had some herring spawning near the South
Jetty. The Herring stick their roe to the substrate - rocks, seaweed,
eelgrass, etc. Anyway, the behavior of the diving ducks has changed
radically in the area, as presumably they are feeding on the roe. This
morning (Sat. Mar. 9) a flock of about 100 Surf Scoters, accompanied by 1-2
Whitewinged Scoters, 3 Black Scoters, several Buffleheds, and 1
female-plumaged LONG-TAILED DUCK were feeding between the 1st and 2nd
fingers. Earlier on several Brant were swimming with them. The ducks
would gather on the surface 50-200m offshore, then swim toward the rocks,
and when within 50m a portion of the flock would dive synchronously. After
1-2 synchronous dives they would swim quickly back out, regroup, and do it
again. Their approaches were not all in the same place, but moved up and
down a 300m stretch of the rocks. The Long-tailed Duck stayed there from 7
AM until about 1 PM.
Meanwhile a flock of 40+ Greater Scaup was gathered between the bridge and
the first finger, and about 10-15 Goldeneyes were in the same area (number
varied through the morning). They fed quite a bit closer to shore than the
scaup. The Goldeneyes included 1-3 drake Commons, the one drake Barrow's
that has been in the area since November, and the one drake hybrid we have
been seeing recently.
In addition a first-winter drake goldeneye was in front of the Marine
Science Center around 1:30 PM. This bird was in molt with head and body
pattern just coming in. It was not a (pure) Common, but could have been
another Barrow's or a hybrid. If it sticks around we should be able to
tell in a few weeks.
Wayne
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