[obol] Lane Coast Mystery Seabird
- From: John Sullivan <oropendolas@xxxxxxx>
- To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 17:58:45 -0400 (EDT)
Hello All,
Barry McKenzie and I birded near Florence yesterday, Friday Aug 16. Our first
stop was at the North Jetty ~8:00AM. We had a clear window for awhile before
the dense fog rolled in. We set up our scopes at the edge of the channel near
the parking area for our first look. I scoped out beyond the jetties, and one
of the first birds I got on was gliding south to north, low over the water
beyond the mouth of the jetties. I first called out shearwater. Then it flapped
and I saw a bright white belly contrasting sharply with a dark neck and head.
It wasn't flying right for a shearwater and I thought the tail looked big, so I
jumped to Pom Jaeger. That wasn't right either. It was flapping slower than a
jaeger and there were no white flashes in the wings. My next thought was way
out there, but I thought it was right for Brown Booby! That is what it really
looked like. I watched it for 30 seconds or so, and could not give good enough
directions for Barry to get on it before it disappeared behind the dunes. We
ran further out on the jetty to try to catch it again, but it had vanished in
the fog to the north. We drove up to Haceta Head and looked over the rocks at
Sealion Cave and from the lighthouse, but the fog made visibility very limited.
I really don't know what it was. I know Booby is a super long-shot and my
description is lousy, but thought I'd better get this out there in case it's
still hanging around somewhere.
We did see a flock of ~ 14 ELEGANT TERNS feeding off the north jetty, moving
north.
Good Birding,
John Sullivan
Springfield, OR
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