I spent most of today birding the Lane coast with Diane Pettey. It was chilly
but we avoided the nastier squalls and had some good birding. Swells and surf
were heavy and seemed rough all the way to the horizon.
A first-winter Glaucous Gull was on the rocks at the North Jetty backwater
about 9:15. It was still there at 2:30, looking unwell.
Kittiwakes were visible at most coast stops, mostly adults and mostly fairly
close, not too far beyond the surf line. We saw maybe ten.
At Strawberry hill a single Short-tailed Shearwater went by at remarkably close
range, barely past the surf line, not in much hurry. The steeper forehad and
pale chin were east to see, and there was not much pale under the wings. I wish
they were always that close. That was the only tubenose I saw all day.
Several Ancient Murrelets went by. So did 3-4 small alcids that were not
Ancients. I’m starting to wonder if I can tell Cassin’s from Parakeet at any
distance. These were very black above, had dark underwings, very white bellies
and I had the impression of a bill that was larger and paler than what a
Cassin’s ought to have. They tended to be fairly far out and landed behind
large swells. In flight they did not have the side-to-side tilting motion that
I have often seen on Cassin’s. I listed them as alcid sp.
Our biggest surprise was around 2:30 back at the north jetty when we were about
to declare victory as a squall came in. A Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel flew in and
landed in the calm backwater maybe 20-30 yards away. It was clearly tired, but
after hanging around to have its picture taken it took off and went northwest
over the pines.
Alan Contreras
acontrer56@xxxxxxxxx
www.alanlcontreras.com
“Most people do not go to college for an education…I was going back for an
education…This is almost impossible to explain to a university.” —Robert Duncan
