Newport Pelagic Aug 30, 2015: Jaegers

It has been a bouncy ocean this year for pelagic trips.  Weather has cancelled a few already.  I went on my fourth trip this past Sunday (second one out of Newport, two from Westport).  The gale that hit just the day before was working its way out of the area.  We had a dry trip except for one rain cloud that hit us on the way out,  And to tell the truth, I liked it since it washed all the salt off that had gathered on my pelagic rain gear the past few trips. 

First a bit off-topic.  The small fin is a Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola).  I learned from a cousin this summer of a website where you can report sightings of these fish.  The link is up top on my header.  But here it is again:

Ocean Sunfish

I entered the sighting.  It looked as if these California Gulls were cleaning parasites off this rather small version of these cool fish. Mola mola are the largest boney fish in the world. This one has a lot of growing to do.  I assume it is a mola mola and not one of its cousins.

The normal group of albatross, shearwater (Pink-footed, Sooty and a few Buller's) and storm-petrel (Fork-tailed) were found.  Not as many as expected by me, but enough of all species seen to have good views. Here is a Black-footed Albatross hanging out in our chum slick.

Young California Gull. 

I was bummed this turned out blurry.  It is a nice Arctic Turn showing its well defined black primary tips.  Arctic Terns heads do not project out as far as Common Terns. Sort of like Sharpies compared to Cooper's Hawks.  It is not always easy to separate Common and Arctic terns.  Some terns went unidentified, they were classified as "Comic"  Terns.

My favorite part of the trip was all the great views of the jaegers.  My normal view is of a bird high in the sky flying by the boat, or a quick low fly-by that gives one only a brief glimpse.

We saw all three, the Pomarine Jaeger we had best views of was a fly-by on the way home, I was sitting trying to rest my back and missed a photo.  But the Long-tailed and Parasitic put on a nice show.

This is a Long-tailed Jaeger.  The black cap is neatly defined.  No breast band in summer. The outer  primary shafts on jaegers are white.  Because of the way the feathers overlap, only the outermost white shaft can be seen from below. From the topside the shafts can be seen. Long-tail usually show two white shafts.

But they can show more.  P8-P10 can be white. You can see how far up the gray comes on the belly yet the chest is bright white, a mark seen from a long way off.  I read Long-tailed can develop a breast band in winter, but that plumage would be rare in N America.

This Long-tailed appeared to be an adult that had molted its ornamental tail feathers. I thought it was adult due to the lack of barring on the underwing coverts.

I tried to get a photo showing the contrast between the gray coverts and darker flight feathers,  The dark secondaries on Long-tailed are supposed to show more of an obvious black trailing edge.   I can see contrast here but no great photo of a trailing edge.

I just looked at Jen's photos of the trip, she caught the trailing edge of the Long-tailed in the 14th photo down.  Here you go :  tales-from-Oregon-pelagic

Kind of a fun shot with a long-tailed Long-Tailed Jaeger in the background and a short-tailed Long-tailed Jaeger in front.

It is always fun to see how skilled at flying birds are.  The jaegers have the power to chase down a tern for its food, and yet can come into a slick like a Storm-Petrel and carefully pluck a bit of food off the surface.  I wonder if a Pomarine Jaeger would do this.

I think this is either a second-year or third-year bird.  Seems the primaries have distinct white bases and the thin outer webs do not seem to have any markings.  The barred underwing coverts are not present in adult plumage.

Ah, an obvious nice calm ocean in the background :).

I also was trying to get a photo of a Parasitic and a Long-tailed in the same position as seen from below so I could compare structure.  Long-tailed are slimmer and even with their ornamental feathers lacking, they appear to be long tailed. Between the Long-tailed below and the Parasitic underneath it, seems the Long-tailed is less robust in the neck and chest.

In Pyle's Identification Guide to North American Birds Part II, he gives the length of the forearm of the two species.  The Long-tailed has a shorter forearm length. He mentions proportion of forearm length to wingcord is likely diagnostic.  I looked for the short inner wing of Long-tailed.  It seems the Parasitic below does have a longer inner wing.  More study needed before I can tell if I can see this in field or is it a feature only a bander with bird in hand can see.

Note on this Parasitic Jaeger the less well defined cap, the white mark above the bill, and the pointed ornamental tail feathers. The breast band seems smooth as is all the coloring on the undersides. Pomarines have a larger hood, wider wings, a scruffier appearance to undersides and a pale base to bill. Also no barring on the underwing coverts, so it is an adult.

Here you can see the white crescent above the bill.  Seems like the white primary shafts are probably not a good way to separate jaegers. Not sure if in the field you could tell this upperwing from a Long-tailed.  Seems better to watch for the contrast on Long-tailed.  I see less contrast between the upper back and primaries and secondaries.

The day before I was at the mud flats behind the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the HMSC is a very fun place to visit BTW. In the heavy wind I saw this bill as very short and pointed.  All I saw was the shiny top of bill, the bill appeared to end where that  grass is stuck on the outer half.  Plus its head had a very clear split supercilium.  I did notice the lack of longer primaries and everything else looked fine for a young Least, so I was well into the Least Sandpiper camp.  It flew like a Least and sounded like a Least.  But that pointed bill and head pattern had me wondering. Not until I hunkered down behind a pine tree to send a photo of it to Alan C did I clearly see the photo and the entire bill.  Perfectly normal Least Sandpiper.

Many thanks to Tim, Shawneen, Tom, Jim and Dave. Also thanks to Enterprise ,  Dave and crew.

Three more pelagics to go for me this year, two out of Newport on Sept. 19th and Oct 3 and one out of Westport this Labor Day Sunday (6th).  

Thanks for visiting.

The eBird reports:

Newport pelagic--Yaquina Bay, Lincoln, Oregon, USAug 30, 2015 7:13 AM - 7:38 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Oregon Pelagic Tours 8 hour pelagic.Mammals: California sea lion (2); harbor seal (25).
17 species

Surf Scoter  1
Western Grebe  1
Brandt's Cormorant  25
Double-crested Cormorant  10
Pelagic Cormorant  40
Great Blue Heron  1
Osprey  1
Wandering Tattler  2
Whimbrel  1
Least Sandpiper  10
Western Sandpiper  20
Common Murre  4
Pigeon Guillemot  6
Heermann's Gull  1
Western Gull  30
California Gull  50
Caspian Tern  1



Newport pelagic--northwest route 0-5 miles offshore, Lincoln, Oregon, USAug 30, 2015 7:38 AM - 8:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Comments:     OPT pelagic.  North toward lighthouse looking for murrelets, then out.  Mammals: gray whale (2, one close); harbor porpoise (2).
14 species

Surf Scoter  15
Pacific Loon  5
Common Loon  1
Pink-footed Shearwater  4
Sooty Shearwater  10
Brandt's Cormorant  20
Pelagic Cormorant  35
Red-necked Phalarope  8
Common Murre  20
Pigeon Guillemot  6
Marbled Murrelet  1     1, seen by few.
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Western Gull  5
California Gull  40

Aug 30, 2015 8:45 AM - 10:55 AM
Protocol: Traveling
16.5 mile(s)
Comments:     Oregon Pelagic Tours 8 hour pelagic.  5 miles to chum stop at 21.6 miles offshore. Other fauna: Steller's sea lion (1), northern fur seal (1); ocean sunfish (1, seen by few).
18 species

Pacific Loon  1
Black-footed Albatross  5     1st one seen about six miles offshore.
Northern Fulmar  2
Pink-footed Shearwater  40
Buller's Shearwater  8
Sooty Shearwater  10
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  4
Red-necked Phalarope  16
Red Phalarope  3
South Polar Skua  1
Parasitic Jaeger  1
Long-tailed Jaeger  2
Common Murre  6
Cassin's Auklet  2
Rhinoceros Auklet  5
Sabine's Gull  2
California Gull  15
Arctic Tern  6     Some very close views.

Newport pelagic -- NW route (combined locations), Lincoln, Oregon, US
Aug 30, 2015 10:55 AM - 12:05 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     OPT 8 hour pelagic -- chum stop at furthest point offshore (21.6 miles).  GPS: 45.61121 N, 123.40031 W. Great views of most species. Other fauna: ocean sunfish (1, small, seen by few).
15 species

Black-footed Albatross  16
Northern Fulmar  10
Pink-footed Shearwater  20
Buller's Shearwater  2
Sooty Shearwater  4
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  25
Red Phalarope  2
South Polar Skua  1
Parasitic Jaeger  1
Long-tailed Jaeger  5     Mostly adults (7/8), several had molted streamers.
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Sabine's Gull  2
Western Gull  2
California Gull  30
Arctic Tern  1

Newport pelagic--northwest route 5-22 miles offshore, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Aug 30, 2015 12:05 PM - 2:10 PM
Protocol: Traveling
16.5 mile(s)
Comments:     OPT 8 hour pelagic.  Return from chum spot to 5 miles offshore. Other fauna: Steller's sea lion (1);  northern fur seal (1); blue shark (1, seen by few), ocean sunfish (1, seen by few).
16 species

Black-footed Albatross  10
Northern Fulmar  3
Pink-footed Shearwater  35
Buller's Shearwater  7
Sooty Shearwater  15
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  8
Red-necked Phalarope  4
Red Phalarope  16     Nice comparisons of both pelagic phalarope species in mixed flocks.
South Polar Skua  1
Pomarine Jaeger  2
Parasitic Jaeger  1
Long-tailed Jaeger  4
Cassin's Auklet  2
Rhinoceros Auklet  4
California Gull  20
Common Tern  3

Newport pelagic--northwest route 0-5 miles offshore, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Aug 30, 2015 2:10 PM - 2:38 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Comments:     OPT pelagic, returning. Mammals: Steller's sea lion (1).
10 species

Pink-footed Shearwater  6
Sooty Shearwater  25
Brandt's Cormorant  20
Pelagic Cormorant  10
Red-necked Phalarope  20
Common Murre  10
Marbled Murrelet  2     Seen by few.
Cassin's Auklet  2     Seen by few.
Western Gull  20
California Gull  30

Newport pelagic--Yaquina Bay, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Aug 30, 2015 2:38 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     Oregon Pelagic Tours -- return.  Mammals: gray whale (1 in channel, seen by 1); harbor seal (2).
13 species

Harlequin Duck  2     Females.
Brandt's Cormorant  40
Double-crested Cormorant  15
Pelagic Cormorant  30
Turkey Vulture  3
Wandering Tattler  1
Black Turnstone  5
Surfbird  0
Common Murre  4
Pigeon Guillemot  4
Heermann's Gull  1
Mew Gull  1
Western Gull  35
California Gull  50

Beach trip: Clatsop County

On Saturday, July 11th, I went down to the beaches in Clatsop County  to look for shorebirds.  I was hoping to stumble across some Asian stints that might have wandered down the wrong coast.

I access the beach in Gearhart at 10th St. and head north.  I wander as far north as I can then usually come back down the beach and head back to Hwy 101 at Sunset Beach.  There were lots of Caspian Terns on the beach. I like the look of their bills and head.  

 Caspian Terns are the one bird that regularly protest dogs on the beach, if one passes by Huck, they usually swing over and give him a "get off my beach" squawk.

It is often mentioned that Least Sandpipers feed by picking up food right in front of their feet, Westerns will reach farther out in front to grab food. A trait useful in id'ing birds at a great distance.  Notice how big the feet are on a Least.  Another point made by many is that Least usually have toes shorter than the bill, Long-toed Stints have toes longer than their bill.  What I do not often hear is this measurement does not include the claw.  The overall length of middle toe and claw is longer in the stint than the Least, but if you are using the toe to compare to bill length, exclude the claw.

My what big, non-webbed feet you have!

Western Sandpipers have tiny little feet. Which I think is one reason why they look like they are reaching so far out in front of their bodies when they feed. They also look a bit front heavy, which I think is compounded by those small feet.

Small semi- webbed feet of a Western.  The stints (Red-necked and Little) have feet that are not webbed. You may need a photo of their foot to prove your case on a Little Stint or Red-necked Stint.

Falling-forward eating style of a Western.

I searched not just for stints, Common Ringed Plover look like Semipalmated Plover.  One difference is the lack of webbing between the middle and outer toes.  I had a tough time getting a photo of the diagnostic webbing on this Semipalmated Plover.   Differences in width of breast band and  slight differences in head pattern that give a more contrasting mask pattern are also clues.  

There has been a discussion of Stint Fever on ID Frontiers lately, mainly about a possible Long-toed in NW California. . The best comment I liked was rather than force a bird into an id, you probably will recognize a rare peep when you see it simply as being different.  Not all agreed, but it is a good point to remember.  Study you local birds and the odd ones will pop out at you.

For the calls of a Common Ringed Plover check these out:

Calls of Common Ringed Plover

How many species are flying by?

 Looks like Sanderlings have tiny feet as well, big thick legs though.  And note the webbing on the Western.

That afternoon I went back out to the beach, probably just before two other folks who posted about this day revisited the beach as well. A dozen Whimbrel were there. I would really like to know how to setup my camera to take better pictures of birds on a gray day with a bright background, maybe there is no solution.  I just leave it on auto and hope for the best.  I manually focus.  Problem is I have to lighten the photos when I get home, otherwise  the birds are turn out as dark blobs.  The fly-by photo was not lightened and in same lighting, so not sure why.  I guess I should look at the setting the camera picked for that picture!

I went over to the river beach and found this poor raccoon just doing circles in the sand, I hope it was okay.

The enforcer was on duty to be sure we behaved. 

I received a text that a huge number of Heermann's Gulls were in the Hammond Boat Basin.  I went over to check them out, I have been trying to figure out how to age them.

Sibley (in my printing) says they may have a third-year plumage cycle.  Howell says they do have a third cycle.  As they get older seems you are able to see more white crescents around the eye.  Other features include more white on tips of secondaries. I have read Howell's book on their cycles, I can't decide if the is a second-year bird or third-year bird. The bill is not very bright, that might be clue that it is younger?  All Heermann's Gulls get a brown tint to their plumage as they bleach out of gray in the tropical sun.

Heermann's Gulls have a PB molt  from May or so into September/October. I can see some fresh feathers and some old brown ones on many of the birds.  I was thinking this was a third-cycle gull since I can see the tertial and scapular crescents and some white around the eye.  I am not sure what that black and white is down near the tail, A primary growing in or what?  If all these gulls are in their PB molt, they must lose their white heads at the end of the molt. Vast majority of the gulls were adults, I did see a few first or second-year birds out over the ocean.

Thanks for the visit.  Westport Pelagic next weekend with a Newport Pelagic mid-August, should be fun.  I have heard reports of large amounts of feed fish offshore this year. Will see if that is bull or not.

Clatsop County

I ventured down to the mouth of the Columbia River today to look for shorebirds.  At Wireless Road there were hundreds of Whimbrel.  I looked for birds with orange tails, and pale rumps. Looking for Bristle-thighed Curlew, none found.  I would have taken any other Asian curlew as well :).

One of the Whimbrels had enough of a Marbled Godwit.

Peace eventually won out.

Lots of Black-bellied Plover flying around.

After Wireless Road I went over to Warrenton to check out the linear path.  No mudflats were seen but a few birds were in the area.

I went out to Parking Lots C and D with little luck.  After that I drove out onto the beach at Sunset Dr.  There were thousands upon thousands of peeps on the beach.  Just about all were Western.

A great many Sanderlings were in there as well.  Each looked unique.

Took me awhile, but I finally found some Least.

The beach was also covered in Velella Velella.  They covered the sides of my car,  I needed to run it through a carwash when I got home.  Stink!

Semipalmated Plover were there in small numbers.

No rain, sunny skies and a fun day.

The New Fernhill

I had heard of all the changes at Fernhill Wetlands but had yet to visit the site since the trails had reopened.  I took a drive out there today after wandering around a cloudy and foggy Mt Tabor earlier in the morning.

The Fernhill site is owned by Clean Water Services.  They are trying to improve the water treatment site.  The idea is to use a natural process to clean and cool waste water before it enters the Tualatin River.   It is called a Natural Treatment System (NTS).  Their site is here. 

For directions on how to get to Fernhill, check out the Oregon Birding Trails Tualatin Loop.

Below is a view south from the parking lot which is located at the northern end of the complex. The phone poles along the right side are on Fern Hill Road.

Next is shot from same spot looking to the east.

This little Killdeer was not pleased with me passing by its nesting area along the trail.  With the stronger black in the face and the bright red orbital ring, I think this is a male. Females would have less contrasting black and more of an orange-red orbital ring

I went counter-clockwise around the site, so down Fern Hill Road first. This picture is of the next pond down the path. I am standing in the small observation deck.  All the ponds are set up in a similar fashion.  They did leave one flooded, the one over in the NE corner.  They will use that water to flood these other ponds every few weeks or so and then let them dry out. This is to get the vegetation off to a good start.

I was happy to see so many American Pipits in the muddy areas. I scanned all that I could, no oddballs.

A beautiful light gray Peregrine Falcon zoomed over the flats, it scared all the pipits up into the air.  A flock of Least Sandpipers took flight and then dove for cover in the mud.  Least Sandpipers can vanish in a mud flat if they want to.  How many can you find?

7

I have now crossed the area on the lower dike.  I am now looking north toward the parking lot. In front of me is the lake they will use to flood the other areas.

These Cacklers were a enjoying a lunch of grass along the lake, until I tried to slip by on the trail.

A  Song Sparrow is nice bird to enjoy when it is sitting out in the sun.

Which three North American warblers sport a bright yellow rump?

Yellow-rumped, Magnolia and Cape May

Dabbler Marsh is much the same as always, as is the area on the east side of the site.  I did hear an Indigo Bunting singing down the trail. I took off on a run to get a picture.  I stopped after a few steps, I realized I had just been fooled by a Lesser Goldfinch.

Which bird is this?  Long thin wings, held in a M shape.

Osprey.

A view looking south with the sun out.

Up behind the restrooms you have access to two small ponds.  They are fenced off but it looks like a trail goes down the south side.  Below is a shot looking east at the two ponds.

There were 27 Greater Yellowlegs and two Green-winged Teal on the ponds.

Greater Yellowlegs look larger headed than Lesser, they have more barring on the flanks in alternate plumage and their bills are thicker looking. And at the right angle they look knobby kneed.

Birds seen inside the NTS boundary (the new mudflats):

Snow Goose  1
Cackling Goose  1000
Canada Goose  15
Gadwall  6
American Wigeon  4
Mallard  11
Green-winged Teal  21
Bufflehead  3
Great Blue Heron  2
Turkey Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Killdeer  6
Least Sandpiper  20
Belted Kingfisher  2
Peregrine Falcon  1
Tree Swallow  75
Violet-green Swallow  15
Barn Swallow  5
Cliff Swallow  3
American Pipit  40
Song Sparrow  3
Red-winged Blackbird  4
Brewer's Blackbird  6
House Finch  4

Birds seen outside the NTS (everything else that was not changed up to middle of dikes):

Cackling Goose  1100
Canada Goose  25
Gadwall  8
American Wigeon  4
Mallard  7
Cinnamon Teal  4
Northern Shoveler  8
Northern Pintail  6
Green-winged Teal  25
Canvasback  5
Bufflehead  3
Common Merganser  3
Ruddy Duck  1
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Great Blue Heron  2
Great Egret  1
Turkey Vulture  1
American Coot  25
Killdeer  2
Greater Yellowlegs  27
Mourning Dove  2
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Western Scrub-Jay  3
American Crow  1
Tree Swallow  20
Violet-green Swallow  5
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Bewick's Wren  2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
American Robin  6
European Starling  11
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Common Yellowthroat  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  9
Fox Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  14
Golden-crowned Sparrow  6
Dark-eyed Junco  2
Red-winged Blackbird  7
Brewer's Blackbird  1
Brown-headed Cowbird  2
House Finch  7

I am looking forward to see how this area develops.  Thanks for visiting.

Yellow-rumped, Magnolia, Cape May