Bulletin #57 – Southeast Arizona #2

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
November 18, 2008

Bulletin #57 – Southeast Arizona #2

Hello friends,

Southeast Arizona is one of those unique birding areas in the USA where Mexican species extend their range into the USA. I had birded there once before on my own, but I went back to take photographs of the birds and hired a guide to maximize my time.

The local guide was Matt Brown in Patagonia AZ. His web site is
http://www.actwin.com/toaph/lifebirds/index.html
I highly recommend Matt if you need a guide out there, as he knows the birds and where to locate them.

John Cassin (1813-1868) was a scientist and ornithologist. He was appointed honorary curator at the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in 1842 where he studied the world’s largest collection of bird skins from the USA and around the world. As he was considered the foremost expert at the time, he also received specimens from the Smithsonian for identification. He described almost 200 new species. He only collected a single new species in the field (Philadelphia Vireo), but did all his work on the preserved skins. 5 western USA species have been named for him. Cassin’s Sparrow, Finch, Kingbird, Vireo and Auklet. The Cassin’s Vireo he initially described, but it was lumped into the Solitary Vireo complex, until about a decade ago, it was split and received full species status.

I had not seen any of the 5 species until 1 year ago when I started traveling to photograph the birds. In Oct 2007, I found the Cassin’s Sparrow in the south Texas. In June 2008, I saw the Cassin’s Finch in the Sierra Mountains of California, and on this trip to Arizona, I found the kingbird and vireo.

Cassin’s Kingbird (Tyrannus vociferans) is similar to Western and Tropical Kingbirds, but the gray of the throat and chest is much darker. Because the gray is so dark, they show a white malar patch on the face. They are easy to see as they sit on wires etc in the open.

http://www.pbase.com/image/106100212

The Cassin’s Vireo (Vireo cassinii) is a small (5.5”) greenish backed vireo with gray head and the white spectacles that are characteristic of the old ‘Solitary’ Vireo.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100215

I also found another vireo species, Hutton’s Vireo (Vireo huttoni). This is a tiny (5”) drab greenish-gray bird that occurs in 2 separate populations – Pacific coast and Mexican that extends into SE Arizona. The hooked beak ID it as a vireo.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100218

The Mexican Jay (Aphelocoma ultramarine) is similar to the scrub jay but a paler blue color. The adult in the first photo has a black bill. The juvenile in the second photo has a yellow bill.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100220 click ‘next’ once

We encountered several raptor species.

The Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) is a large (24”) buteo of the arid southwest USA. It has reddish back and wings, with a white chest and abdomen. The legs are reddish as well. Here are a couple of photos of the same bird on a power pole. I n the second photo, you can see a little of his reddish legs.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100244 click ‘next’ once

The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) occurs all across the USA and southern Canada. This rufous morph color variety has dark brown back and red-brown underparts.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100264

The last raptor was a female American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). This small falcon (9”) has rufous back and wings and 2 facial black lines. In the male, the wings are gray.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100276

There were also a number of sparrow species including juncos and buntings.

The Rufous-winged Sparrow (Aimophila carpalis) is a SE Arizona specialty. It has a rufous crown and small rufous shoulder patch. The face has 2 black stripes.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100283

Another SE Arizona specialty bird is the Yellow-eyed Junco (Junco phaeonotus). It is a gray bird with reddish back, black facial mask and bright yellow eye. Here are 2 photos, with the second a close-up head on. The bird looks almost comical with the bright yellow eye.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/106100284 click ‘next’ once

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #56 – Southeast Arizona #1

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
November 10, 2008

Bulletin #56 – Southeast Arizona #1

Hello friends,

Southeast Arizona is one of those unique birding areas in the USA where Mexican species extend their range into the USA. I had birded there once before on my own, but I went back to take photographs of the birds and hired a guide to maximize my time.

The local guide was Matt Brown in Patagonia AZ. His web site is
http://www.actwin.com/toaph/lifebirds/index.html
I highly recommend Matt if you need a guide out there, as he knows the birds and where to locate them.

There are 3 species of woodpeckers that are almost unique to Arizona. One doesn’t occur in the Patagonia area (Gilded Flicker). We didn’t find the Arizona Woodpecker despite diligent searching high in the mountains, but we easily located the Gila Woodpecker (Melanerpes uropygialis). It has the typical zebra-backed stripes like the Red-bellied Woodpecker. The male has only a small round red skull cap like patch on his head and the female has no red at all. They also have a bright yellow belly – a field mark not shown in the books, but very noticeable. Here are a photo of the male and the then the female in a hackberry tree.

http://www.pbase.com/image/105787838 click ‘next’ once

We located 2 birds in the chickadee family. Both are very local to the area and both were life birds for me.

The Mexican Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) lives only in the Chiricahua Mountains of SE Arizona along the New Mexico border. As they are not migratory, you have to go there to find them. It is like most chickadees with a black cap and throat. What is different about this bird is the throat patch extends down onto the chest and the flanks are gray.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787840

The Bridled Titmouse (Baeolophus wollweberi) has a unique black and white striped facial pattern – unmistakable.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787841

The only wren that I had not photographed was the Rock Wren (Salpinctes obsoletus) and we found it easily. It is a rather drab gray wren.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787847

Lastly, what made the trip memorable was looking for owls. I had specifically asked the guide to help me photograph some owls. We succeeded in spades. All 3 owls photographed were life birds.

The most exciting was finding the endangered Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) in daylight, as Matt had located a pair in a canyon that required only a ¼ mile hike from the end of the road.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787857

The other 2 were smaller screech owls. The Whiskered Screech-Owl (Otus trichopsis) is a small (7.25”) Mexican species that just barely makes its range into the mountains of southeast Arizona. He has vertical black stripes with some horizontal cross hatches on the breast. Compare this to the other owl below.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787866

The last one was the slightly larger (8.5”) Western Screech-Owl (Otus kennicottii). This owl occurs all across western North America. He perched nicely on a bare branch for his photo. Notice he just has faint vertical stripes but no cross hatching.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105787870

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #55 – Wisconsin birds

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
October 25, 2008

Bulletin #55 – Wisconsin birds

Hello friends,

I spent a weekend at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in early October. This was my first time in that state. I birded at a Nature Conservancy preserve on the north shore of the lake and it is a beautiful location with several habitats (marsh, prairie, and woods) and well maintained trails and boardwalks throughout.

The only new bird I got to photograph was a Black-capped Chickadee (Peocile atricapilla). This was the chickadee I was familiar with growing up in Canada. It is very similar to the Carolina Chickadee of the southeastern USA, but a little larger and it has white shoulders (upper wing).

http://www.pbase.com/image/105018957

There were numerous Downy Woodpeckers ( Picoides pubescens) and I got my best photos of this species. It is a small woodpecker at 6.75 inches. It has a white vack and spotting on the wings. The male has a red patch on the back of the head. Here are 2 photos of male and female.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018958 click ‘next’ once

I saw this bird facing me with the white breast He was preening himself first thing in the morning. I saw the cap and white under the tail, but was unsure what species it was other than I was sure it was a warbler.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018962

There turned out to be a pair of them in the bush and after preening, they started to move around. This one perched in the open. Of course now with the yellow rump and undertail, the ID is obvious. It is a Palm Warbler (Dendroica palmarum).

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018964

In this photo, he has caught a rather large insect.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018965

There was a large flock of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). I had already good photos of adults, so I wanted to get the juvenile plumage, if possible. Here are a couple of photos. Notice the breast is whitish with brown streaks, and the black mask extends only to just behind the eye. The second photo also has a House Finch.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018966 click ‘next’ once


The next bird is a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis). Nuthatches have the unusual habit of climbing head first down the tree trunk looking for insects in the bark. The ID of this bird is gray with white breast and white face. The male shown here has a black head and neck. The female differs in that the top of her head and neck is gray rather then black.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018969 click ‘next’ once

The small (5.25”) Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) is the only North American member of this family. Unlike the nuthatches, it starts at the bottom of the tree and climbs upwards looking for insects in the bark. It is a cryptic brown color with spotted back and curved bill. The first photo shows him in profile. Notice how he uses his tail as a prop against the tree just as woodpeckers do. The second photo has him against the tree and he is almost invisible.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018980 click ‘next’ once

There were many White-throated Sparrows ( Zonotrichia albicollis) in the woods. This bird is identified by the striped head, white throat patch and yellow in front of the eye. Mostly, the stripes on the head are pure white, but sometimes as in the 3rd photo may be tan color. The first photo shows him relieving himself! I didn’t notice this until I got back and looked at the photos on the computer.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105018997 click ‘next’ twice

The last bird is a female Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) I had photos of the male, but found this female perched in the open. I didn’t know what the ID on the bird was when taking the photos. I thought at first it was a sparrow, but on seeing the beak size, I realized it wasn’t a sparrow. After going through the field guide, I came to the correct ID and had it confirmed by an expert. The face is striped and the tail is very notched in the second photo.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/105019001 click ‘next’ once

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #54 – Houston summer/fall birds #3

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
October 18, 2008

Bulletin #54 –Misc UTC summer/fall birds #3

Hello friends,

I went to Chappell Hill, Texas, about 50 miles west of Houston, to bird with guide Darrell Vollert on Labor Day weekend. I have used Darrell several times previously. Darrell's website is http://www.darrellvollertnaturetours.com/

I was particularly interested in the small flycatchers known as 'empids', a contraction of the genus name empidonax. There are 11 different empids in ABA area. They are all very similar and best IDed by voice. So Darrell was my expert to find these birds as they migrated through the area. The smallest of these birds (5.25") is appropriately named the Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus). They all have 2 wing bars and an eye-ring. This one is mostly grayish.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102395724

The other one we found was the Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens). This bird does nest across the southeast USA. It has a more greenish back. The wing bars on this bird are buffy that may indicate a 1st year bird.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102395713 click 'next' once

A third empid, that I photographed in Galveston the week before, is the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris). It also has a greenish back, but considerable yellow on the abdomen.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102077291 click 'next' once

Another bird Darrell found for me was a migrating Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni). These hawks breed in the western USA and migrate all the way to Argentina for the winter. They can be found moving through the upper Texas coast in late summer. This is the lighter color phase. The overhead view is unusual as the wings are white and the trailing edge is dark. This is the reverse pattern of many raptors. He also has a dark chest.


http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/104704531

Galveston before the hurricane hit on Sept 13th also provided some good photos. The Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) resembles a female Mallard, but is a resident breeder along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. I found several in the pond at LaFitte's Cove. Here is a pair swimming side-by-side. The male is in the foreground with the yellow bill. The female behind has a dull orange bill. The second photo shows a male with the blue wing patch.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/104706917 click 'next' once

The most exciting bird of the last several months was a European sandpiper that was found in Galveston. This bird, I think, is unique in that the sexes have different names. The male is called a Ruff. The female is called a Reeve. The scientific name is Philomachus pugnax.Interestingly, it was found by a Norwegian birder. The bird had been missed by all the local birders, as it is so rare. In fact, this is only the second time in 18 years that I have seen it. It is a female in non-breeding plumage and quite indistinct. I certainly would not have known it was something rare. Here are 2 photos.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102495698 click 'next' once

This female Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrine) posed beautifully for her portrait. The white under the tail is a characteristic of this species and is clearly visible.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102077216

Also, this Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) flew to an open branch and provided my best photo ever of this species. The yellow belly, gray throat, and rufous on the wings is characteristic of this genus. This is the only species of this genus that occurs here.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102077288

Lastly, on a visit to LaFitte's Cove at dawn on an overcast drizzly day, I found both an Armadillo and an Opossum. I have been unable to find these mammals in the past 18 months since I got my larger lens and they were both here 10 minutes apart and at the same location!

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101742366 click 'next' once

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #53 – Houston summer/fall birds #2

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
October 6, 2008

Bulletin #53 – Houston summer/fall birds #2

Hello friends,

I haven’t been to Anahuac NWR since hurricane Ike, but I assume it is in disarray as much of the debris from The Bolivar peninsula would have washed across Galveston Bay and piled up on the shore at Anahuac. Also, it was probably inundated for the storm surge.

However, I did make several trips in August and got some good photos.

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) is a common sandpiper over the northern 2/3 USA and all of southern and central Canada. In fact, as a child growing up in canada, it was the only shorebird I ever identified. In breeding plumage, the spotted breast and bobbing gait is distinctive. This bird winters all across the southern USA and seldom is seen with the spotted plumage. It loses the spots in winter. The first weekend of August, I found one bird that had not molted yet. There were a pair together – one with spots and one without. Here is the breeding plumage bird.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101102075

And here is his companion without spots. This bird is IDed in this plumage by the yellowish legs and the white shoulder spot. Here are 2 photos of the same bird.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101102094 click ‘next’ once

Also, I found a juvenile Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus). The juvenile has a more gray-looking back and pale pink legs.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101102121

Rails are always difficult birds to find, but on 2 successive weekend visits to Anahuac NWR, I found and adult and juvenile King Rail (Rallus elegans). This large rail (14.5”) nests at Anahuac and uses fresh water marshes. It is a warm brown color with a long bill. These were the best views I ever had of this bird. I have probably only seen it 5-6 times in 20 years. Rails are very thin side to side to allow then to walk between the reeds in the marsh. This was the source of the expression ‘thin as a rail’.

Here is the adult – 2 views.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101102117 click ‘next’ once

The juvenile has a spotted breast rather than the warm brown of the adult.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101423670

The Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) is our only breeding sparrow in the Houston area (excepting the House Sparrow which is an old world bird from a different family). This sparrow, as it name implies, lives along the sea coast from New England to Texas. It is quite an attractive sparrow in the spring, but by late summer before it molts, becomes drab or as described ‘worn’.

The yellow line above the eye is an important ID mark. Here are 2 photos of a ‘worn adult’ bird as described in Sibley. Look closely at the tail of the bird in the second photo, and you can see the feathers are very ragged.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101102126 click ‘next’ once

This Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) is also showing wear and needs to molt a new set of feathers. The handsome bird with gray back and white breast looks like he has formal wear on. The distinguishing mark is a terminal white band on his tail. This bird has almost no white left on the tip of his tail.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101423739

The Tricolored Heron (Egrettea tricolor) in my opinion is more beautiful as a juvenile than the adult plumage. The juvenile has reddish stripes on the neck and reddish spots on the blue-gray wings and back.

This is the same bird in 2 photos. The first is the complete bird, and the second a close up of the head and neck.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101423594 click ‘next’ once

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #52 – Houston summer/fall birds #1

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
September 28, 2008

Bulletin #52 – Houston summer/fall birds

Hello friends,

We are now 2 weeks post Hurricane Ike. I hope that all of you who were affected are safe, along with your families. I presume most of you have your power back as well and have sustained minimal damage other than downed trees and fences etc.

I just got the last 5 trees removed yesterday. Now, the putting back together begins – waiting on trash pickup, fences put back up, and replacement of kitchen ceiling sheetrock and painting.

This was a large storm over a wide area, but fortunately only a category 2 with winds 105 mph. The power was out over an area the size of the state on New York. The mountains of broken trees and limbs is estimated at 5-10 million cubic yards just in the Houston area alone. It will take months to haul it all off.

I was supposed to go on vacation on Sept 12th, the day before the storm, but the airports were closed and I wasn’t going to leave in the face of a hurricane anyway. This had to be my worst vacation ever, as I worked ½ days in the office and spent the afternoons cleaning up around the house.

So here are some birds that I photographed in August and September at home and around the Houston area.

I actually have had some good hawk photos at my house. I always keep my camera in the laundry room of the kitchen, so I can grab it at a moments notice if I see something interesting.

The first was a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk (Accipter cooperii). I happened to look out the kitchen window on 8-23-08 and saw this bird sitting on the driveway. Accipters are short winged, long tailed hawks that pursue other smaller birds and take them on the wing. The juvenile has dark streaks on the breast along with a buffy orange head. It has a rounded tail with terminal white band. It is similar to the smaller Sharp-shinned Hawk, but the latter has a square tail. This was the best look I have ever had of this bird. The photos were taken out the kitchen window so as not to disturb the bird. What a ferocious looking bird!

http://www.pbase.com/image/102077339

I have several bird feeders in the area and I assume that he had caught and lost something and landed to look for it, as he proceeded to look all around and under a small shrub.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/102077348

The last photo shows the rounded tail.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103770050

And here he was in a tree on Sept 1st. I had seen him about 5 times in 2 weeks at the end of August, but haven’t seen him since the hurricane. I hope he is still around.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103770099

The resident hawk at my house is the Red-shouldered Hawk RSH(Buteo lineatus). Here is an adult who was sitting 10 feet off the ground across the driveway from my garage. I took this photo from inside the garage.

This bird is somewhat unusual as eastern RSH are supposed to have the horizontal orange stripes all the way down the breast and belly. This individual has a solid orange breast with stripes on the belly. This is characteristic of California birds, but they also have orange heads.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103770321

The last individual hawk was a juvenile RSH taken 3 days ago when he landed on my lawn and caught a lizard. As he tried to manipulate the lizard, the lizard bit him on the tongue, and the hawk dropped his meal and took off.

Here is the post with the sequence of photos that I uploaded to Texbirds. The post says salamander, but someone ID’ed it as a Ground Skink – a lizard, not a salamander.

I saw this juvie RS Hawk 2 days ago in a tree in my yard and grabbed the camera for some photos.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704249

He then flew down on the lawn beside my patio and captured what looks like a salamander. He has it in the middle as legs can be seen on both sides of his mouth.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704257

3 frames later, he grabs the salamander with his right foot and changes it's position.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704278

4 frames later, all four legs can be seen hanging out the near side of the birds mouth.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704318

2 frames later the bird suddenly opens his mouth wide. The salamander can be seen in its entirety with the head inside the birds beak.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704319

And a close up suggests that the salamander has a hold of the hawk's tongue.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704328

A second later, the hawk has his mouth closed and no salamander is to be seen. Presumably the salamander let go of his grip and dropped to the ground.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704349

Several seconds later, the hawk flew off revealing underwing pattern.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103704352

Photography is so much fun, as I didn't see this process in action as I was taking the pictures.

Some other birds seen in August and September include the Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger). This unmistakable bird has the lower mandible longer than upper mandible. In breeding plumage shown here, the nape of neck is black, continuous with head and back. In basic plumage, the nape of neck is white.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/103770427

I showed some photos of the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) in Bulletin #48. I obtained better photos of this elusive bird in 2 visits to Anahuac NWR in August.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/101423478 click ‘next’ twice

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald

Bulletin #51 – South Padre Island TX pelagic trip

David McDonald Photography
Friendswood Texas
September 7, 2008

Bulletin #51 – South Padre Island TX pelagic trip

Hello friends,

This was my second pelagic trip this year. This one was into the western Gulf of Mexico departing from extreme south Texas. I enjoy pelagics as one gets to see marine mammals along with birds and occasionally some neat fish, sea turtles etc. I so far have been immune from seasickness which is a hazard on these boat trips.

The first interesting bird we found was on an offshore platform soon after departure. The male Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) is all black with a red throat pouch. Frigatebirds are seabirds that steal food from gulls and terns by bombing them and harassing them until they drop their catch. The frigatebird then swoops down and catches the meal before it hits the water.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531367

The next bird was a Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra). This is a huge seabird (32” with 5 foot wingspan) that dives into the water to catch fish. This adult flew up to the boat and then followed right above the stern of the boat about 10 feet up. I was taking the photos right under the bird. It is white with a black mask and black on the wings and tail. Here are 2 photos.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531369 click ‘next’ once

The next bird seen was a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma castro). These small (9”) seabirds are purely oceanic, coming ashore only to breed on remote islands and at night.They are dark brown, with a white band above its tail. This bird flew across in front of the boat at about 25 yards distance when I got these photos. Prior to this it was about 50 yards away and really out of photographic range for such a small bird.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531833 click ‘next’ once

We also found 2 shearwaters. The first was the Greater Shearwater (Puffinus gravis). This bird is 18” in length and had a mostly white head and neck, but with a sharp black cap and dark bill. This was a life bird for me.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531410

And the other was a Cory’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedia). This bird is also 18” long but has a dusky gray head and yellow bill. Here are 2 photos.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531503 click ‘next’ once

The last bird seen was a Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus). Jeagers are gull like seabirds that also harass gulls and terns to steal their food.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531454

I admit, these seabirds are dull colored, but the ability to live offshore almost completely is rather interesting. And most people have never seen these birds at all!

We also came across 2 mammal species.

The first was Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus) This is a blunt nosed gray dolphin that with age, develops whitish streaks on its body. They live in deep water (600’) off the continental shelf. Here are 3 photos.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531371 click ‘next’ twice

The other was a Short-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus). We came upon a pod of about a dozen of these 15 foot whales.

http://www.pbase.com/davidmcd/image/100531374

All comments and suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
davidkmcd@comcast.net

photos copyright 2006 - 2008 David McDonald