Post by birdman on Dec 14, 2007 20:57:59 GMT -8
Seasons Greetings Birders,
Working a very early shift this week paid off today.
After work I ventured out to Port Renfrew this afternoon to the Botanical Beach lookout. The recent storms have blown in some interesting species and I wanted to get out after a long work week for some fresh air and birding. As soon as I got to the lookout there were alcids flying by close to shore and feeding just off the bull kelp. I noted many Common Murres, lots of Ancient Murrelets, many Marbled Murrelets, a few Pigeon Guillemots also present were a few Rhinoceros Auklets. As I was scanning a bird popped up about 100m offshore just outside the bull kelp. It was near a group of 4 Ancient Murrelets and 5 Common Murres.
Immediately I realized it was an adult winter plumaged PARAKEET AUKLET! Oh my god was this ever a cool looking bird! Probably one of the most obvious looking alcids I have ever encountered! I sat there watching the bird till just before it dark and left as it was getting black out. I just got home. Instead of calling a huge number of people I am posting this sighting here and hope the word will get out via the internet. What I saw on this bird was a small alcid similar in size to the nearby Ancient Murrlets but much chunkier and bulkier. Definitely an auklet as apposed to a Murrelet. The bird is jet black on the head, the back of the neck, down the sides of the neck, wings, back and tail. Above the water line the bird is white. The white extends from the throat down the chest and along the sides to the undertail coverts. The bill was cool looking. It is a small triangular reddish tipped bill with a darkish base. The lower mandible looks larger and thicker to the upper mandible. The eye of this bird is staring pale with a light line behind the eye. When it dives it would show the underside of the wings which are very dark. It hung out by itself but close almost an association with the Common Murres.
Wow what a cool sighting and backs up a sighting we had there last weekend of a flyby alcid that we thought was a possible Parakeet Auklet. I am almost certain that this is the same bird as it was with Common Murres and headed around the corner from the lookout.
To find this are got to Port Renfrew and head to Botanical Beach. Take the trail down to Botanical Beach and follow the trail down the hill to where the washrooms are and there is a fork to the left where you walk down over some wooden stairs. Take this trail out to where you see the Ocean. There are several spots that one can get out towards the water but do not get too close as large waves come into the lower areas and could sweep a person out to sea in seconds. Also present here last weekend was a Sea Otter that I photographed back in July!
Probably the only thing about today's awesome sighting is that I forgot to recharge my camera batteries from last weekend and as a result with the rainy conditions etc the batteries died and didn't get any kind of pictures. Hopefully the bird will be around so others can get a chance see and photograph this little gem!!!!
Merry Christmas!!
Birdman
Sooke, BC.
Working a very early shift this week paid off today.
After work I ventured out to Port Renfrew this afternoon to the Botanical Beach lookout. The recent storms have blown in some interesting species and I wanted to get out after a long work week for some fresh air and birding. As soon as I got to the lookout there were alcids flying by close to shore and feeding just off the bull kelp. I noted many Common Murres, lots of Ancient Murrelets, many Marbled Murrelets, a few Pigeon Guillemots also present were a few Rhinoceros Auklets. As I was scanning a bird popped up about 100m offshore just outside the bull kelp. It was near a group of 4 Ancient Murrelets and 5 Common Murres.
Immediately I realized it was an adult winter plumaged PARAKEET AUKLET! Oh my god was this ever a cool looking bird! Probably one of the most obvious looking alcids I have ever encountered! I sat there watching the bird till just before it dark and left as it was getting black out. I just got home. Instead of calling a huge number of people I am posting this sighting here and hope the word will get out via the internet. What I saw on this bird was a small alcid similar in size to the nearby Ancient Murrlets but much chunkier and bulkier. Definitely an auklet as apposed to a Murrelet. The bird is jet black on the head, the back of the neck, down the sides of the neck, wings, back and tail. Above the water line the bird is white. The white extends from the throat down the chest and along the sides to the undertail coverts. The bill was cool looking. It is a small triangular reddish tipped bill with a darkish base. The lower mandible looks larger and thicker to the upper mandible. The eye of this bird is staring pale with a light line behind the eye. When it dives it would show the underside of the wings which are very dark. It hung out by itself but close almost an association with the Common Murres.
Wow what a cool sighting and backs up a sighting we had there last weekend of a flyby alcid that we thought was a possible Parakeet Auklet. I am almost certain that this is the same bird as it was with Common Murres and headed around the corner from the lookout.
To find this are got to Port Renfrew and head to Botanical Beach. Take the trail down to Botanical Beach and follow the trail down the hill to where the washrooms are and there is a fork to the left where you walk down over some wooden stairs. Take this trail out to where you see the Ocean. There are several spots that one can get out towards the water but do not get too close as large waves come into the lower areas and could sweep a person out to sea in seconds. Also present here last weekend was a Sea Otter that I photographed back in July!
Probably the only thing about today's awesome sighting is that I forgot to recharge my camera batteries from last weekend and as a result with the rainy conditions etc the batteries died and didn't get any kind of pictures. Hopefully the bird will be around so others can get a chance see and photograph this little gem!!!!
Merry Christmas!!
Birdman
Sooke, BC.
