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MONTHLY SKETCHBOOK
FEBRUARY 2000
By Andy Birch
FEB 18th 2000; Los Angeles, California
A warm, sunny Southern California morning greeted us as we boarded the boat. Our target birds were (alcids) the murrelets and auklets that would be heading north offshore. Prime target would be Xantus's Murrelet that breeds only off Southern California and Baja.
Shortly after leaving the harbor, we came across a feeding frenzy of gulls and shearwaters. A group of Royal Terns flew over and the occasional Pomarine Jaeger joined the melee.
An Ancient Murrelet was our first alcid of the day, followed soon after by Rhinoceros Auklet and Cassin's Auklet. We got tantalizing views of a distant Xantus/Craveri's on the water but it flew off, away from us (of course!) so we were unable to check the diagnostic underwing color.
The day wore on and the chances of us seeing a Xantus's seemed to be slim until a shout went up; "Alcid on the water on the starboard side!" And there, on the water, nervously looking over it's shoulder as it swam away was our Xantus's Murrelet. It soon took off and we all got good views of its white underwings.
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surfbirds.com
MONTHLY SKETCHBOOK
FEBRUARY 2000
FEB 18th 2000; Los Angeles, California
A warm, sunny Southern California morning greeted us as we boarded the boat. Our target birds were (alcids) the murrelets and auklets that would be heading north offshore. Prime target would be Xantus's Murrelet that breeds only off Southern California and Baja.
Shortly after leaving the harbor, we came across a feeding frenzy of gulls and shearwaters. A group of Royal Terns flew over and the occasional Pomarine Jaeger joined the melee.
An Ancient Murrelet was our first alcid of the day, followed soon after by Rhinoceros Auklet and Cassin's Auklet. We got tantalizing views of a distant Xantus/Craveri's on the water but it flew off, away from us (of course!) so we were unable to check the diagnostic underwing color.
The day wore on and the chances of us seeing a Xantus's seemed to be slim until a shout went up; "Alcid on the water on the starboard side!" And there, on the water, nervously looking over it's shoulder as it swam away was our Xantus's Murrelet. It soon took off and we all got good views of its white underwings.