[mou] Parasitic Jaegers (2) - St. Louis Co. - Park Point, Duluth

[M. Thomas Auer]

At 5:00 pm today, Chris Elmgren and I watched two Parasitic Jaegers sail in off of Lake Superior towards Park Point. I first noticed all the gulls in the lake get up and fly to the breakwater. About 30 seconds later, I spotted two Jaegers flying directly at me from the east. They were first separate, then flew in formation. The flew at me (directly for awhile) then banked away from the beach and paralled the beach North towards downtown Duluth, for about Two Minutes, I watched these birds leisurely fly north, about 100 - 150 yards off shore. The lead bird was a Light Adult Nonbreeding Parasitic, while the rear bird was a dark phase Juvenile Parasitic Jaeger (lacking extended tail feathers). I originally called the rear bird, unidentified, but I then recalled that when seeing them head on directly, that the size and wingspan of the two birds was identical (thus eliminating Pomarine), and having seen a strong white flash at the base of the primaries, Long-tailed was eliminated.
  The birds flew towards Canal Park, the Light Adult went over the bridge towards the bay and the dark Juvenile went north. It was at that point that I lost them.

That's three different days (and three different birds) in 5 days. Not bad, and definately a lot better than last year.

Tom Auer
Duluth, MN
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