[mou] Probable Pomarine Jaeger, Blue Earth County

[rdunlap@gac.edu]

This afternoon around 1:45 I found what I believe to be a juvenile =20
light-morph Pomarine Jaeger at Eagle Lake in Blue Earth County. This =20
is just east of Mankato on Hwy. 14. On the north side of Hwy. 14, =20
there is a small dirt pulloff from the highway from which you can view =20
the south part of the lake. It is here where I found the jaeger =20
sitting on the water. I watched the bird for over three hours and =20
called several birders, but unfortunately no one has posted anything =20
about it until now. Eventually Brian Smith, Jim Otto, and John and =20
Chris Hockema arrived and viewed the bird with me. The bird spent most =20
of the first two hours sitting on the water about 300 - 400 yards out =20
from where we stood, but during the last hour that I was there it =20
became much more active and flew around, chasing gulls, and coming a =20
bit closer to us.

Field marks:

-sitting on the water, head and neck light brown, contrasting with =20
darker brown wings and mantle that appear uniform in color

-in flight and when resting on water, identical to Ring-billed Gulls in size

-in flight, obvious white uppertail coverts (rump)

-underwing pale and barred white, contrasting with darker upperwing

-white crescent flash in primaries of both upperwing and underwing, =20
but upperwing's flash fainter

-pale underparts do not strongly contrast with white primary flash on =20
underwing

-strong wingbeats, direct flight path

-heavy body, somewhat chunky-looking

-broad wings

-light gray bill with black tip

There will be others looking for this bird tomorrow as well. At this =20
point I am going to say probable Pomarine, as I am still awaiting =20
expert opinion, and then I will submit documentation to MOURC.

Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County