[mou] Pomarine Jaeger at Park Point

[Peder Svingen]

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Winds were easterly 10=9615 mph all day today at Park Point in=20
Duluth--conditions often associated with sightings of jaegers. At 5:27=20=

PM this afternoon, from the second viewing platform north of the Sky=20
Harbor airport, I spotted a large jaeger coming in at about 75 feet=20
altitude above Lake Superior, just as all of the Ring-billed Gulls on=20
the beach frantically took flight. It approached to within about 200=20
yards before it dropped closer to the surface of the water and=20
eventually flew towards Gull Bluff (east of Wisconsin Point). I had=20
good looks at the bird for about four minutes and concluded that it was=20=

a juvenile Pomarine Jaeger--probably the same individual that I watched=20=

for an hour on Monday (11:15 AM to 12:15 PM when the winds were north=20
5=9610 mph and becoming light and variable). On Monday, the bird was=20
farther away (400+ yards) and though I was able to watch it preen and=20
flap its wings a few times (revealing Pomarine's classic "double=20
underwing flash" on the greater primary under wing-coverts and at the=20
bases of the primaries on the underwing), it spent nearly the entire=20
hour sitting on the water and I was only able to compare its size in=20
flight to one Ring-billed Gull, so could not claim an identification=20
beyond jaeger, sp.

Today, the large size of this jaeger was obvious (female?). It showed=20
very broad inner wings and a wing span greater than that of an=20
average-sized Ring-billed Gull. A pale primary flash was visible on the=20=

upper surface of the wing. The "double underwing flash" was again seen=20=

and barring was noted on its wing linings, flanks, and under=20
tail-coverts. More importantly for identification purposes, barring on=20=

its rump/upper tail-coverts produced a pale "patch" that contrasted=20
with the rest of its upperparts, while its head and nape looked=20
essentially the same shade of brown as its mantle. I was unable to=20
detect the shape of its central pair of rectrices (R1), as these=20
feathers did not appear to extend beyond the tail tip. Let's hope that=20=

this jaeger can be found and photographed on this weekend's boat trip!=20=

For more information about these trips, please e-mail Mike Hendrickson=20=

at Smithville4@charter.net
=A0--
Peder H. Svingen
Duluth, MN=

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Winds were easterly 10=9615 mph all day today at Park Point in
Duluth--conditions often associated with sightings of jaegers. At 5:27
PM this afternoon, from the second viewing platform north of the Sky
Harbor airport, I spotted a large jaeger coming in at about 75 feet
altitude above Lake Superior, just as all of the Ring-billed Gulls on
the beach frantically took flight. It approached to within about 200
yards before it dropped closer to the surface of the water and
eventually flew towards Gull Bluff (east of Wisconsin Point). I had
good looks at the bird for about four minutes and concluded that it
was a juvenile Pomarine Jaeger--probably the same individual that I
watched for an hour on Monday (11:15 AM to 12:15 PM when the winds
were north 5=9610 mph and becoming light and variable). On Monday, the
bird was farther away (400+ yards) and though I was able to watch it
preen and flap its wings a few times (revealing Pomarine's classic
"double underwing flash" on the greater primary under wing-coverts and
at the bases of the primaries on the underwing), it spent nearly the
entire hour sitting on the water and I was only able to compare its
size in flight to one Ring-billed Gull, so could not claim an
identification beyond jaeger, sp.=20


Today, the large size of this jaeger was obvious (female?). It showed
very broad inner wings and a wing span greater than that of an
average-sized Ring-billed Gull. A pale primary flash was visible on
the upper surface of the wing. The "double underwing flash" was again
seen and barring was noted on its wing linings, flanks, and under
tail-coverts. More importantly for identification purposes, barring on
its rump/upper tail-coverts produced a pale "patch" that contrasted
with the rest of its upperparts, while its head and nape looked
essentially the same shade of brown as its mantle. I was unable to
detect the shape of its central pair of rectrices (R1), as these
feathers did not appear to extend beyond the tail tip. Let's hope that
this jaeger can be found and photographed on this weekend's boat trip!
For more information about these trips, please e-mail Mike Hendrickson
at
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MS</param><color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param><smaller>Smithville4@charter=
.net</smaller></color><smaller>

</smaller></fontfamily>=A0--

Peder H. Svingen

Duluth, MN=

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