No subject

appears=20
directly to the west.  The adult booby has been seen perched at the =
extreme=20
left edge, or profile, of this rock--and sometimes just out of =
sight behind=20
(around) the edge.  Because there are scores of =
crowded BROWN=20
PELICANS using the rock, the booby is perhaps most easily noticed when =
it takes=20
flight.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The dynamic so far seems to be that the booby suns with pelicans on =
the=20
southeast side or south edge of the rock in early morning (I saw it =
about 8:30=20
today) and then, along with pelicans and cormorants, it takes flight and =
flies=20
around briefly, and is visible shortly above the horizon (ocean).&nbsp;=20
Yesterday it was also seen about 3 in the afternoon.&nbsp; Morning may =
be the=20
best bet, because the birds like to&nbsp;face east (toward Trinidad) to =
catch=20
the rays.&nbsp;&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The bird is dark brown on the upperparts and breast, =
with&nbsp;sharply=20
demarcated white underparts and a bright yellow bill.&nbsp; It flies =
with an=20
alternation of flaps and glides.&nbsp; If it is sitting with pelicans, =
watch=20
carefully through your scope for a bird half the size of the pelicans =
with a=20
crisp break between dark head and breast and white lower breast and=20
belly.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The immature booby is mostly brown with a dusky bill.&nbsp; It was =
most=20
recently seen Sunday afternoon.&nbsp; It so far has been seen only in=20
flight.&nbsp; The two birds have not yet actually been seen =
together,&nbsp;but=20
have been reliably determined to be two individuals.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino counties each recorded their =
first Brown=20
Boobies this past fall, and earlier there were, at one point, 3 on S.E. =
Farallon=20
I.&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>The Del Norte County (Crescent City-area) CBC is Sunday Dec. =
16th.&nbsp;=20
The count can always use more observers.&nbsp; The circle actually comes =
within=20
three miles of Oregon!&nbsp; If you are interested,&nbsp;call =
coordinator Gary=20
Lester at (707) 839-3373.&nbsp;&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>David Fix</DIV>
<DIV>Arcata, California</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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