[obol] 2 Kittiwakes in Seaside that I am unsure were Black-legged--RBA?

[David C. Bailey]

Seaside, Clatsop Co., Oregon
31 March 2007



OK, from the subject you can tell this report has the beginnings of a 
string job (read: see what you want to see), but I feel it important 
enough to report given the circumstantial evidence of Mike P. possible 
Red-legged Kittiwake sighting in the jaws of the Columbia mid March, and 
all the other more boreal pelagics that are occurring near shore from 
Washington to N. California this Spring.

I saw two small gulls flying low and strongly along over the waves and 
into the wave troughs that had long narrow and pointed wings. The flight 
was strong and not bouyant as was that of the MEW GULL I had just seen 
or what I expect from small terns or Bonapartes and Sabine's Gulls. The 
birds were flying south more in a style reminicent of sooty shearwater 
without the banking, perhaps more like Bullers Shearwater. Certainly 
they were flying very much like the many Black-legged Kittiwakes I have 
seen. What was different about these two birds is that there was a white 
trailing edge to the long wings that dipped anteriorly into the wing at 
the bend creating a triangular patch of white. My first thought was 
Sabine's Gull, but the contrast wasn't there with the other parts of the 
wing, and the triangle was too shallow on both birds. I saw no black 
carple bar which immature Black-legged Kittiwakes show, and I did not 
notice black in the wing tips. The wings appeared long, narrow and 
pointed to me; longer than I am used to for Black-legged Kittiwake. Both 
birds were flying in and out of my view as they flew behind wave crests. 
I think that they eventually landed as I failed to track them after I 
had seen them for extended flights three times despite following their 
presumed trajectory south around Tillamook Head. They were between 1/2 
and 3/4 distance to the horizon and I was about 2 or 3 meters above sea 
level. They were certainly close enough that if I had gotten longer and 
more looks at them I am sure I could have confidently nailed the 
identification. Could they have been RED-LEGGED KITTIWAKES (immatures)? 
I am left with a memory of two small gulls with long pointed gray wings 
with a wide white trailing edge thicker at the bend such that it makes a 
shallow triangular shape on the upper wing.

I hope I see them again.

Question,

How may Paraqueet Auklets have been reported from Oregon this year?

David

David C. Bailey
Seaside, Oregon
baileydc at pdx.edu