[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Juan on 09:10:41 05/11/05
I woke up yesterday in Frankfurt, Germany, caught the morning flight home, arrived at 1:30pm and wrangled Patrick Dorsy out of his office (an incredibly simple feat) for a late aftermoon jaunt across the Bay to look for Bonefish near Elliot Key. This produced a very accomodating fresh adult Band-rumped Storm Petrel about 3/4 - 1 mile East-Southeast of Matheson Hammock. We were able to stay with the bird for several minutes as it fed near large patches of floating grass (maybe a result of the big tides during the recent new moon), on two occasions we cut our engine or idled and it was feeding unperturbed about 10 feet from our small skiff. Here's a description of a sighting several years ago by the venerable John Boyd that sums it up:
"lack of contrast
on the upperparts (not Leach's), no visible
projecting legs (a closer look would have been
definitive), a tail that variously looked
straight-cut to notched, the white band seemed
to disappear in side views (Wilson's should
wrap around more), and a zig-zaggy flight (which
I only later learned was a Band-rumped trait)."
Fortunately, I was able to get numerous close looks at the tail, also the white rump was very different in shape from the Leach's and lacked any hint of a median stripe and this dark fresh adult was much longer-winged than a Wilson's.
I keep looking for Storm-Petrels on my way to the Marquesas only to find one in our backyard.
Later that night Chuck-will's-widows were calling from Sands Key just North of Elliot. Tailing Bonefish and calling Chucks, I'm stuck here.
Juan Valadez
Miami, FL
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]