[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]
Posted by Terry Hunefed on 18:16:16 12/22/12
A strong cold front moved into South Florida the morning prior to this sighting. I was seawatching from the east end of the south jetty of the Fort Pierce Inlet in a stiff northwest wind. A binocular scan brought a large, lumbering white-bellied shearwater into view. It was arcing into the wind on stiff slightly bowed wings just beyond the big breakers crashing onto the north jetty. The bird was angling/drifting south and across the inlet, passing 100 yards from my position. Through my spotting scope I could see dark-bordered pure-white underwings (no markings in the axillaries) and the yellow bill of a Cory s Shearwater. The upperparts were uniform medium brown. The plumage was superficially like a Pink-footed Shearwater of which I ve seen thousands, but the bird was heavier, flying on stiff tautly-bowed wings vs the buoyant arced wings of a Pink-footed. My field notes read: broad-winged, ponderous, bowed stiff wide-winged, clean white belly and underwings. The bird continued to arc into the wind allowing itself to be pushed back further from shore after passing the north jetty. It continued drifting south and further out to sea until I lost it behind the large swells.
Terry Hunefeld
San Diego
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TAS BirdBoard ] [ FAQ ]