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Observations
by Dan Nelson, 762-3811, <dansbird@pacbell.net>
On August 28, yet another species was added to the Sonoma County list,
and a very special one indeed. We discovered a juvenile Short-tailed
Albatross about twenty miles west of Bodega Head. Although there is
little doubt this largest seabird of the North Pacific once occurred off
Sonoma County, plume-hunters and volcanic episodes on its sole nesting island
(Torishima, off Japan) brought the species to extinction, or so it was thought,
around 1930. Since that time a group of about twenty birds (immatures, undoubtedly)
had survived at sea and re-colonized. Now under strict protection, the species
grew to around 300-400 birds as of the late 1980's, and is believed to have
doubled that number in the past ten years! (Source: International Wildlife).
Offshore trips with Mollymawk Offshore Adventures have documented four new
pelagic species for Sonoma County in the last two years, but this legendary
bird was a genuine surprise! Needless to say, many photos were taken. Other
notes include:
| Black-footed Albatross (65) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Buller's Shearwater (165) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Black-vented Shearwater (many) |
9/2 |
off Bodega Head |
BG, ET AL. |
| Sooty Shearwater (3 million+) |
Sept. |
off Marin & Sonoma Co. |
RS, ET AL. |
| Flesh-footed Shearwater (1) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Pink-footed Shearwater (150) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Ashy Storm-Petrel (100+) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel (5) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Black Storm Petrel (50) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Wilson's Storm Petrel (1-2) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Least Storm Petrel |
8/31 |
Cordell Bank |
RS, ET AL. |
| Pomarine Jaeger (5) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Long-tailed Jaeger (14) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| South Polar Skua (2) |
8/31 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Sabine's Gull (75) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Franklin's Gull (1 wint. ad.) |
9/11 |
Schollenberger Park |
GG, DN, DS, ET AL. |
| Arctic Tern (15) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Common Tern (4) |
9/10 |
Bodega Harbor |
DN |
| Rhinoceros Auklet (25) |
8/28 |
Offshore Sonoma County |
M.O.A. |
| Wild Turkey (30) |
8/7 |
Oakmont |
BG |
| Wilson's Phalarope (8) |
8/26 |
Lakeville treatment ponds |
DN |
| Wilson's Phalarope (2) |
9/15 |
Lakeville treatment ponds |
DN |
| Red-necked Phalarope (2) |
8/22 |
Doran pond |
KW |
| Baird's Sandpiper |
9/2 |
Doran |
BG |
| Pectoral Sandpiper |
9/12 |
Schollenberger Park |
BDP |
| Black Rail |
9/11 |
Schollenberger Park |
DN |
| Allen's Hummingbird |
9/2 |
Oakmont |
BG |
| Purple Martin (3) |
8/15 |
Adobe Canyon Rd. |
IM |
| Pygmy Nuthatch |
8/22 |
Bodega Bay |
KW |
| Philadelphia Vireo |
9/5 |
Owl Canyon (4th County record) |
DN, ET AL. |
| Black-and-white Warbler |
9/2 |
Owl Canyon |
BG, ET AL. |
| Canada Warbler |
8/27 |
Owl Canyon |
DH, ET AL. |
| Blackburnian Warbler |
8/30 |
Owl Canyon |
KG, RM, DN, ET AL. |
| Northern Parula Warbler (female) |
9/7 |
Cheney Creek / Hwy 1 |
DN |
| Northern Waterthrush |
9/6 |
Diekmann's Store |
KG, RM, DN |
| American Redstart (female) |
9/15 |
Campbell Cove |
DE, DN, DH |
| Magnolia Warbler |
9/16 |
Bodega Bay Marine Lab. ent. |
DH, DE, DN |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler |
9/15 |
Russian Gulch |
LH |
| Blackpoll Warbler |
8/30 |
Owl Canyon (with Blackburnian) |
MOB |
| Blackpoll Warbler |
8/30 |
Fishing boat off Tomales Pt. |
DN |
| Blackpoll Warbler |
9/7 |
Cheney Cr. /Hwy 1 |
DN |
| Blackpoll Warbler |
9/16 |
Marine Lab. entrance |
DN, DH, DE |
| Summer Tanager (male) |
Aug.-Sept. |
Limantour |
RS, BDP, ET AL. |
| Hooded Oriole (fem.) |
9/3 |
Petaluma yard |
WN |
| Orchard Oriole (fem. or imm.) |
9/7 |
Owl Canyon |
DN, DE |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird (5) |
9/16 |
Mendoza Ranch (new high # for Marin) |
RS |
Contributors: Doug Ellis, Betty Groce, George Griffith, Kevin
Guse, David Hofmann, Lisa Hug, Roger Marlowe, Ian Morrison, Mollymawk Offshore
Adventures, Dan Nelson, Wini Nelson, Benjamin D. Parmeter, Doug Shaw, Rich
Stallcup, Alan Wight and Ken Wilson. |
