[Tweeters] Pigeon Guillemot in Breeding Plumage in Early February?

[Tom Benedict]

Shortly after posting I found this report <https://racerocks.ca/return-of-the-pigeon-guillemots/> from last Thursday, Feb 2, 2023 at Race Rocks, off of Victoria, BC. It includes a photo of 8 PIGU titled “Shifting from winter plumage to summer plumage". Most are still “variable” and “smudgy”, but a couple are quite “black and white”. 

So I guess it’s not too early for our “resident” PIGU in the southern Puget Sound to be putting on their new suits. 

Tom Benedict
Seahurst, WA


> On Feb 4, 2023, at 19:19, Tom Benedict <benedict.t at comcast.net> wrote:

> 

> Today, Feb 4th, 2023, at Brown’s Point Lighthouse I spotted, about 300 meters offshore, two black seabirds with white wing patches. They had the shape, bill and general disposition of a Pigeon Guillemot, so that’s what I called them.  I’m quite sure these were not White-Winged Scoters. The head and bill were not the right shape, and there were no other scoters around.

> 

> However, now that I’m home and reviewing my observations, I’m wondering if it’s reasonable to have a Pigeon Guillemot in what looked to me like breeding plumage in early February? The were definitely not the “variable” or “smudgy” plumage of a winter PIGU.

> 

> Anyone else seeing Pigeon Guillemots these days? Are they "black and white" or “smudgy”?

> 

> Tom Benedict

> Seahurst, WA


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