[Tweeters] Pigeon Guillemots in Breeding Plumage -- and MAMU surge

[Steve Hampton]

I've seen many PIGU in nearly full breeding plumage for the last few weeks,
though the majority are still more white than black.

This morning there was a significant movement of Rhino Auklets around Pt
Wilson, the first in months. At least one had full breeding plumes. A
repeat of last year's surge of Marbled Murrelets looks to be underway. They
were southbound at a constant rate of about 7/minute this morning for the
30 minutes I was there (so 210 birds, and probably many more before and
after). The MAMU were all in basic plumage. Full list here:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S127675954

good birding,



On Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 10:44 AM Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>
wrote:


> Thanks, Shelley. Not as extensive a molt as in the alcids, but indeed all

> three of the cormorants start putting on breeding plumes surprisingly early

> in the year, well before their breeding seasons. Someone should be taking

> blood samples to see if their hormone levels are rising already.

>

> Dennis Paulson

> Seattle

>

> On Feb 5, 2023, at 8:35 AM, Shelley Evans <shelley.a.evans at gmail.com>

> wrote:

>

> During the PSSS Survey yesterday, we saw a pigeon guillemot in breeding

> plumage from Point Robinson on Vashon Is.

>

> The cormorants (both Pelagic and Brandt's) at the Vashon Ferry Terminal

> were showing some breeding plumage.  I saw the white flank patches on

> Pelagic Cormorant, and you could see some of the white, whisker-like plumes

> in the faces of the Brandt's Cormorants.  I don't know whether this is

> typical for this time of year.

>

> In both cases, it seems like signs of spring and the breeding season to

> come.

>

> Shelley Evans

> Seattle

>

> On Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 8:05 AM Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>

> wrote:

>

>> Alcids are the only group among our birds that may molt into breeding

>> plumage very early in spring, i.e., mid- to late winter. I have seen this

>> in Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemots, and Rhinoceros Auklets in this area,

>> always a surprise.

>>

>> I wish I knew why they were the exception, as I don’t think they are

>> ready for breeding yet. They are not appearing at breeding sites. Usually

>> the molt into breeding plumage is moderated by day length and hormones, but

>> something else seems to be going on here.

>>

>> Dennis Paulson

>> Seattle

>>

>> On Feb 4, 2023, at 7:40 PM, Stephen Elston <stephen.elston at gmail.com>

>> wrote:

>>

>> I was at several saltwater sites along the Eastern shore of Puget Sound

>> today and saw quite a few PIGus in breeding plumage and a number of others

>> that were still molding into breeding plumage.  Given my experience, I

>> would not be surprised to see a few at Brown's Point.

>>

>> On Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM Tom Benedict <benedict.t at comcast.net>

>> wrote:

>>

>>> 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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-- 
Steve Hampton
Port Townsend, WA  (qatáy)
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