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

[Steve Hampton]

eBird enables one to add photos as well as to add comments and to document
stage of breeding (via the breeding code feature). Last year I added a
few comments re: PIGU in breeding plumage.

Jan 24: one in full breeding plumage
Feb 9: many in breeding plumage

Due to considerable interest and research into changes (or lack thereof) in
breeding timing with climate change, I strongly recommend people to note
breeding timing, especially appearance of first fledges or nest with eggs
or young.


>From high to low, eBird breeding codes are:


   - *NY Nest with Young (Confirmed)* -- Nest with young seen or heard.
   - *NE Nest with Eggs (Confirmed)* -- Nest with eggs.
   - *FS Carrying Fecal Sac (Confirmed)* -- Adult carrying fecal sac.
   - *FY Feeding Young (Confirmed)* -- Adult feeding young that have left
   the nest, but are not yet flying and independent (for some projects should
   not be used with raptors, terns, and other species that may move many miles
   from the nest site; often supersedes FL).
   - *CF Carrying Food (Confirmed)* -- Adult carrying food for young (for
   some projects should not be used for corvids, raptors, terns, and certain
   other species that regularly carry food for courtship or other purposes).
   - *FL Recently Fledged Young (Confirmed)* -- Recently fledged or downy
   young observed while still dependent upon adults.
   - *ON Occupied Nest (Confirmed)* -- Occupied nest presumed by parent
   entering and remaining, exchanging incubation duties, etc.
   - *UN Used Nest (enter 0 if no birds seen) (Confirmed)* -- Nest is
   present, but not active. Use only if you are certain of the species that
   built the nest.
   - *DD Distraction Display (Confirmed)* -- Distraction display, including
   feigning injury.
   - *NB Nest Building (Confirmed/Probable)* --  Nest building at apparent
   nest site (should not be used for certain wrens, and other species that
   build dummy nests; see code "B" below for these species).
   - *CN Carrying Nesting Material (Confirmed/Probable)* -- Adult carrying
   nesting material; nest site not seen.
   - *PE Physiological Evidence (Probable)* -- Physiological evidence of
   nesting, usually a brood patch. This will be used only very rarely.
   - *B Wren/Woodpecker Nest Building (Probable)* -- Some species,
   including certain wrens (e.g., Marsh Wren), woodpeckers, and certain other
   cavity nesters (e.g., barbets) may build dummy nests and thus nest building
   activity cannot be considered confirmation. Use this category in those
   cases.
   - *A Agitated Behavior (Probable)* -- Agitated behavior or anxiety calls
   from an adult. This excludes responses elicited by "pishing", playing
   recordings, or mobbing behavior that species engage in year-round (for
   instance, mobbing an owl).
   - *N Visiting Probable Nest Site (Probable)* -- Visiting repeatedly
   probable nest site (primarily hole nesters).
   - *C Courtship, Display or Copulation (Probable)* -- Courtship or
   copulation observed, including displays and courtship feeding.
   - *T Territorial Defense (Probable)* -- Permanent territory presumed
   through defense of breeding territory by fighting or chasing individuals of
   same species.
   - *P Pair in Suitable Habitat (Probable)* -- Pair observed in suitable
   breeding habitat (for some projects only during breeding season).
   - *M Multiple (7+) Singing Birds (Probable)* -- At least 7 singing birds
   present in suitable nesting habitat (for some projects only during breeding
   season).
   - *S7 Singing Bird Present 7+ Days (Probable)* -- Use only if you have
   observed a singing bird at the same spot (not elsewhere) one week or more
   earlier in the season.
   - *S Singing Bird (Possible)* -- Singing bird present in suitable
   nesting habitat (for some projects only during  breeding season).
   - *H In Appropriate Habitat (Possible)* -- Adult in suitable nesting
   habitat during its breeding season.


On Tue, Feb 7, 2023 at 11:24 PM Michael Price <loblollyboy at gmail.com> wrote:


> Dennis Paulson writes: <In all three regional cormorants, the only visible

> sign of it are breeding plumes and bare-skin color, not so obvious except

> at close range but indeed very dramatic then.

>

> This isn't the first time I have wished I could add photos to a post! ;-) >

>

> Likewise, Dennis. I have to take mild issue with the contention that all

> cormorants show only plumes and bare-skin color changes when in Alternate

> plumage. In such plumage, Pelagic and Red-faced (RFCO) both show quite

> conspicuous white flank patches. So when about a third of the Prospect

> Point lot disappear in all-dark nonbreeding plumage in mid-November and

> reappear in mid-January with big white bum-patches characteristic of

> breeding plumage--well, what's a boy to do but conclude these (returning?)

> birds are rarin' to go, reproductively? Otherwise, what's their flash new

> plumage for?

>

> Such an early initiation of breeding display would inspire the question

> that Hal Michael raises, of piscivores taking advantage of a mid- to

> late-winter fishery to promote breeding success.

>

>

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