ML366147611
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
CLR notes from after 9/1/21, at which point the bird had already been seen and superbly photographed at point-blank range, cementing the ID as Long-tailed Jaeger (https://ebird.org/checklist/S94032341). A big kudos to Victor and Ruben for following up on this bird so diligently and documenting the correct ID by boat. All notes by me are now revisionist history. The bird was found on 8/31, the day prior (and prior to the arrival of what would be the center of the now tropical depression), and was initially reported as a jaeger sp. on Facebook (https://ebird.org/checklist/S94013419). However, consensus began to form around juvenile Parasitic Jaeger, although looks were apparently quite distant and unsatisfactory. The bird was similarly distant the following day, as we first relocated what we presume to be the same bird at ~12:45 p.m. It was then present until I left that afternoon (~4 p.m.), seen off-and-on flying and foraging (once on a dead fish, apparently) in the middle of the river, typically well to the south of our vantage at Bruton Branch. After watching the bird for a while, we settled on the same ID: intermediate juvenile Parasitic Jaeger. Assuming there was only ever one bird present, which seems most parsimonious given the age (juvenile), plumage (intermediate), and location, we misidentified the bird that day. Thus, it's now apparent that, given the poor quality of our views, we should not have tried identifying the jaeger to species that day. However, I think there were actually clues that this was a Long-tailed Jaeger even then, obvious now only in retrospect. For one, the bird had a noticeably long aft (i.e., extension beyond the wings), especially evident while soaring. See, for example, even these terrible pictures (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/366147611 and https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/366147591). Even more to the point, we could detect protruding central rectrices at this great distance (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/366147551). [Unfortunately, this photo can't be zoomed in on or expanded in Macaulay, but it can on my computer.] I imagine that this alone is probably indication of LTJA. Further, I could see at various points that the bird appeared to exhibit a pale belly, which I think would be surprising for an intermediate juvie PAJA. This, alongside the bird's dark chest, can be discerned in one of Ken's photos (https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365670611). And, lastly, although it was difficult, if not impossible, to divine this in the field, a couple of images appear to show pale (maybe even barred) uppertail coverts, again suggestive of LTJA: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365670561 (note, too, what appears to be very limited white shafts to the outer primaries in this and other images of Ken's) and https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/366147591 Some of the deceiving points, however, were that we incorrectly interpreted a lack of detection as a lack of presence, particularly in regard to what would later surface as strong barring in the tail and underwing coverts. And, particularly for me, I kept seeing what I thought was a lot of white in the upperwing primaries, which I thought indicated (incorrectly) a bunch of white primary shafts. This pale upperwing flash is even apparent in one of Victor's fine images from the following day: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/365717731 And, similar to the following notes, I, too, interpreted the bird's color from a distance as a warm brown above, not cold gray, tilting the ID in favor of PAJA. ----- Notes from Michael Todd or Mark Greene, I believe, which did not transfer in the re-identification process (neither did Mike's photos, which see his list): "Distant photos taken, intermediate type youngster, though at a distance or in bad light appeared generally as a dark morph, though there was some pale on the belly. Most of views were quite distant, though eventually we got good scope looks in good light as the bird flew around the area regularly. On water always appeared very dark, or in bad light. In good light, the upperparts and especially nape were a warm brown essentially cinnamon color. Extensive white flash under primaries, and though hard to judge at a distance, repeatedly gave impression of multiple white primary shafts from above. No barring evident under wings or on rump. Not a big bulky bird like a Pom. Looks were much better than my photos indicate. On following day much better looks were had from the water, and the bird is Long-tailed vs Parasitic, with extensive cold gray fringing and gray nape, and obviously barred black and white rump, distance and light obviously tricked us, I was looking in particular for the rump barring and always looked uniform. Good lesson learned :")
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF400mm f/5.6L USM
- ISO
- 1000
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/6.3
- Shutter speed
- 1/6400 sec
- Dimensions
- 401 pixels x 370 pixels
- Original file size
- 89.16 KB