ML504510731
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age and sex
- Adult, Unknown sex - 1
- Playback
- Not specified
Observation details
Continuing—so great to finally see Morris the gannet, now in his or her eleventh year as the first, most famous, and only Northern Gannet in the Pacific Ocean! Viewed from the right-angle bend by the end of Johnson Pier (37.50137,-122.48238), as reported by others, on the breakwater to the south. I was looking to the left a bit, farther left (east) than a diamond-shaped sign described by others in their recent reports, though I didn't notice exactly how close the bird was to this sign. Upon arriving, I scanned this breakwater a few times without seeing the gannet, so I think it must have flown in or, perhaps more likely, hopped up into view from the opposite side of the breakwater while I was scanning around. Amazingly, I heard this bird before I saw it—a loud, unfamiliar, grating call drew my attention to a spot on the breakwater I had already scanned several times, and there was the newly visible gannet. These grating calls can be heard at 0:02-0:04, 0:27, and 0:29-0:35 in the attached recording. I never clearly saw the gannet opening its bill and making these calls, but they were given at a time when the gannet seemed more active, and they seemed to be coming from the exact right spot. They also are a match for other Northern Gannet recordings, and I don't think any of the neighboring cormorants, pelicans, or gulls could have been giving this call. During the time I watched, the gannet stretched its neck and wings and rotated around a couple times, but was otherwise stationary, and did not interact with any of the other birds around it.
Technical information
- Recorder
- Microphone
- Accessories
- Original file size
- 5.37 MB