ML644064361

Observation details

We likely had more than one, but there was at least one bird most experienced observers concurred on. Others were included in this list as Leach's/Townsends's that may have been the latter species. However, identification of this species at sea is more problematic than most realize. This bird was working in front of the bow from 1616-1618 and was photographed by a number of people. This individual had an extensive white rump that wrapped to the lateral tail coverts with just a faint darker smudge in the middle, a shorter tail with a modest fork, and duller ulnar bands. The wings were relatively broad and the flight was what we have observed for Townsend's which was direct, but with occasional spinning bounds upward.