Oh seabirds. They're so far away from shore all the time. That makes it hella expensive and inconvenient to see them, but its always an honor to meet these birds in their element.
This is a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger, and to most people its also the rarest jaeger, which adds an extra shine to it. It's parasitic...but it's not a Parasitic Jaeger. Got it? Good. It was photographed off Half Moon Bay, CA, on a Shearwater Journeys boat.
Neat wings on this bird, remind me of a Merlin.
ReplyDeleteIf one of these flew down to Phoenix for a day, I'd be fine with that.
This is one of my favorite seabirds, actually. They are also NOT the rarest jaeger to show up inland...if you ever find yourself at the Colorado River in fall, its a good time and place to look for these kleptos.
DeleteThat's nifty to know. Thanks for the tip Seagull "the Sage" Steve.
DeleteI forgot to comment on the most excellent zebra striping on the tails coverts too. So many of these birds are minimalist in their colors, but this bird seems to have something special under the hood, as it were.
It is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to say about this jaeger, but I do have to say that your google translator makes your blog even more entertaining. The jizz post in German especially.
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