|
English
and Scientific names: |
Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) |
|
Number
of individuals: |
One bird |
|
Locality:
LOUISIANA: |
Plaquemines |
|
Specific
Locality: |
Along a sargassum weed line at a contact
between blue and green water near the edge of the Mississippi Canyon. I'm
hoping that others (with GPS units) will be able to do better than this. |
|
Date(s)
when observed: |
September 27, 2009 |
|
Time(s)
of day when observed: |
Around midday (I forgot to take note of this) |
|
Reporting
observer and address: |
John P. Sevenair, New Orleans LA |
|
Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
David Muth, Dan Purrington, Phillip Wallace,
Devin Bosler, others |
|
Other observers who independently
identified the bird(s) |
|
|
Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
The bird was in the open. |
|
Optical
equipment: |
Canon EOS 40D with 100-400 mm telephoto lens |
|
Distance
to bird(s): |
A hundred yards (very approximately) |
|
Duration
of observation: |
Thirty seconds |
|
Habitat:
|
Deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, along a
line of sargassum weed and trash at a contact between green and blue water. |
|
Behavior
of bird: |
.Bird was flying past, quite quickly. |
|
Description: |
A large, long-winged bird, too large to be an
Audubon's Shearwater. It was brown above, not very dark above, and
without pattern that I could see (but I didn't get a very good view).
It was too pale to be a Sooty Shearwater and! |
|
Voice: |
Not heard. |
|
Similar species: |
See above. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
I will submit two photos. Others were
taken; I hope they're better than mine. |
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
I've seen them occasionally off Louisiana,
frequently and in large numbers off North Carolina, and in the past off New
England |
|
Identification
aids: |
Other birders called out 'Cory's Shearwater'
before I saw it. |
|
This
description is written from: |
The description is made almost entirely from
memory, though I did look at my own photos. |
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes. |
|
Date
and time: |
9/28/09 at 12:40 PM |