Rollover Pass- Day 2

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Rollover Pass- Day 2

Disaster ended in a triumph. Why?

 THIS is why; 'the Pirate of the Carribbean' lol, nay, all the seas; POMARINE JAEGER!!
Never seen one, the only Jaeger seen during a Pelagic trip a few months ago near Pacific Palisades, a smaller Parasitic Jaeger. The viewing was not that satisfactory either.  Now here...!

 Found out on ebird, thanks to others. Had some hope of seeing it. So arrived at the NW part of the Pass, and walked to the north end(Bay part, not the opposite Gulf part).
And it was RIGHT THERE, SITTING on a big rock! 

 Too bad I inadvertently scared it away. Us humans are so clumsy(you can see the wedged tail here)!

Then. 

PANDEMONIUM. 

UTTER PANDEMONIUM!

All the birds went literally batshit crazy, braying and flying away from this bird! Egad...a terrific sight! You can't confuse this bird with other gulls and terns, I could see. The build is quite different. And the effect on other birds; totally different! It's like the Orca(Killer Whale) of the birds..

Later leisurely chasing the birds lol(its a kleptomanic; it steals from other birds; hence the Pirate!), it settled down on a small grassy island; then I lost it!  

Some say it may be ill. Anyhow, such an experience. Glad I came by.

 Black Skimmer among the gulls and terns!  Came to roost?

Herring Gull, not exactly rare in the West, but still more common in the East