King, Warren B., 1963-1964
Page 75
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Transcription
King, Warren B. 1964 April 13--Six Bulwer's Petrels today and one ? One was flushed from water and set again on surface 150 yards from ship. Wedgetail noted in above individual. Numerous Sooty Terns 120+ 15 including four feeding flocks at least one of which was feeding on skipjack. A dark bodied, white headed tern seen. Didn't look like noddy. More like immature Sooty with mature Sooty head. A flock of twelve Wedgetail Shearwaters in with fifty Sooty Terns feeding or skipjack. Six other individuals; all were light phase. Sooty Shearwaters seen today, only nine and for a short space of time 0656 to 0717. White rump not observed on any of the three storm petrels seen today, but they were only seen imperfectly. One frigate seen alone, a female adult. AT 1345 an immature Red-footed Booby circled ship several times as if interested in roosting for night. One flock contained 30+ 5 Sooty Terns, one plus Wedgetails, two plus shearwater/petreis, one of which was all dark, and a storm petrel. April 14--Three Bulwer's Petrels today, one in company of Harcourt's Storm Petrel Type B. One feeding flock of Sooty Terns, 40+ 10 seen at a distance. Two Newell's Shearwaters both clearly seen, unmistakable in black- white contrast and flightpattern. A Masked Booby followed for several hours today, putting on a fancy diving exhibit, going out of sight underwater on one occasion, appearing several seconds later with fish. Bird was brown headed and brown uppernecked with heavy brown splotching on back. Dived both from very oblique angle and straight down from 50+ feet with no attempt to slow down.