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Re: Thick-billed Murre @ Fort Macon SP



Yes, as Chair of the NC Bird Records Committee, I think the Committee
will want to vote on the murre and see a photograph or two to help
confirm the report. Yes, there are 8-10 records perhaps of Thick-billed
Murre for NC (I guess those with Avendex can tell how many!). But, very
few have occurred in the past decade, and some of those are single
observer sightings in choppy ocean seas, long range sightings in the
ocean from shore, etc. Thus, this murre perhaps can be documented about
as well as any (though the photo of one by Micou Browne in Birds of the
Carolinas, on page 187, can hardly be topped! I think that was taken in
NC waters, but the photo caption doesn't give location).

Harry LeGrand

"Nathan M. Bacheler" wrote:
> 
> This is a follow-up to Sandy's email earlier this morning about the
> Thick-Billed Murre. I visited Fort Macon (1:45pm, Tuesday), and
> discovered that the Thick-Billed Murre is still foraging near the rock
> jetty. I have a couple of poor-quality digital images of the bird if
> anyone is interested (the bird got within 50 ft of me at one point).
> Also saw another Razorbill and some Red-throated Loons.
> Nate Bacheler
> Morehead City, NC
> 
> Sandy Cash wrote:
> 
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I am on the phone with Josh Rose as I type this, and he reports a
> >THICK-BILLED MURRE from Fort Macon State Park.  The bird was
> >found by professor Stuart Pimm of Duke at about 9:00 AM today
> >(3/11/2003).  The bird is extremely tame, remaining about 20 feet
> >offshore and diving frequently in front of the observors.  It is in a
> >patch of shallow water protected by the rocky jetty at the park, in
> >the broad area where a raft of about 20 RAZORBILLS were reported
> >yesterday.  (Razorbills still being reported from the same location.)
> >
> >The bird appears to be molting into breeding/alternate plumage -
> >while it appears all-black from a distance, closer observation
> >reveals scruffy plumage details around the neck and head.  The
> >bird is very blackish overall (not brownish like Common Murre), and
> >it has a noticeably thicker bill as well.  The white stripe on the
> >upper mandible is clearly visible.
> >
> >I myself do not have further details, but the ID seems quite solid -
> >I'm assuming Josh will post a followup when he returns to Durham.
> >
> >-Sandy
> >--
> >Sandy Cash
> >Durham, NC
> >scash@mindspring.com
> >

-- 
Harry LeGrand
NC Natural Heritage Program
DENR   Office of Conservation and Community Affairs
1615 MSC
Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
(919) 715-8687 (work)
FAX: 919-715-3085
e-mail: harry.legrand@ncmail.net