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Re: Frigatebird.... (previous SC record in mid-march)



As noted in "Supplement to Status and Distribution of
SC Birds" (Post and McNair): I submitted a sight
report, notes, etc. to the Charleston Museum files for
a Magnificent Frigatebird near the end of the paved
Jetty at Huntington Beach State Park on 15 March 1992.
  4 or 5 fellow birder-witnesses and I observed the
(first year) bird for several minutes circling off the
end of the jetty in a huge flock of Gulls, Terns, etc.
 

So Ritch: I'm not surprised atall.  Good Sighting.

The fact that it's been rough as heck offshore lately
and the fact that there's an easterly component to the
prevailing winds the past several days may  explain
the Frigatebird's presence.
Also who knows: maybe the "spring fever" effect that
causes Frigatebirds to show here in mid-march had the
bird "hanging out" in the Myrtle Beach area while
waiting for better conditions to fly even further
north...

The March 1992 bird was the only Frigatebird I have
seen from land in SC. The other 10+ have been around 
100km offshore (or further), usually near large
schools of Yellowfin Tuna.  One time was around 70
miles offshore, amid numerous large waterspouts that
came out of nowhere.  We got out of the danger zone by
following the "man-o-war bird" the captain figured
knew the best way to safety.

Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC


--- Ritch Lilly <scbeachbums@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Carolinabirders,
> 
> I've been reluctant to post this for the past two
> hours, but there was an
> adult female Magnificent Frigatebird seen just north
> of the Springmaid Pier
> in Myrtle Beach, SC at around 3:00 pm this
> afternoon.  My wife and I were
> eating at Damon's (on the beach).  She was watching
> surfers while I was
> checking out the gulls and terns.  The frigatebird
> came out of the south and
> flew just outside the window heading north. 
> Although this was a first for
> me, I'm certain of the ID.  I immediately noticed
> the black head, the heavy,
> light-grey hooked bill and the obvious white breast.
>  The distinction
> between the head and breast were sharp and crisp
> unlike the muted blending
> of color on an immature cormorant.  The wings were
> extremely long and
> graceful unlike the shorter, stubbier wings of the
> cormorants.  I didn't
> specifically look at the tail but my immediate
> impression was that this bird
> had very long legs.  Once the bird passed over and I
> realized it was a
> frigatebird, I then also realized that I hadn't seen
> legs but rather the
> long, closed, forked tail.
> 
> I realize this bird will occasionally pass through
> our area in June or July
> and again later in the fall.  I don't have a clue if
> there are any records
> of the bird in our immediate area in mid-March, but
> I'm confident of the ID.
> I first thought about any effect these winds may
> have had on this bird's
> route.  I know several birders on the Outer Banks
> are seeing some great
> birds this weekend, not to mention Mike Turner's
> Razorbill and jaeger just
> south of here yesterday.  But I would have thought
> that southeast winds
> would have been more likely to bring in a
> frigatebird than northeasterly
> winds.
> 
> Any explanations for the presence of this bird would
> be greatly appreciated.
> It has me stumped.
> 
> Good Birding!
> Ritch Lilly
> Myrtle Beach, SC
> scbeachbums@hotmail.com
> 
> 


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