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