[Tweeters] Pigeon Guillemot in Breeding Plumage in Early February?

[Stephen Elston]

I was at several saltwater sites along the Eastern shore of Puget Sound
today and saw quite a few PIGus in breeding plumage and a number of others
that were still molding into breeding plumage.  Given my experience, I
would not be surprised to see a few at Brown's Point.

On Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM Tom Benedict <benedict.t at comcast.net> wrote:


> Shortly after posting I found this report

> <https://racerocks.ca/return-of-the-pigeon-guillemots/> from last

> Thursday, Feb 2, 2023 at Race Rocks, off of Victoria, BC. It includes a

> photo of 8 PIGU titled “Shifting from winter plumage to summer plumage".

> Most are still “variable” and “smudgy”, but a couple are quite “black and

> white”.

>

> So I guess it’s not too early for our “resident” PIGU in the southern

> Puget Sound to be putting on their new suits.

>

> Tom Benedict

> Seahurst, WA

>

> On Feb 4, 2023, at 19:19, Tom Benedict <benedict.t at comcast.net> wrote:

>

> Today, Feb 4th, 2023, at Brown’s Point Lighthouse I spotted, about 300

> meters offshore, two black seabirds with white wing patches. They had the

> shape, bill and general disposition of a Pigeon Guillemot, so that’s what I

> called them.  I’m quite sure these were not White-Winged Scoters. The head

> and bill were not the right shape, and there were no other scoters around.

>

> However, now that I’m home and reviewing my observations, I’m wondering if

> it’s reasonable to have a Pigeon Guillemot in what looked to me like

> breeding plumage in early February? The were definitely not the “variable”

> or “smudgy” plumage of a winter PIGU.

>

> Anyone else seeing Pigeon Guillemots these days? Are they "black and

> white" or “smudgy”?

>

> Tom Benedict

> Seahurst, WA

>

>

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