Scripps's Murrelet, Synthliboramphus scrippsi |
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![]() Scripps's Murrelet is the northern of two species established by the split of the former Xantus's Murrelet, the southern being Guadalupe Murrelet. Scripps's are found, usually not far from shore, and often in a parent-young pair during their post-breeding dispersal . On a pelagic outing into the ocean west of Monterey in October 2011, our boat accidentally separated such a pair. The two birds stayed close by the boat calling to each other from opposite sides rather than swimming away as they normally would, and thus allowed me to get this closeup profile photo. The dark barring on the flanks identify the bird as the juvenile of the pair. |
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![]() Nearly two years later in July 2013, on a pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay, I got my second chance at a reasonably closeup photo of one of these small and elusive seabirds, this one an adult. |