[Birdnet] Utah Lake parasitic jaeger

[Lu Giddings]

At about 3:15 p.m. today at LeBaron point I spotted what I believe was a 
parasitic jaeger chasing a ring-billed gull. The two birds were flying 
over the water, reeds, and fragmides, roughly 30 yards from the road. 
The bird was roughly the same size or slightly larger than the gull it 
was pursuing. It was very darkly plumaged, and I first thought it was a 
juvenile gull but quickly realized that its shape, coloration, and 
behavior indicated otherwise. I then thought that the pursuing bird was 
perhaps a northern harrier, as it easily matched the speed and 
manouverings of the gull, which seemed to be somewhat distressed and 
laboring The pursuing bird was notably darker than most female harriers, 
the coloration was checked, not solid, and the bird had two broad white 
patches or wing bars near the tips of its under wings, somewhat like 
those of a night hawk - only, this was no night hawk. This pursuit last 
roughly 30-60 seconds, which gave me enough time to pull over, exit my 
truck, and pull out my binoculars. As the bird flew north, away from me, 
it was still sufficiently close to see a pair of feathers protruding 
about 1-1.5" from its tail, one on either side of the tail's center line.

I immediately consulted Sibleys and National Geographic in an attempt to 
identify the bird, as parasitic jaegers are not a specie I see on a 
frequent basis. I have since returned home and also checked "Harrison's 
"Seabirds of the World" and there is a photo in his book similar to the 
bird I observed.  But I'd welcome any informed suggestions.

LeBaron Point is the Utah Lake sportsman's access found near Genola.

Lu Giddings