This was taken after we again got ahead of it. The dark area in the flank developed after a skermish with a gull and taking of it's fish. It should disappear after preening. The dark area on the lower belly is a permanent coloration. I have photographed only one other jaeger with a patch exactly like this. It was on December 23, 2010, at the mouth of the Calcasieu River Jetties. All of the other colorations match that bird as well.

This shows a comparison of the jaeger photos eleven months apart. If it is the same bird, it would have undergone considerable molt. Because it is an adult, perhaps the color pattern remains the same. The belly patch is so unique to the other jaegers I have photographed, I am inclined to believe it is the same bird.

Because we have so many adult Pomarine Jaegers off the Cameron coast, I have felt that some may return for at least some of the winter each year. This is the first one that has a close enough color pattern to encourage that idea.