Howdy, Seabirders,
Shearwater Journeys' May 10th pelagic trip departing from Monterey Bay was nothing short of spectacular! Highlights included BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS (116), PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER (170), SOOTY SHEARWATER (545), BRANT (214), BLACK TURNSTONE (18), RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (1200), FRANKLIN'S GULL (1), SABINE'S GULL (1), ARCTIC TERN (3), COMMON MURRE (85), PIGEON GUILLEMOT (12), RHINOCEROS AUKLET (9), and five HUMPBACK WHALES who were vertically lunge-feeding on big fat sardines along with over 150 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and clouds of shearwaters, gulls, and albatrosses!
It was an amazing day, with good sea conditions, as well. It was chilly in the fog, though— I even commented that I was colder than any day I spent in Antarctica!
It was an amazing day, with good sea conditions, as well. It was chilly in the fog, though— I even commented that I was colder than any day I spent in Antarctica! On offer in August, we have trips departing from five different ports which offer the seabirder a great opportunity to observe the best variety of seabirds along the central coast of California. The Tufted Puffin trip has a 100% success rate at finding puffins. On our Fort Bragg trip, last year, we found three Hawaiian Petrels! This is the single best port in North America for searching for this hoped-for rarity. Past August trips from Bodega Bay have found Great-winged and Hawaiian Petrels, and Shy Albatross. Monterey is no slouch, with a late July record of North America's first photographed Bulwer's Petrel, and August records on Short-tailed Albatross. Its always fun to see what shows up!
Our summer schedule follows:
JUL 31, Monterey Bay: Summer Seabirds & Albatrosses
AUG 2, Farallon Islands: Tufted Puffins, departing from Emeryville
AUG 7, Monterey Bay: Summer Seabirds & Albatrosses
AUG 12, Bodega Canyon & Cordell Bank
AUG 14, Fort Bragg: Offshore for Megararities
AUG 16, Fort Bragg: Offshore for Megararities
AUG 21, Monterey Bay: Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses
AUG 28, Monterey Seavalley: Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses
AUG 31, Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses departing from Santa Cruz
We thank the folks who traveled with us on May 10th. The leaders were: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Debra Shearwater. Chumming and spotting were: Oscar Johnson and Adam Searcy.
The complete species list for MAY 10, 2009 MONTEREY BAY follows:
RED-THROATED LOON-1
PACIFIC LOON- 50
COMMON LOON- 7
WESTERN GREBE- 1
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 116
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 170
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 545
BROWN PELICAN- 27
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 265 (only a handful of nests on the Coast Guard Breakwater!)
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 1
BRANT- 214
BLACK TURNSTONE- 18
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 1200
*FRANKLIN'S GULL- 1
BONAPARTE'S GULL- 47
HEERMANN'S GULL- 7
CALIFORNIA GULL- 28
HERRING GULL- 9
THAYER'S GULL- 1
WESTERN GULL- 950
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 3
WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 3
GLAUCOUS-WINGED/HERRING GULL- 1
SABINE'S GULL-1
COMMON TERN- 2
ARCTIC TERN- 3
FORSTER'S TERN- 2
CASPIAN TERN- 2
COMMON MURRE- 85
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 12
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 9
SEA OTTER- +
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- + (more than normal at this time of year)
NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1
HARBOR SEAL- +
HUMPBACK WHALE- 5
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 150
SARDINES- GALORE! Let's hear for the sardine comeback!
Sardines forever,
Debra
Debra Shearwater
Shearwater Journeys, Inc.
PO Box 190
Hollister, CA 95024
831.637.8527
**Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*
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