TRIP REPORT: SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 BODEGA BAY SPECTACULAR STORM-PETREL SAFARI

Howdy, Birders,

This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys' September 20, 2013 pelagic trip departing from Bodega Bay. This was a pelagic trip for the record books! We found a SPECTACULAR STORM-PETREL BONANZA consisting of: 10,500+ ASHY STORM-PETRELS, 6,500+ FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS, 300 BLACK STORM-PETRELS and 25 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, for a GRAND TOTAL of 17,325+ STORM-PETRELS. This almost certainly represents a record count for storm-petrels anywhere in North America, by sea or air. In addition to the beautiful sea conditions and lovely weather, our day was highlighted by a GRAND SLAM of the JAEGER: POMARINE, PARASITIC and LONG-TAILED, as well as SOUTH POLAR SKUAS. Most of the usual fall seabirds were encountered. Marine mammals included: 15-17 BLUE WHALES, 12 HUMPBACK WHALES, 50 NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS, 350 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS and 8 DALL'S PORPOISES. Pinnipeds included: CALIFORNIA SEA LION, STELLER'S SEA LION, NORTHERN FUR SEAL, NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL and HARBOR SEAL. 

IT WAS A DAY FOR THE SEABIRD HISTORY BOOK.

All images, below, copyright, Steve N.G. Howell who co-lead this trip. Please do not use without permission. Steve N.G. Howell is the author of the recently published guide: PETRELS, ALBATROSSES & STORM-PETRELS of NORTH AMERICA: A PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE.

A very small portion of one of the rafts of storm-petrels, above, which shows how this looks from a distance.

Storm-petrel rafts (a flock of storm-petrels resting on the water) are typically very skittish in our area, rarely allowing close approach with a vessel. Most sources state that these storm-petrels are nocturnal feeders and rest on the ocean during the day. 

LONG-TAILED JAEGER, above.

POMARINE JAEGER, above.

SOUTH POLAR SKUA, above, putting on a show.

 

One of the many BLUE WHALES, above. Its coloration makes it blend in well. 

STELLER'S SEA LION, above, rarely seen in our area. 

HUMPBACK WHALE tail flukes above.

An interesting HEERMANN'S GULL, above, as we approached the harbor. I'm betting that this image will appear in Steve N.G. Howell's forthcoming book about terns and jaegers, as the white wing patches clearly imitate a jaeger.

Many thanks to the birders who traveled from near and far to join our offshore trip. The leaders on this day were: Steve N.G. Howell, Peter Pyle, Lisa Hug, Adam Searcy, Steve Tucker and Debi Shearwater. 

The complete species list follows. Except for the harbor and a few miles, we were in MARIN COUNTY for nearly the entire day. 

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 TRIP TO CORDELL BANK

RED-THROATED LOON- 1

COMMON LOON- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 43

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 383

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 10

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 79

*WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 25

**FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 6500+

**ASHY STORM-PETREL- 10500+

**BLACK STORM-PETREL- 300

BROWN PELICAN- +

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- +

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- +

PELAGIC CORMORANT- +

MARBLED GODWIT- +, harbor

BLACK TURNSTONE- + , harbor

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 170

RED PHALAROPE- 60

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 3

POMARINE JAEGER- 10

PARASITIC JAEGER- 2

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 12

JAEGER SP.- 3

HEERMANN'S GULL- 10, offshore

CALIFORNIA GULL- 250

WESTERN GULL- 150

SABINE'S GULL- 10

ELEGANT TERN- + jetty

COMMON MURRE- 450

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 23

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 11

PINTAIL- 23, offshore 

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- +

STELLER'S SEA LION- 4

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 4

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL- 1

HARBOR SEAL- +

BLUE WHALE- 15-18

HUMPBACK WHALE- 12

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 50

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 350

DALL'S PORPOISE- 8

BROWN JELLIES

We can take you out there!

Our next trip departing for the Cordell Bank from Bodega Bay is OCTOBER 18th.

We also have trips departing from Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, easily accessible from all regions of the Bay Area:

SEPTEMBER 28 & 29; OCTOBER 6 & 27; NOVEMBER 16

Don't forget our GREAT WHITE SHARK SEARCH trip on OCTOBER 20th to the Farallon Islands. 

See you out there!

Shearwaters Forever,

Debi Shearwater