SALVIN'S ALBATROSS: Second Record for North America!

SALVIN'S ALABATROSS (Thalassarche salvini):

 First Record for California

Shearwater Journeys's July 26, 2014 pelagic trip from Half Moon Bay, California had many outstanding seabirds, and the SALVIN'S ALBATROSS topped the species list!

It was already a fantastic day at sea when we received a call from another birding group that they had spotted the Salvin's Albatross. We were ten miles away and motored over as quickly as possible to find this albatross sitting near a raft for BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES. Earlier in the day, we had called the other group about a LAYSAN ALBATROSS which they motored over to see. 
Additional highlights of this trip included: BULLER'S SHEARWATER (first of the season); ASHY STORM-PETREL; all three species of jaegers: POMARINE, PARASITIC, and LONG-TAILED; SABINE'S GULL; SCRIPP'S and CRAVERI'S MURRELETS. The murrelets are particularly "good finds." A single male ORCA made a brief appearance. 

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, left and SALVIN'S ALBATROSS, right.

The taxonomy surrounding the so-called, "shy albatross" group has been in flux, with some countries splitting the group (Tasmanian/Auckland, Salvin's, Chatham). Recently the AOU has made some splits with Salvin's, Chatham and Tasmanian each being full species, so I've been told. 

There is only one record of Salvin's Albatross for North America, near Kasatochi Island, western Aleutians, 4 August 2003, making this the second record for North America and first for California. More details can be found in Steve Howell's publications, below. 

Shearwater Journeys's trips found an adult Tasmanian Albatross and Chatham Albatross on pelagic trips departing from Bodega Bay, 

All images, copyright, STEVE TUCKER, leader for Shearwater Journeys. 

Please do not use without permission. 

Spaces are still available on our HALF MOON BAY trips:

AUGUST 1, 16, 17, 23

SEPTEMBER 7, 8, 15, 24

OCTOBER 5, 12

Below, is our complete species list for July 26th. I'll post a trip report on my blog soon. Many thanks to all who joined us from near and far. Our leaders on this day included: Todd McGrath, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Tucker, Abe Borker, and Debi Shearwater. I have experience with Salvin's Albatrosses not only on many pelagic trips off the coast of Chile, but also at their breeding islands: Bounty, Snares and the Forty Fours. And, I'll be heading to those islands, again, at the end of this year! Berths are still available.

JULY 26, HALF MOON BAY with SHEARWATER JOURNEYS: SAN MATEO/SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY

*SALVIN'S ALBATROSS- 1/0

LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 1/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 40/20

NORTHERN FULMAR- 1/5

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 110/150

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 0/1

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 160/30

ASHY STORM-PETREL -1/3

BROWN PELICAN- 40/0

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 90/0

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 15/0

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2/0

BLACK TURNSTONE- 20/0

SURFBIRD- 13/0

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 55/54

POMARINE JAEGER- 1/0

PARASITIC JAEGER- 1/0

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 0/3

HEERMANN'S GULL- 40/0

CALIFORNIA GULL- 30/10

WESTERN GULL- 180/10

SABINE'S GULL- 19/1

ELEGANT TERN- 35/0

COMMON MURRE- 305/14

PIGEON GULLIMOT- 9/0

SCRIPP'S MURRELET- 2/0

CRAVERI'S MURRELET- 5/0

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 6/4

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 1/1

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 70

STELLER'S SEA LION- 2

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

HUMPBACK WHALE- 4

KILLER WHALE- 1, ADULT MALE

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 40

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 12

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOPHIN- 120

HARBOR PORPOISE- 4

OCEAN SUNFISH- 60

BY-THE-WIND-SAILORS- ++

MOON JELLY- 6
EGG YOLK JELLY- 2

Want to see SALVIN'S ALBATROSS on the breeding islands? Join me on the Birding Down Under Voyage to New Zealand's sub-Antarctic islands, November 9 - 25, 2014! Berths are still available!

ALBATROSSES ALWAYS,

DEBI SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com