WINTER SEABIRDING: MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT: FEBRUARY 22, 2015

BLUE SHARK

Howdy, Seabirders,

It has been a long time since we have offered a winter pelagic trip. This February 22, 2015 Monterey Bay seabirding trip was offered by Shearwater Journeys in conjunction with the Pacific Seabird Group Annual Meeting in San Jose, California although the trip was open to anyone. It sold out quickly. We enjoyed a very warm and sunny day! Hardly seemed like winter, especially considering that many parts of the USA are experiencing an "Arctic Freeze." Highlights of the trip included: excellent views of BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS; PINK-FOOTED, SOOTY and BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS; 2 BROWN BOOBIES; PIGEON GUILLEMOT; COMMON MURRE; SCRIPPS'S MURRELET; RHINOCEROS and CASSIN'S AUKLETS; TUFTED PUFFIN. Marine mammals included: GRAY and HUMPBACK WHALES; LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN; HARBOR PORPOISE; SEA OTTER; CALIFORNIA SEA LION; HARBOR SEAL. Quite possibly, the rarest marine animal of the day was one BLUE SHARK. We seldom observe this once common shark these days. The sea surface temperature was a warm 58 F. The fish finder was showing lots of mackerel and rock fish. All images below, copyright, Mark Rauzon. Please do not use without permission. 

HEERMANN'S GULL, just outside of the harbor.

SOUTHERN SEA OTTER

 MARK RAUZON & KUNIKO OTSUKI

Kuniko, from Japan, does research with Hiroshi Hasagawa on the endangered Short-tailed Albatross. However, the Black-footed Albatrosses on this trip were the first albatrosses she has ever seen!
Mark Rauzon has been seabirding with Shearwater Journeys for decades, dating back to at least December 20, 1987 when the Pacific Seabird Group held their annual meeting in Monterey. 

To view more of Mark's images, please click, here. 

TWO BROWN BOOBIES

For more than a year now, Brown Boobies have staged a major invasion along the California coast. As many as nine have recently been reported on the Farallon Islands, some carrying nesting material.

 Gerry McChesney, manager of the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge and Kim Nelson. Abe Borker, Ph.D. candidate at UCSC, on the right. Debi Shearwater and Harry Carter in the background.

PELAGIC CORMORANT in high breeding plumage.

 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER

 GRAY WHALE

Many thanks to all of the folks, from near and far who joined our seabirding trip, including Japan, Ecuador, Sweden and England. The leaders on this trip were; Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Dave Pereksta, Gerry McChesney, Abe Borker, John Garrett, and Debi Shearwater. 

THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR SHEARWATER JOURNEYS'S MONTEREY BAY FEBRUARY 22, 2015 TRIP FOLLOWS: Note that this was a shorter trip of only 4.5 hours, all in Monterey County.

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 5

NORTHERN FULMAR- 3

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 1

SOOTY/SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 1

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 14

*BROWN BOOBY- 2, maybe 3

BROWN PELICAN- 10

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 125

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 45

SURF SCOTER- 70

BLACK TURNSTONE- 2

SURFBIRD- 2

HEERMANN'S GULL- 40

MEW GULL- 5

CALIFORNIA GULL- 20

HERRING GULL- 8

WESTERN GULL- 75

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 10

COMMON MURRE- 90

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 2

SCRIPPS'S MURRELET- 2, unusual for winter

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 3

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 30

TUFTED PUFFIN- 1

SEA OTTER- 5 

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 100

HARBOR SEAL- 6

GRAY WHALE- 9

HUMPBACK WHALE- 5

LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN- 150

HARBOR PORPOISE- 1

OCEAN SUNFISH- 1

BLUE SHARK- 1 *rarely seen in recent decades

To view a calendar of all of the Shearwater Journeys's 2015 fall seabirding trips, please click here. BTW, we are offering two trips to the Farallon Islands this season: August 8 & October 18. These trips are experiencing heavy bookings right now! Blue Shark image credit: NOAA.

SHEARWATERS FOREVER,

DEBI SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com