Howdy, Seabirders,
This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip departing from Half Moon Bay, August 16, 2015, offshore to the Continental Shelf and Pioneer Canyon. Highlights included: TEN SPECIES OF TUBENOSES: BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS; NORTHERN FULMAR; SOOTY, PINK-FOOTED, FLESH-FOOTED (first of the season), and BULLER'S SHEARWATERS; WILSON'S, FORK-TAILED, ASHY, and BLACK STORM-PETRELS; first of the season LONG-TAILED JAEGER; and TUFTED PUFFIN. It was a very seabird-filled day, from start to finish, with only one lull in the 11 hours we were at sea. A good selection of marine mammals included: HUMPBACK WHALE, RISSO'S and PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, HARBOR PORPOISE, CALIFORNIA and STELLER'S SEA LIONS and HARBOR SEAL. Fish included one, now rarely seen, BLUE SHARK, loads of OCEAN SUNFISH and several LIZARDFISH. Gigantic shoals of ANCHOVIES.
Although there is a lot of warm water out there, we still had plenty of cold water nearshore. As we departed the harbor area, thousands and thousands — some 90,000 by our count — of SOOTY SHEARWATERS were flying as a long train. Along with four very close-to-shore HUMPBACK WHALES, they were feeding on ANCHOVIES. Terrafin chart, above, used with permission. Do not reproduce.
From the dock, we wend our way along several jetties in the harbor overflowing with birds.
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, above, nest in the harbor, along with PIGEON GUILLEMOTS.
Image, copyright, Linda Terrill.
There are some who are calling this the biggest ANCHOVY year of all time. Great to see so many schooling fish as the central California population crashed in 2008. Great comeback!
Image, copyright, Tim Zoliniak
CALIFORNIA LIZARDFISH are still around, and we caught a few of these warm water fish.
Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
A flock of PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS (left) had one FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER (right) amongst them in San Mateo County. Later, we found another Flesh-footed Shearwater for San Francisco County.
Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
Before we even reached the edge of the Continental Shelf, we encountered the first of a handful of ASHY STORM-PETRELS. Soon, other storm-petrels joined the fray.
Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
BLACK STORM-PETREL, above, made some very close passes in our wake.
Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL, above, and FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL also showed well. Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
ASHY STORM-PETREL and NORTHERN/PACIFIC FULMAR, above.
Image, copyright, Will Brooks.
Many thanks to all of the birders who joined us! I thank the parents who brought their young birders, and one "birthday girl" who celebrated her birthday in this special way! This young lady did her first pelagic trip 25 years ago. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNIFER TERRILL!
The leaders on this trip were: Todd McGrath, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Tucker, Will Brooks, Al De Martini, and Debi Shearwater.
THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' AUGUST 16, 2015 TRIP FOLLOWS and is listed by counties; SAN MATEO/SAN FRANCISCO/TOTAL
WESTERN GREBE- 3/0/3
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 16/60/75
NORTHERN FULMAR- 18/10/28
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 125/600/725
*FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1/1/2
BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 4/1/5
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 99,415/32/99,560
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 3/11/14
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 1/3/4
ASHY STORM-PETREL-8/9/17
BLACK STORM-PETREL-1/8/9
BROWN PELICAN- 401/0/401
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 33/1/34
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 65/0/65
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 9/0/9
SURF SCOTER- 15/0/15
WESTERN SANDPIPER- 23/0/23
SANDERLING- 20/0/20
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER- 2/0/2
WANDERING TATTLER- 1/0/1
BLACK TURNSTONE- 13/1/14
SURFBIRD- 2/0/2
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER- 1/0/1
SPOTTED SANDPIPER- 1/0/1
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 54/6/60
RED PHALAROPE- 4/0/4
POMARINE JAEGER- 3/0/3
LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1/0/1
HEERMANN'S GULL- 740/0/740
CALIFORNIA GULL- 6/2/8
WESTERN GULL- 140/35/175
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 1/0/1
ELEGANT TERN- 1280/0/1280
CASPIAN TERN- 5/0/5
COMMON MURRE- 175/34/209
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 27/0/27
CASSIN'S AUKLET- 7/4/11
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 11/4/15
TUFTED PUFFIN- 0/1/1
GREAT BLUE HERON- 2/0/2
BELTED KINGFISHER- 2/0/2
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 550
STELLER'S SEA LION- 7
HARBOR SEAL- 8
RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 6
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 20
HARBOR PORPOISE- 9
OCEAN SUNFISH-35
BLUE SHARK- 1
CALIFORNIA LIZARDFISH- 3, caught
ANCHOVY- verylarge schools
Various jellies, especially along breaks
Returning to the harbor, we pass alongside another buoy that offers a nice study of both
CALIFORNIA and STELLER'S SEA LIONS.
Image, copyright, Linda Terrill.
UPCOMING TRIPS FROM HALF MOON BAY:
SEPTEMBER 6 (4 spaces available-email Debi)
SEPTEMBER 15 (2 spaces available-email Debi)
SEPTEMBER 20
OCTOBER 4
OCTOBER 11
Hope to see you out there!
Living the Salt Life,
Debi Shearwater
debi@shearwaterjourneys.com
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