MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP: AUGUST 25, 2017

 EXILERATING DAY AT SEA

MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys' August 25, 2017 Monterey Bay pelagic trip. Monterey seabirds did not disappoint! The highlight was a stunning HAWAIIAN PETREL which made repeated passes in the wake of our boat. Everyone on board saw this petrel, and many obtained photographs. We headed offshore to "Tinker's spot," then north to an area where we have found storm-petrels in past years, and then home. The Hawaiian Petrel was spotted about 1:30 p.m. as we were on our return leg. Two BLUE WHALES capped off the end of the day!

A SOUTHERN SEA OTTER dining on breakfast as we depart the harbor.

PIGEON GUILLEMOTS nest under the wharf. This individual might be feeding a sculpin to its young. 

Just off Point Pinots, we encounter our first RHINOCEROS AUKLET. 

David & Tammy McQuade from Florida joined us again this year!

See their images of the Hawaiian Petrel. 

BULLER'S SHEARWATERS arrived on the front line of warm water a few days ago.

Yve Morrell ticked the Hawaiian Petrel for a Life Bird.

She is doing a North America Big Year.

COMMON TERN flying over the stern.

Jim Holmes, Jr. and Jim Holmes, Sr. have been doing trips with Shearwater Journeys since 1988.

Jim Holmes Jr. is a leader on SJ trips.

An adult male POMARINE JAEGER flying over the stern.

We had a grand slam on all three species of jaegers. 

Happy smiles by Debi Shearwater and Yve Morrell.

Jennie Miller and Sahas Bavre in the background, both ornithologists.

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS were steady in our wake. 

The MEEP call of PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER!

Surely one of the world's most beautiful gulls, SABINE'S GULL.

Buddies for Life, Clay Kempf and Rick Fournier, both leaders for Shearwater Journeys.

A CASSIN'S AUKLET flying away. 

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES were a real crowd pleaser. 

Star Seabird of the day, HAWAIIAN PETREL. 

Star Leader of the day, Alex Rinkert who spotted the Hawaiian Petrel.

 We capped off the day with two mighty BLUE WHALES, the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, bigger than any dinosaurs!

Many thanks to all of the wonderful and fun folks who joined us on the fabulous Monterey Bay pelagic trip! Birders hailed from Spain, Denmark, Canada, England, India and seven states in the USA.

The Shearwater team of leaders included: Alex Rinkert, Jim Holmes, Clay Kempf, Rick Fournier, and Debi Shearwater.

THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR SHEARWATER JOURNEYS AUGUST 25, 2017 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP FOLLOWS:

MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES:

PACIFIC LOON- 1/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 29/10

NORTHERN FULMAR- 2/2

**HAWAIIAN PETREL- 1/0

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 26/55

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 17/4

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 779/990

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 1/0

BROWN PELICAN- 47/0

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 316/0

BLACK TURNSTONE- 4/0

WILLET- 1/0

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 17/13

RED PHALAROPE- 3/1

POMARINE JAEGER- 8/3

PARASITIC JAEGER- 1/0

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 0/1

HEERMANN'S GULL- 12/0

CALIFORNIA GULL- 15/25

WESTERN GULL-205/10

SABINE'S GULL- 4/2

ELEGANT TERN- 41/0

COMMON TERN- 1/1

COMMON MURRE- 505/60

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 7/0

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 5/4

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 39/29

SEA OTTER- 4

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 120

HARBOR SEAL- 2

BLUE WHALE- 4

HUMPBACK WHALE- 13

HARBOR PORPOISE- 4

OCEAN SUNFISH- 1

SEA NETTLE- +

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO?

JOIN US ON OUR LABOR DAY WEEKEND TRIPS:

SEP 1 MONTEREY BAY

SEP 2 & 3 HALF MOON BAY

RESERVATIONS: EMAIL DEBI: debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

WE ARE COMING INTO THE PEAK OF FALL SEABIRD MIGRATION!

LIVING THE SALT LIFE & SEABIRDING FOR SCIENCE,

Debi Shearwater

Images by Beth Hamel & Debi Shearwater, copyright

HAWAIIAN PETREL IMAGES BY DAVE & TAMMY MCQUADE: AUG 25, 2017

David and Tammy McQuade from Florida, above, captured many images of the HAWAIIAN PETREL on Shearwater Journeys' August 25, 2017 Monterey Bay pelagic trip. 

All images, copyright, David McQuade and Tammy McQuade. 

Please do not use without permission. 

The above image captures the typically rolling flight of a Pterodroma petrel. 

 This Hawaiian Petrel was Dave's 700th  and Tammy's 699th Life Bird for North America. 

Typical silhouette shape for a Pterodroma petrel. 

Thank you, Dave & Tammy!

Looking forward to seeing you next season!

Living the Salt Life & SeaBirding for Science!

HAWAIIAN PETREL: MONTEREY BAY AUGUST 25, 2017

MONTEREY SEABIRDS ROCK!

Monterey seabirds dazzled birders from around the world during a spectacular Shearwater Journeys'pelagic trip on August 25, 2017. The highlight was a HAWAIIAN PETREL (Pterodroma sandwichensis) which sauntered, back and forth in our wake about 1:30 p.m.

The HAWAIIAN PETREL, or 'ua'u,' is a Federally Endangered Species which nests on Hawai'i Island within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park on lower alpine and subalpine slopes of Mauna Loa.  The largest known colony is located at Maui Island at Haleakala National Park with 450 - 650 breeding pairs. Pairs mate for life.

 'Ua'u chicks were harvested as a delicacy for Hawaiian royalty. Today, the species faces many threats including: pigs, goats, mongoose, feral cats, rats, and dogs. Young 'Ua'u become attracted to lights and "grounded" around the lights. Once grounded, they cannot fly. They also suffer collisions with buildings, antenna towers, electric and telephone lines.

Hawaiian Petrels are about 16 inches long, head to tail. Head, wings and tail are black. Back is slightly darker. Forehead and underparts are white. Feet are webbed, black at the toes and pinkish toward the heel. Calls can be heard at night. Sounds like: oo- A- oo, and makes yapping sounds like a small dog. Formerly called, Dark-rumped Petrel.

Numerous conservation efforts to save this species and other seabirds in the Hawaiian islands have been mounted by Island Conservation and the American Bird Conservancy and the Center for Biological Diversity. 

You are invited to join us on our upcoming pelagic trips! 

Who knows? You might even see a Hawaiian Petrel!

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' UPCOMING MONTEREY BAY TRIPS & LEADERS

SEP 1 with Mary Gustafson, Nick Levendosky, Clay Kempf, Debi Shearwater

SEP 7 with Alex Rinkert, Jim Holmes, Mary Gustafson, Nick Levendosky, Debi Shearwater

SEP 8 with Jim Holmes, Mary Gustafson, Brad Keitt, Debi Shearwater

SEP 9 ALBACORE OFFSHORE with Alex Rinkert, Scott & Linda Terrill, Mary Gustafson, Nick Levendosky, Todd McGrath, Debi Shearwater: SOLD OUT

SEP 10 with Mary Gustafson, Todd McGrath, Debi Shearwater

SEP 14 with Debi Shearwater

SEP 22 with Hannah Nevins, Christian Schwarz. Clay Kempf, Debi Shearwater

SEP 24 with Nick Levendosky, Jim Holmes, Debi Shearwater

SEP 30 with Alex Rinkert, Scott & Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Clay Kempf

OCT 8 with Scott & Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Alex Rinkert, Clay Kempf

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' UPCOMING HALF MOON BAY TRIPS & LEADERS

SEP 2 with Mary Gustafson, Debi Shearwater

SEP 3 with Peter Pyle, Mary Gustafson, Steve Tucker, Debi Shearwater

SEP 15 with Christian Schwarz, Dave Pereksta, Debi Shearwater

SEP 16 with Steve Hampton, Debi Shearwater

OCT 7 with Alex Rinkert, Steve Hampton, Nick Levendosky

Spaces are available on all of the above trips, except for the Albacore trip. A limited number of spaces are available on the September 7 & 8 trips. Book now!

RESERVATIONS: Email: debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

Many thanks to Alex Rinkert, ace leader with Shearwater Journeys for spotting, identifying and calling out the Hawaiian Petrel!

Many thanks to Beth Hamel for the Hawaiian Petrel images, copyrighted. Please do not use images without permission. 

To see more of Beth's images, click here. 

Living the Salt Life & SeaBirding for Science

Debi Shearwater

WHY YOU SHOULD DO A PELAGIC TRIP IN SEPTEMBER 2015 !

From Monterey Bay to Half Moon Bay to Bodega Bay — the shear numbers of seabirds and marine mammals is UNPRECEDENTED! 

Not simply the streaming SOOTY SHEARWATERS, but many other species as well. 

The diversity amongst seabirds in this area this season has been astounding. 

During the past forty years, I have seen a lot of stuff — but, never anything like this! 

And, we've only just begun.

SEPTEMBER is the single best month of the entire year to see seabirds based on my forty years of experience. Get thee on a boat, post haste!

September offers the greatest diversity of seabirds & marine mammals.

There is no better month of the entire year!

September generally has the best marine weather.

Shearwater Journeys has some 14 trips on offer during September!

Like a gigantic mixing bowl of warm water, swirling cold water currents, bubbles, and eddies are making this year very special. Seabirds seldom found along the Central California Coast, are turning up. These GUADALUPE MURRELETS, above, are one of the most prized of all murrelet species. We may not see this species in our area again for another decade!

Get out there! 

Image, courtesy and copyright, Steve Howell. 

LAYSAN ALBATROSS, above,  is not easily found — there is no reliable time of year for this species. 

However, recent trips have recorded a number of these gorgeous albatrosses, especially off Bodega Bay. 

All Laysan images, courtesy and copyright, Steve Howell. 

The year 2014 saw a huge influx of BROWN BOOBIES, such as this one on the Half Moon Bay weather buoy. Their displacement continues this season. 

STORM-PETRELS which were virtually absent last fall, have been showing up in good numbers on some trips. 

Image, courtesy and copyright, Debi Shearwater.

The image below is a mixed species flock as seen on our August 2, 2015 Half Moon Bay trip. 

BODEGA BAY has been the main stomping grounds for the vast majority of storm-petrels.

We once recorded a record breaking flock of 12,350 mixed species flock! 

True to my prediction and post, STREAMING SHEARWATERS, SCHOOLING FISH & COLD WATER, rafts of thousands of storm-petrels were found near Cordell Bank within days of that post. 

Image, courtesy and copyright, Will Brooks. 

 Within those flocks, one or two WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS were found, August 21-23, 2015!

This species has not been found in our area since the early 1980's!

There are fewer than a dozen records for the ABA area of this species!

You may recall that Point Blue banded two individual WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS at the Farallon Islands this past spring!

Sure enough — they are out there — somewhere — a needle in a haystack, but you could get lucky!

Image, courtesy and copyright, Dave Pereksta. 

Thousands SOOTY SHEARWATERS are following the cold water streams. 

Image, above, at Bodega Bay. 

Image courtesy and copyright, Steve Howell. 

HAWAIIAN PETREL, above, was seen on one Bodega Bay trip during August this season.

There are September records, and one of these rare petrel may well be spotted again. 

We have recorded HAWAIIAN PETRELS at Monterey, Half Moon, and Bodega on previous trips. 

Image, courtesy and copyright, Scott Terrill. 

In addition to the seabirds, marine mammals have been very present and exciting. 

BLUE WHALE, above, is not as abundant as the HUMPBACK WHALES this season, but they are around. 

Image, courtesy and copyright, Dave Pereksta. 

BAIRD'S BEAKED WHALE, spyhopping, above. This large and rarely seen toothed whale was spotted on our Monterey Albacore trip last year, and again, this year at Bodega Bay. 

Image, courtesy & copyright, Steve Howell.  

Somewhere, "out there," is likely a mega-rare seabird, a WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER, above, and/or a

RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD, below. 

These warm water species are very possible. 

We did find a Red-billed Tropicbird on our September 21, 2014 Half Moon Bay trip.

 Both images, courtesy and copyright, Dave Pereksta.
Tropical whales may show up, for instance, last year we saw a DWARF/PYGMY SPERM WHALE.

COOK'S PETREL, below.

Image, courtesy and copyright, Scott Terrill. 

Early fall, 2009, record numbers of COOK'S PETRELS were found on Shearwater Journeys' trips from Monterey. 

I strongly encouraged everyone to get on a trip — saying what we were seeing was unprecedented —

COOK'S PETRELS within reach of a one day pelagic from Monterey —

Many birders heeded that advise and had splendid views of Cook's Petrels.

Some birders, decided to "wait for next year."

Well, next year came and went, and the next, and the next, and the next. 

So, here we are — some six years later — and it has not happened, again. 

Birders lamented: I should have followed your advise.

Oh, well. 

MORAL OF THE STORY:

WHEN EVENTS ARE UNPRECEDENTED — GET OUT THERE!

My good friend, Todd McGrath, has a ball cap with this embroidered on the back:

NO WHINERS!

There is no excuse for not getting on a September pelagic trip! 

Next year: LA NINA is already being forecast!

Finally, the BBC & PBS were so certain that Monterey Bay would produce marine life that they filmed, live: BIG BLUE LIVE. Part 2 is tonight, and Part 3 tomorrow night. 

UPCOMING TRIPS & LEADERS:

SEP 5, SAT: MONTEREY with Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green, Clay Kempf, Mel Preston, Tim Miller, Alex Rinkert
SEP 6, SUN: HALF MOON BAY with Gerry McChesney, Jim Holmes, Will Brooks, Steve Tucker. SOLD OUT.
SEP 8, TUE: MONTEREY BAY with Rick Fournier, Christian Schwarz
SEP 9, WED: MONTEREY BAY with Tim Miller, Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz, Mel Preston
SEP 10, THU: MONTEREY BAY with Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz, Jennifer Green
SEP 11, FRI: MONTEREY BAY with Mary Gustafson, Jennifer Green, Christian Schwarz
SEP 12, SAT: MONTEREY ALBACORE with Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Mary Gustafson, Rick Fournier. SOLD OUT. Wait list, email Debi.
SEP 13, SUN: MONTEREY BAY with Mary Gustafson, Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Clay Kempf. Debi's Birthday Trip!
SEP 15, TUE: HALF MOON BAY with Mary Gustafson, Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Tim Miller, Marisa Ortega-Welch SOLD OUT
SEP 16, WED: MONTEREY BAY with Tim Miller, Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Annie Schmidt
SEP 18, FRI: BODEGA BAY with Nick Levendosky, Peter Pyle, Abe Borker, Steve Tucker, Steve Howell. SOLD OUT. Wait list, email Debi.
SEP 20, SUN: HALF MOON BAY with Gerry McChesney, Nick Levendosky, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Hampton
SEP 25, FRI: MONTEREY BAY with Rick Fournier, TBA.
SEP 26, SAT: MONTEREY BAY with Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, TBA.
SEP 27, SUN: MONTEREY BAY with Nick Levendosky, Alex Rinkert.
OCT 3, SAT: MONTEREY BAY with Tim Miller, Dena Spatz, Jennifer Green
OCT 4, SUN: HALF MOON BAY with Steve Hampton, Will Brooks, Annie Schmidt, Christian Schwarz
OCT 10, SAT: MONTEREY BAY with Todd McGrath, David Vander Pluym, Lauren Harter, Jennifer Green
OCT 11, SUN: HALF MOON BAY with Todd McGrath, Jim Holmes, Tim Miller, Will Brooks, David Vander Pluym, Lauren Harter, Marissa Ortega-Welch
OCT 18, SUN: FARALLON ISLANDS GREAT WHITE SHARK & SEABIRDS with Peter Pyle, Gerry McChesney, Jim Holmes, Steve Tucker

Do whatever you can to get on a boat trip this month — call in sick, take a personal holiday — but, get out there! And, October — well, the Southern Hemisphere seabirds have departed for the next breeding season. That thins the shearwaters out quite a bit, making is so much easier to spot mega-rarities. October mega-rare seabirds are one story for the book — but, that's another blog post!

LIVING THE SALT LIFE,

DEBI SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com