THE GREAT SOUTHERLY PUSH: MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

AUGUST 26, 2016

Shearwater Journeys' August 26, 2016 pelagic trip departing from Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, California documented the first of the season push of marine life from the southerly regions. Sometime in between late July and late August, we seem to get a warm water stream from southern California. We had ample evidence of this today. PELAGIC RED CRABS in the harbor at the start of the day and BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS at the end of the day were telltale signs of life from the southern regions moving into Monterey Bay.

Monterey's seabirds did not disappoint! Highlights included: awesome views of over 100 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS; NORTHERN/PACIFIC FULMAR hanging around the vessel; PINK-FOOTED, SOOTY, and the first BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS of the season; RED PHALAROPES and thousands of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES; POMARINE, PARASITIC, and some stunning LONG-TAILED JAEGERS right over our heads; almost 100 SABINE'S GULLS; good views of CASSIN'S and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS; a get-away MURRELET and more. Marine mammals included: HUMPBACK and BLUE WHALES; RISSO'S DOLPHINS and DALL'S PORPOISE. 

PELAGIC RED CRABS, Pleuroncodes planipes, were visible right in the harbor before we even untied at the dock! These crabs, also known as "tuna crabs" usually reside off Baja California. 

Off Wharf No. 2, we saw HY PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and a number of SEA OTTERS resting or having breakfast. The Coast Guard Pier hosted loads of BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, a few BLACK TURNSTONES, and one SURFBIRD. Along Cannery Row, an early PEREGRINE FALCON was enjoying breakfast on the radio tower. ELEGANT TERNS hovered over our vessel along Cannery Row. 

A father COMMON MURRE with a PELAGIC RED CRAB in its beak!

Only 4 miles off Point Pinos we encountered our first BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES at nine a.m. We pretty much had albatrosses in view the entire day after that. Father/hatchling COMMON MURRES were around, vocalizing back and forth to each other. HUMPBACK WHALES seemed to be all around us as we reached the edge of the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Someone spotted a BLUE WHALE — and, a few CASSIN'S AUKLETS were up next. This was no surprise since both species are krill feeders. Thousands of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and tens of RED PHALAROPES were flying about in large flocks, sometimes high in the sky. Sometimes, they were pursued by PARASITIC or LONG-TAILED JAEGERS. PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS were decidedly the common offshore shearwater. 

At the end of the day, we were treated to the first of the season, BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS just off Cypress Point. They had just arrived at Monterey Bay during the last hour of our trip! Perfect timing! This inshore species of shearwater breeds to the south of area, on six islands off the west coast of Mexico. 

A group of RISSO'S DOLPHINS were just off the Monterey Bay Aquarium, almost certainly feeding on the abundant squid that has been present for this fall. 

Many thanks to all of the folks who traveled from near and far to join Shearwater Journeys on this exciting day at sea. The Monterey Bay is truly a world class seabirding and marine mammal destination. Today very much proved that!

The leaders were: SCOTT TERRILL, ALEX RINKERT, NICK LEVENDOSKY and DEBI SHEARWATER. Special thanks to my very long time friend, JERI LANGHAM.

THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' AUGUST 26, 2016 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP FOLLOWS. Note that estimated numbers are below, but precise numbers are contained in eBIRD CHECKLISTS. 

MONTEREY/SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES:

COMMON LOON- 1/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 95/60

NORTHERN/PACIFIC FULMAR- 2/0

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 25/70

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 325/65

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 13/0

BROWN PELICAN- 45/0

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 140/0

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 1/0

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 12/0

BLACK TURNSTONE- 5/0

SURFBIRD- 1/0

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 500/2000

RED PHALAROPE- 25/50

POMARINE JAEGER- 2/4

PARASITIC JAEGER- 4/3

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 0/5

JAEGER SP.- 2/2

HERRMANN'S GULL- 30/0

CALIFORNIA GULL- 75/30

WESTERN GULL- 50/25 

SABINE'S GULL- 2/95

ELEGANT TERN- 50/1

COMMON TERN- 2/6

ARCTIC TERN- 0/1

COMMON MURRE- 200/100

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 20/0

SCRIPPS'S/CRAVERI'S MURRELET- 0/1

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 10/45

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 10/30

PEREGRINE FALCON- 1/0, on the radio tower, Cannery Row

SEA OTTER- 6

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 100

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

BLUE WHALE- 3

HUMPBACK WHALE- 50

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 60

DALL'S PORPOISE- 12

OCEAN SUNFISH- 2

PELAGIC RED CRABS- ++ in the harbor and off Point Pinos

To view more of Beth Hamel's lovely images from this day, click here. 

UPCOMING TRIPS DEPARTING FROM MONTEREY

SEPTEMBER 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 23, 24, 25

OCTOBER 1, 8, 16

GET IN ON THE FALL SEASON OF SEABIRDS

LIVING THE SALT LIFE,

Debi Shearwater

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

Images by Beth Hamel, copyright

DADS TAKE THEIR CHICKS TO SEA: JULY 20 HALF MOON BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys's July 20, 2014 pelagic trip departing from Half Moon Bay. Highlights and surprises included: BLACK-VENTED and FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS; LEACH'S STORM-PETREL; SABINE'S GULL and CRAVERI'S MURRELETS. Offshore conditions were excellent with flat-calm seas for nearly the entire 11+ hour ocean trip where we headed at least 22 miles offshore. Our trip was rounded out with some of the more expected early fall seabirds, and of course, HUMPBACK WHALES. We encountered a lot of OCEAN SUNFISH, and for the first time in almost a decade, we saw many of the delightful BY-THE-WIND-SAILORS. We covered both San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. 

COMMON MURRE: DAD & CHICK, below. 

Image by Beth Hamel, copyright. 

 

This is the time of year when we see many pairs of "Dads & Chicks" — the father COMMON MURRE takes the newly fledged chick out to sea and cares for it for about 10 weeks. They stay together, the chick making a whistling call to the day who returns a guttural call back. 

Funny thing— I realized that we had some "Dads & Chick Birder Pairs" on board!

One of four pairs of "Dads & Chicks" enjoying marine life on Shearwater Journeys's trip. 

This young man ticked off 14 Life Birds! 

Birding begins right in the harbor! We could easily spend hours here! 

WESTERN GULL chicks, above.

Image by Jim Holmes, copyright. 

Just outside of the harbor, we search for the Federally Endangered MARBLED MURRELET, above and below. Images by Beth Hamel, copyright.

At this time of year, they are still in their cryptic alternate, or breeding plumage. 

This tiny alcid, the size of one's hand, breeds deep in the redwood forests. 

 

Turning offshore, I was surprised and thrilled to encounter the beautiful BY-THE-WIND-SAILOR, below. We have not found this delightful little hydrozoan for nearly a decade. 

Image, below, copyright, Beth Hamel. 

BY-THE-WIND-SAILORS are small relatives of the Portuguese Man-of-War. They can carpet the sea at times, almost seeming as if it were possible to "walk on water" on top of them. 

It wasn't long before we encountered the first os seven pairs of CRAVERI'S MURRELETS, below. 

This fly-away view is more typical. However, we can see their very dark backs. These southern breeders have not been reliably reported in central California for many years, possibly a decade. 

Image, copyright, Beth Hamel. 

Usually, we encounter the first BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS once we get over the Continental Shelf. However, the first of 235 albatrosses appeared in only 30-50 fathoms on this day. 

 We headed to a fishing vessel that was pulling its' net, below. 

We counted more than 100 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES sitting on the water around this vessel. Look behind the vessel in this image, and you'll see two of these albatrosses. Raft of Black-footed Albatrosses above, copyright, Beth Hamel. 

A BLAKC-FOOTED ALBATROSS feeding on a Rosy Rockfish. 

Image, copyright, Beth Hamel. 

One of two presumed FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, below, image copyright, Beth Hamel.

Dark morph Pink-footed Shearwaters exist and can easily be confused with Flesh-footed Shearwaters. 

Although Flesh-footed Shearwaters are more often seen from late September through October, they have been recorded every month of the year. 

 LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, below, image copyright Beth Hamel, was a real surprise. 

LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS are abundant far offshore (50-100 miles), but not nearshore (within 25 miles), which is where most one day pelagic trips go. This species is one of the most difficult to find storm-petrels on the West Coast on one day trips. 

Another one of the "Dad & Chick" pairs on this trip, this time with a "Mom," too!

The above family had studied well for this species!

Our Captain gunned the boat, chasing the Leach's Storm-Petrel so that everyone on board had great views, whether at the bow or stern of the vessel. This image by Jim Holmes was shot from the stern of the boat. 

Owing to our southerly route, we did not pass the weather buoy until we were on our way home.

Two CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS are seeking to win the "Darwin Award," having entrapped themselves inside of the buoy bars, seemingly with no way out! We'll check on them on our next trip, July 26!

 

We encountered loads of OCEAN SUNFISH in all sizes from the dinner plate size to large 4-5 footers. 

Many of the sunfish were "breaching," popping out of the water. However, we did see one albacore jump, too!

Image, below copyright Beth Hamel.

This "Dad & Chick," below, hailed form England. 

 

Back in the day — 1976 when I first began pelagic trips, leaders often identified this pair, below, as a "Common Murre and a Murrelet"! In those days, we didn't know that it was the father who took the baby murre out to sea! The chicks are noticeably smaller with smaller bills. We've learned a lot since those first years of pelagic birding, but we're still learning today. This is truly, one of the "last frontiers" of birding!

Image below, copyright Beth Hamel. 

Another "Dad with his chick" below.  Teddy made his first pelagic trip with us three years ago when he was only six years old!

 We saw a few RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, including this adult, below. 

Image copyright, Beth Hamel. 

 SANDY KOMITO & DEBI SHEARWATER, best of buds, below!

SANDY KOMITO of The Big Year fame, did his first West Coast pelagic trips with Shearwater Journeys in 1985! Talk about repeat clients — many return year after year with us! Sandy rarely ticks a pelagic Life Bird, or any new bird for North America. However, he did see a Lifer Hawaiian Petrel which Debi spotted on the August 2, 2013 Monterey Bay pelagic trip!

Drawing on many sources, I made a Plan A for the day's route the night prior. One of the many resources that I use is TERRAFIN's SST (Sea Surface Temperature) charts. In the chart above, the purple route represents, roughly, where we went on this day. We traveled further south than we usually do. Calm seas made that possible. The areas of white on the chart were areas that were covered with fog, preventing a satellite temperature reading. Terrafin is available to anyone, for a subscriber fee. Charts used with express permission from Terrafin.

For most of the day, the SST was between 59.8-61F. We went southwest to about 18 miles off Pescadero, and then up to the Pioneer Canyon, and home. 

BETH HAMEL, photographer, above. 

Our day was completed with views of HUMPBACK WHALES.

Images above and below, copyright Jim Holmes. 

So ended a FABULOUS FIRST TRIP OF THE SEASON!

Our next trips departing from HALF MOON BAY with spaces available are:

JULY 26; AUGUST 2, 16, 17, 23; SEPTEMBER 7, 8, 15, 21, 24; OCTOBER 5, 12.

We thank all the folks who came from near and far to join our trip on this day.

The leaders on this trip were: PETER PYLE, JIM HOLMES, AL DE MARTINI & DEBI SHEARWATER.

THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR 20 JULY SHEARWATER JOURNEYS, HALF MOON BAY FOLLOWS: 

SAN MATEO/SAN FRANCISCO COUNTIES/HARBOR:

RED-THROATED LOON- 15/1/0

WESTERN GREBE- 20/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 195/40

NORTHERN FULMAR- 2/0

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 495/110

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 2/0

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 1380/20

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 3/0

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL- 0/1

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 2/2

BROWN PELICAN- 175/0/600

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 10/0/6

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 1/0/75

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 4/0

SURF SCOTER- 1 in the harbor

BLACK OYSTERCATCHER- 4, in the harbor

BLACK TURNSTONE- 4, in the harbor

SURFBIRD- 8, in the harbor

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 390/60

POMARINE JAEGER- 1/0

JAEGER SP.- 5/0

HEERMANN'S GULL- 100/0/25

CALIFORNIA GULL- 120/5

WESTERN GULL- 430/20/145

SABINE'S GULL- 3/0

ELEGANT TERN- 8/0/1200 

CASPIAN TERN- 1, in the harbor

COMMON MURRE- 500/1/2

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 4/0/20

MARBLED MURRELET- 5/2

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 8/0

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 11/1

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 25

STELLER'S SEA LION- 1

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

HARBOR SEAL- 1

HUMPBACK WHALE- 10

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN- 6, just outside of the harbor

HARBOR PORPOISE- 8, just outside of the harbor

DALL'S PORPOISE- 5

OCEAN SUNFISH- 38

ALBACORE (tuna) -1, jumping

BY-THE-WIND-SAILORS- +++

MOON JELLIES- 12

LION'S MANE JELLY- 2

HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE!

SHEARWATERS FOREVER,

DEBI SHEARWATER

Images of the Day by Sophie Webb: October 28, 2012

Hello, Birders,

Here's hoping  you will enjoy Sophie Webb's images from the October 28, 2012 Half Moon Bay  Shearwater Journeys's pelagic trip. All images, copyright, artist, award winning writer of children's books and naturalist, Sophie Webb. Please do not use without permission. 

 MARBLED MURRELET, in the early morning fog, above.

 The fog quickly lifted, revealing PINK-FOOTED above, and BULLER'S SHEARWATER, below.

 More soaring PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, below.

 Very confiding BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, sitting on the water, below. 

 A SOUTH POLAR SKUA, below, sitting amongst the shearwaters.

 The BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER show was pretty awesome. 

 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER, below.

 Adult BROWN PELICAN. Many young pelicans starved to death this fall. 

 HEERMANN'S GULL, below.

 Part of the large flock of BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS, below. Shoreline in the background.

 Great photographic opportunity of a seabird not often found in Northern California. 

 It was hard to not be entranced with the BLACK-VENTS, above and below. 

 Adult BROWN PELICAN, below.

 Surprisingly, not very many COMMON MURRES were observed.

 ELEGANT TERNS on the jetty in the harbor.

Hope to see you on our last fall trip, NOVEMBER 20th from HALF MOON BAY!

Debi Shearwater

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

IMAGES OF THE DAY by Abe Borker: October 6, 2012

Hello, Birders, 

We hope you will enjoy Abe Borker's images from the October 6, 2012 Monterey Bay Shearwater Journeys's pelagic trip. All images copyright, Abe Borker. Please do not use without permission.

 One of many Great Egrets, fishing from the kelp beds along Cannery Row.

 Cannery Row,  Monterey, above.

 Common Murre, above.

 Heermann's Gull, above.

 Flocks of Black-vented Shearwaters arrived from Southern California and Baja.

 Black-vented Shearwaters are nearshore birds, found along the Continental Shelf.

 Black-vented Shearwater, above and Pink-footed Shearwater, below.

 Buller's Shearwater, below.

 Two of three Killer Whales, below. 

 Killer Whales, below. The group comprised a female, calf, and possibly a "sprouter," the term for a young male. 

 Killer whale dragging the body of a marine mammal that they killed, possibly a Dall's Porpoise.

 Many birds came into feed on the bits and pieces of the carcass.

 A Sooty Shearwater and one of the Killer Whales with the carcass, above.

Two Killer Whales, showing eyepatches. 

Life and Death at Sea,

Debi Shearwater