BEAT THE HEAT: SAVOR A SALTY BREEZE!

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER flying up the wake of the vessel.

Howdy, Birders,

Take a break from the sweltering heat and chill out on a pelagic trip! Shearwater Journeys’ first pelagic trips are coming up very soon. We could not be more excited to get out there with you! Over 65,000 birders and marine enthusiasts have participated on thousands of Shearwater Journeys’ trips over the past 40 years. 

Below, please find out full program including our stellar line up of leaders. All of our trips have spaces available.

FARALLON ISLANDS: 

AUGUST 7: Gerry McChesney, Mary Gustafson, John Garrett, Debi Shearwater

AUGUST 14: Gerry McChesney, Will Brooks, John Garrett, Debi Shearwater

Departs from Sausalito at 7:30 am on the beautiful catamaran, Outer Limits. Sail under the Golden Gate Bridge! 100% success rate on finding Tufted Puffins, the target bird for the day. Last year, we also saw the Northern Gannet, Brown and Blue-footed Boobies!

HALF MOON BAY TRIPS:

AUGUST 6: Peter Pyle, Mary Gustafson, Will Brooks, Steve Hampton, Debi Shearwater

AUGUST 13: Peter Pyle, Steve Tucker, Jim Holmes, Debi Shearwater

AUGUST 19: Nick Levendosky, Steve Tucker, Christian Schwarz, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 4: Mary Gustafson, Steve Hampton, Russ Bradley, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 16: Steve Tucker, Jim Holmes, Steve Hampton, Abe Borker, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 18: Jim Holmes, Alex Rinkert, Steve Hampton, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Debi Shearwater

OCTOBER 2: Steve Tucker, Jim Holmes, Steve Hampton, Debi Shearwater

OCTOBER 9: Tim Miller, Nick Levendosky Abe Borker, Tim Miller, Steve Hampton, Debi Shearwater

MONTEREY BAY TRIPS:

JULY 29: Nick Levendosky, Will Brooks, Christian Schwarz, Alex Rinkert, Debi Shearwater

AUGUST 26: Nick Levendosky, Alex Rinkert, Scott Terrill, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 3: Nick Levendosky, Mary Gustafson, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 7: Mary Gustafson, Christian Schwarz, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 8: Scott Terrill, Christian Schwarz, Mary Gustafson, Debi Shearwater (limited spaces available)

SEPTEMBER 9: Mary Gustafson, Debi Shearwater ** This trip spends time in Santa Cruz County.

SEPTEMBER 10: ALBACORE GROUNDS: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Mary Gustafson, Nick Levendosky, Alex Rinkert, Debi Shearwater (4 spaces available)

SEPTEMBER 11: Mary Gustafson, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 14, Rob Fowler, Debi Shearwater (newly added trip)

SEPTEMBER 15: Nick Levendosky, Jim Holmes, Debi Shearwater (limited spaces available)

SEPTEMBER 23: Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 24: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Abe Borker, Dena Spatz, Alex Rinkert, Tim Miller, Debi Shearwater

SEPTEMBER 25: Abe Borker, Nick Levendosky, Tim Miller, Debi Shearwater

OCTOBER 1: Jim Holmes, Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz, Alex Rinkert, Debi Shearwater

OCTOBER 2: Alex Rinkert, Tim Miller, Christian Schwarz, Debi Shearwater

OCTOBER 16: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Alex Rinkert, Debi Shearwater

Monterey trips meet at 7 am at Chris’ Fishing on Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey and return about 3 pm. The Albacore trip meets at 5:15 am and returns at 5:30 pm at Chris’ Fishing on Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey. Half Moon Bay trips meet at 7 am at H dock, Johnson Pier at Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, El Granada and return between 4-6 pm. 

Note that additional leaders may be added to trips. Leaders may change without notice. All leaders are volunteers who absolutely love leading trips— that’s one reason why we have so many leaders on board. We will be tracking county lines and following eBird pelagic protocol for checklists. 

The latest sea surface temperatures are showing lots of cold and very cold water— and, we know what that means— food!! La Nina conditions are favored to develop as early as August - October. 

We’ve been out there in the wild blue through four decades of El Nino’s and La Nina’s— every single year has been different. Let’s see what is in store for this fall season! 

Advance reservations are highly recommended. Contact: debi@shearwaterjourneys.com. 

Living the Salt Life,

Debi Shearwater

HUMPBACK WHALE TAIL-SLPPING off Moss Landing, Monterey Bay.

Images, copyright, Beth Hamel. Please ask for permission to use.

DEBRA SHEARWATER

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.blogspot.com

LIVING THE SALT LIFE!

2015: FIRST FIVE PELAGIC TRIPS

Shearwater Journeys has completed its first five seabirding trips of the 2015 season with departures from Monterey, Half Moon Bay and Sausalito to the Farallon Islands.
Hang on — the best is yet to come! We still have on offer another 22 trips, with September being the peak of the fall pelagic season!
Below, I present a brief summary of the trips to date. In all, we recorded some 48 species of birds; 5 species of pinnipeds; sea otter; 9 species of cetaceans and various fish and invertebrates.

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS is common on summer trips, almost never missed.

 JIM & WILL BROOKS continuing the Dads Take Their Chicks to Sea Tradition!
Will joined the Shearwater Journeys' pelagic leader team when he was 16 years old.

A surprising number of NORTHERN/PACIFIC FULMARS were found whenever we birded in the cold water pockets, right off Point Pinos and off Carmel Bay, Monterey. 

SST CHARTS

Sea Surface Temperature charts by Terrafin, show water temperatures which aid us in deciding where to go. The feeding frenzies are closely associated with the cold (blue) areas on these charts. 

Used with permission from Terrafin. Please do not reproduce. 

SOOTY SHEARWATER feeding frenzy right off Seventeen Mile Drive, along with fifty HUMPBACK WHALES!

If you think you need to go far offshore to see wildlife in Monterey Bay — think, again!

These whales and shearwaters were feeding on huge schools of anchovies.

Some folks believe this might be an all-time high year for anchovies. 

Schooling fish are extremely important for marine life.

Our local anchovy stocks crashed in 2008. 

SABINE'S GULLS were found on all trips to date.

A HY TUFTED PUFFIN, rarely seen at sea, (my first-ever) was on a Half Moon Bay trip. 

BLUE WHALES were spotted off Carmel Canyon, Monterey Bay on August 7. 

The largest animal, ever, on Earth, this season might be slim on Blue Whales because there is not a lot of krill around — their preferred food item.

FOUR SPECIES OF STORM-PETRELS: FORK-TAILED, ASHY, BLACK, and WILSON'S put on an amazing show on our August 2 Half Moon Bay pelagic trip. 

We set the all-time high count for WILSON'S STORM-PETREL for the State of California: 106!

Forty years ago, when I first started offering pelagic trips, Wilson's Storm-Petrel was a "write up" bird for the California Rare Birds Records Committee. 

Our count of FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL was 750 on August 2.

There is no reliable place nor time in the State of California for seeing this species.

However, late July through August at Half Moon Bay can be quite good; through September at Bodega Canyon, as well. 

BLACK STORM-PETREL at Half Moon Bay. 

We may yet find some Least Storm-Petrels, a southern California species that sometimes makes it to northern Californian waters during warm water incursions.

This SY SCRIPPS'S MURRELET was a great find by the captain of our boat, Dennis Baxter, Half Moon Bay on August 2. It was incapable of flying, and possibly of diving, in heavy molt.

SY's are rarely seen at sea.

Both SHORT-BEAKED and LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHINS, warm water species, have been seen on most of our trips, along with a good selection of other small cetaceans.  

Another Father/Son pair: BRUCE & BEN DILABIO from Ontario, Canada joined our August 8 trip.

 Both RED (upper right corner) and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were found.
This group was in a little bubble of cold water off Carmel Canyon.

MOLA MOLA! OCEAN SUNFISH!
In 2014, we saw an unprecedented number of Mola Mola's.
Still plenty of these unusual and delightful fish around.

Just about the strangest combination of seabirds one could imagine:
NORTHERN GANNET & TUFTED PUFFIN
at Sugerloaf, Farallon Islands!
This is the only known gannet in the Pacific Ocean!

LIFE BIRD! 

Well, LIFE SEABIRD!

Some folks saw as many as TWENTY LIFE BIRDS! 

This young fellow was one them.

Folks who made more than one trip thanked me profusely for recommending that they do two trips!

SPECIES OBSERVED ON OUR FIRST FIVE TRIPS:

RED-THROATED LOON
PACIFIC LOON
COMMON LOON
WESTERN GREBE
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS
NORTHERN/PACIFIC  FULMAR
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER
BULLERS SHEARWATER
SOOTY SHEARWATER
**WILSON'S STORM-PETREL
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL
ASHY STORM-PETREL
BLACK STORM-PETREL
**BROWN BOOBY
**BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
**NORTHERN GANNET
BROWN PELICAN
BRANDT'S CORMORANT
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
PELAGIC CORMORANT
SURF SCOTER
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER
WANDERING TATTLER
WHIMBREL
BLACK TURNSTONE
RUDDY TURNSTONE
SURFBIRD
WILLET
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE
RED PHALAROPE
SOUTH POLAR SKUA
POMARINE JAEGER
PARASITIC JAEGER
HEERMANN'S GULL
CALIFORNIA GULL
WESTERN GULL
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
SABINE'S GULL
ELEGANT TERN
CASPIAN TERN
COMMON TERN
ARCTIC TERN
COMMON MURRE
PIGEON GUILLEMOT
SCRIPPS'S MURRELET
CASSIN'S AUKLET
RHINOCEROS AUKLET
TUFTED PUFFIN

SEA OTTER
CALIFORNIA SEA LION
STELLER'S SEA LION
NORTHERN FUR SEAL
NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL
HARBOR SEAL

BLUE WHALE
HUMPBACK WHALE
SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN
LONG-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN
RISSO'S DOLPHIN
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN
HARBOR PORPOISE
DALL'S PORPOISE

OCEAN SUNFISH
LIZARDFISH
YELLOWTAIL TUNA
BLUE SHARK
THRESHER SHARK
ANCHOVY 
FLAT-BELLIED ROCKFISH

MOON JELLY
EGG YOLK JELLY
TETHYS VAGINA (SOLITARY SALP)
PTEROPODS

LEADERS for the first five trips: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Peter Pyle, Gerry McChesney, Steve Howell, Steve Tucker, Steve Hampton, Brian Sullivan, Jennifer Green, Dave Pavlik, Nick Levendosky, Will Brooks, and Debi Shearwater.

BIRDERS hailed from many states throughout the USA, as well as from England, Australia, France, Canada, Denmark, and Ireland. We thank them, one and all!

WORLD GIRL BIRDERS enjoying a terrific day at sea!

DEBI SHEARWATER, AMY PATTEN, HILLARY WHITE

UPCOMING TRIPS & LEADERS:

AUG 16, SUN. HALF MOON BAY: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Todd McGrath, Steve Tucker, Al De Martini, Will Brooks

AUG 21, FRI. MONTEREY BAY: Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green, Rick Fournier, Christian Schwarz

SEP 5, SAT. MONTEREY BAY: Clay Kempf, Tim Miller, Jennifer Green, Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz

SEP 6, SUN. HALF MOON BAY: Gerry McChesney, Steve Tucker, Jim Holmes, Will Brooks

SEP 8, TUE. MONTEREY BAY: Rick Fournier, Christian Schwarz (good trip for photographers)

SEP 9 WED.  MONTEREY BAY: Tim Miller, Nick Levendosky, Christian Schwarz (good trip for photographers)

SEP 10, THU. MONTEREY BAY: Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green, Christian Schwarz (good trip for photographers)

SEP 11, FRI. MONTEREY BAY: Mary Gustafson, Jennifer Green, Christian Schwarz (good trip for photographers)

SEP 12, SAT. MONTEREY ALBACORE: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Mary Gustafson, Rick Fournier SOLD OUT

SEP 13, SUN. MONTEREY BAY-DEBI'S BIRTHDAY: Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Mary Gustafson, Clay Kempf

SEP 15, TUE. HALF MOON BAY: Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Mary Gustafson, Tim Miller, Marisa Ortega-Welch SOLD OUT

SEP 16, WED. MONTEREY BAY: Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Tim Miller, Annie Schmidt

SEP 18, FRI. BODEGA CANYON & CORDELL BANK: Peter Pyle, Steve Howell, Abe Borker, Steve Tucker, Nick Levendosky EMAIL DEBI FOR SPACE

SEP 20, SUN. HALF MOON BAY: Gerry McChesney, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Nick Levendosky, Steve Hampton

SEP 25, FRI. MONTEREY BAY: Rick Fournier

SEP 26, SAT. MONTEREY BAY: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill

SEP 27, SUN. MONTEREY BAY: Nick Levendosky

OCT 3, SAT. MONTEREY BAY: Tim Miller, Dena Spatz, Jennifer Green

OCT 4, SUN. HALF MOON BAY: Steve Hampton, Will Brooks, Annie Schmidt, Christian Schwarz

OCT 10, SAT. MONTEREY BAY: Todd McGrath, David Vander Pluym, Lauren Harter, Jennifer Green

OCT 11, SUN. HALF MOON BAY: Jim Holmes, Tim Miller, Will Brooks, David Vander Pluym, Lauren Harter, Todd McGrath, Marissa Ortega-Welch
OCT 18, SUN. FARALLON ISLANDS; GREAT WHITE SHARK SEARCH: Gerry McChesney, Peter Pyle, Steve Tucker, Jim Holmes

Reservations: Advance reservations are usually necessary. The best way to reach me is by email!

Please join me in celebrating

Shearwater Journeys' 

40th year of California Pelagic Trips!

LIVING THE SALT LIFE,

Debi Shearwater

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

All images, Copyright, various Shearwater Journeys' leaders.

Please do not use without permission.

LEADING AT SEA: SHEARWATER JOURNEYS

LOVING SEABIRDS with a PASSION

At Shearwater Journeys, we are very proud of friendly and knowledgable  our leaders who accompany you on each pelagic trip. 

Many of them have been leading with us for decades and most have unmatched worldwide experience with seabirds. Some have authored very helpful books about seabird identification. Below, you will find our complete schedule along with the leaders. All of our leaders are volunteers. They are out there because they love seabirds, marine mammals and ocean life. 

JUL. 31 MONTEREY: Scott Terrill, Steve Howell, Brian Sullivan, Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green, Rick Fournier, David Pavlik. Okay! That's a lot of leaders. It is the first trip of the season — everyone wants to get out!!

AUG. 2 HALF MOON BAY: Peter Pyle, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Tucker, Steve Hampton

AUG. 7 MONTEREY: Brian Sullivan, Jennifer Green, Rick Fournier

AUG. 8 HALF MOON BAY: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Hampton, Will Brooks

AUG. 9 FARALLON ISLANDS: Peter Pyle, Gerry McChesney SOLD OUT

AUG. 16 HALF MOON BAY: Steve Tucker, Todd McGrath, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Al DeMartini, Will Brooks

AUG. 21 MONTEREY: Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green, Rick Fournier

SEP. 5 MONTEREY: Tim Miller, Jennifer Green

SEP. 6 HALF MOON BAY: Gerry McChesney, Jim Holmes, Will Brooks, Steve Tucker

SEP. 8 MONTEREY: Rick Fournier, TBA

SEP. 9 MONTEREY: Nick Levendosky, Tim Miller

SEP. 10 MONTEREY: Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green

SEP. 11 MONTEREY: Mary Gustafson, Jennifer Green

SEP. 12 MONTEREY ALBACORE: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Mary Gustafson, Nick Levendosky, Rick Fournier

SEP. 13 MONTEREY (DEBI'S BIRTHDAY TRIP!): Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Mary Gustafson

SEP. 15 HALF MOON BAY: Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Tim Miller, Mary Gustafson. Marissa Ortega-Welch

SEP. 16 MONTEREY: Chris Wood, Jessie Barry, Tim Miller

SEP. 18 BODEGA BAY: Steve Howell, Abe Borker, Steve Tucker, Peter Pyle, Nick Levendosky

SEP. 20 HALF MOON BAY: Gerry McChesney, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Steve Hampton, Nick Levendosky

SEP. 25 MONTEREY: Rick Fournier, TBA

SEP. 26 MONTEREY: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill

SEP. 27 MONTEREY: Nick Levendosky, TBA

OCT. 3 MONTEREY: Tim Miller, Dena Spatz, Jennifer Green

OCT. 4 HALF MOON BAY: Steve Hampton, Will Brooks

OCT. 10 MONTEREY: David Vander Pluym, Lauren Harter, Jennifer Green

OCT. 11 HALF MOON BAY: Tim Miller, Jim Holmes, Will Brooks, Marissa Ortega-Welch

OCT. 18 FARALLON ISLANDS GREAT WHITE SHARK: Peter Pyle, Gerry McChesney, Jim Holmes, Steve Tucker

The Monterey Bay Birding Festival is scheduled for September 24 - 26 and is headquartered in Watsonville. Friday, September 25, Scott Terrill will present a workshop about pelagic bird identification from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. If you are a beginner at seabirding, don't miss this informative workshop by Scott.

Note: Debi Shearwater will be co-leading on ALL trips. Leaders subject to change without notice. Leaders may be added to trips. Click here to read more about the leaders and see images of them. Images: Magnificent Frigatebird and Red-billed Tropicbird by Todd McGrath, copyright. Please do not use without permission. 

Living the Salt Life,

Debi Shearwater

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS'S 2014 PELAGIC SEABIRDING TRIPS

Howdy, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journeys is proud to offer 33 offshore seabirding trips for the 2014 fall season, our 39th year of operation! We are experts at what we do — finding seabirds and marine mammals. More than 60,000 folks have joined our trips over these many decades. We hope you'll join us this season! 

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS SCHEDULE OF TRIPS

There is something on offer for every birder, whether a beginner or seasoned salt, or a photographer. Our friendly and knowledgable leaders welcome all on board. Their worldwide sea birding experiences put them at the forefront of sea birding. More mega-rare seabirds have been discovered on Shearwater Journeys's trips than any other trips in North America. Shearwater Journeys offers the most comprehensive selection of seabirding trips on the West Coast. We offer trips departing from Monterey, Half Moon Bay, Bodega Bay and Sausalito to the Farallon Islands.

RESERVATIONS: Payment, in full by check or money order is required at the time of booking. (Credit cards are not accepted). The United States Coast Guard requires a name, address, cell/home phone and email for each person on the vessel. Please include this with your payment. All of the vessels that we charter are licensed and inspected by the US Coast Guard and have been working with Debi Shearwater for many years. All vessels have restrooms, known as the "head." You will be sent confirmation of your reservation by snail mail with full trip details. 

JUMP ON BOARD WITH US!

SHEARWATERS FOREVER,

DEBI SHEARWATER

WHY SHOULD I DO MORE THAN ONE PELAGIC TRIP?

Howdy, Birders,
For nearly forty years, birders have been flocking to the central coast of California to witness the fall seabird migration which runs from late July through late November, some years into early December. Birders have come from every state in the USA to head offshore with Shearwater Journeys, as well as from many countries around the globe, including Canada, UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Hungary, South Africa, Kenya China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile — to name a few.
Many times, I am asked how to plan trips, which trips to take, how many trips to take and so on. Doing pelagic trips during migration is best compared to visiting one's favorite land birding site during migration. This could be Cape May, New Jersey, High Island, Texas or the Scilly Isles in the UK. Would you visit these places to spend only 7 or 8 hours birding? Probably not, unless, it just happened to sandwich in between a trip for some other purpose other than birding. Why should pelagic birding be any different? Would you travel all the way across the country for only a few hours spent trying to see new birds with which you have little birding experience? Naturally, most folks on a birding trip will combine birding on land with birding at sea — heading out to look for many of the California specialties. In the Monterey and central coast area, these could include: California condor, prairie falcon, golden eagle, Nuttall's woodpecker, California quail, yellow-billed magpie, wrentit, California thrasher, Lawrence's goldfinch, tricolored blackbird, as well as the newly split "sage" sparrows. The biggest expenditures involve getting to California and staying in California. So, why not add another pelagic trip to the program?

Adding a second, or even a third pelagic trip can really pay off. You might spend your first day trying to get the jizz of shearwater or storm-petrel flight down. On your second day, these things will be more apparent. Weather is a factor. One day might have less than ideal conditions, while the next day could prove to have stunning conditions. Thinking about birding on land — sometimes, we go out and it is just "dull" whereas the next visit to the same patch is "hot." Seabirding is no different. Some days are "rust" and some days are "diamonds." Give yourself a chance to experience this. One day at sea might find a South polar skua, while the next day finds none.

Below, I list the two day tally for AUGUST 17/18 Shearwater Journeys' trips departing from Half Moon Bay, California. On August 17th, we had some swell and choppy seas, whereas on August 18, the seas had smoothed out considerably. Smooth seas made spotting the SCRIPP'S MURRELETS much easier. These tiny alcids, the size of one's hand, are usually very difficult to spot in swells. On the other hand, the swells and breezy day of August 17, set the conditions up for a LAYSAN ALBATROSS to follow our vessel for nearly three hours! The birders who did both trips scored a high list of seabirds. In fact, those birders saw pretty much all of the seabirds that one could reasonably expect during this time of year, in central California Here are the lists, side by side.

AUGUST 17/AUGUST 18

WESTERN GREBE- 12/17
CLARK'S GREBE- 1/1
LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 1/0
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 8/30
NORTHERN FULMAR- 1/2
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 90/80
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 0/1
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 8265/9288
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 1/1
ASHY STORM-PETREL- 226/30
BLACK STORM-PETREL- 3/1
BROWN PELICAN- 1200/2129
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 130/15
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 90/27
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 325/3
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER- 7/7
WANDERING TATTLER- 2/1
WHIMBREL- 0/1
MARBLED GODWIT- 0/1
BLACK TURNSTONE- 11/24
WILLET- 0/1
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 6/20
RED PHALAROPE- 55/153
POMARINE JAEGER- 4/6
PARASITIC JAEGER- 2/0
LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 9/31
HEERMANN'S GULL- 1500/137
CALIFORNIA GULL- 190/3
WESTERN GULL- 950/477
SABINE'S GULL- 7/5
ELEGANT TERN- 800/764
COMMON TERN- 2/0
ARCTIC TERN- 2/19
COMMON MURRE- 325/1183
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 12/7
SCRIPP'S MURRELET- 0/2
CASSIN'S AUKLET- 7/21
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 8/57
TUFTED PUFFIN- 0/3

Something to think about when planning your pelagic trips!

Shearwaters Forever,

Debi

Laysan Albatross image, copyright, Todd McGrath

Please do not use without permission

What They Said— Comments from 2012 Shearwater Journeys' Folks

Fork-tailed and Ashy Storm-Petrels by Doug Koch, copyright.

Please do not use without permission.

Howdy, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journeys will kick off the pelagic season with trips on July 27 & 28 departing from Half Moon Bay and August 2 departing from Monterey. Spaces are still available on these trips.

Below, please find comments that folks made about trips we did in 2012.

Shearwaters Forever,

Debi 

Great memories of our pelagic trip, October 26— got 13 life birds. Got one of the last flights into Dulles before hurricane Sandy hit. Lost electricity, wire down in driveway, fire truck outside, but OK now. 

Jon & Shirley

Thanks for the great look at the Hawaiian petrel and nice to meet you.  All the storm-petrels were pretty nice too.  Hope to get out on one of your trips again soon.

Do you ever attempt trips specifically for parakeet auklet, mottled petrel and/or Murphy's petrel?

Thanks,

Rob

I want to thank you for the two enjoyable days of seabirding with you on July 28th out of Half Moon Bay and August 3rd out of Monterey. For a landlubber like me, seabirding is a nice treat. I also want to thank your co-leaders, Todd McGrath, Clay Kemp (?), and Jennifer (sorry I can't remember her last name). They were alert and very helpful. Also thanks for posting Christian's photos of the trip.   

On another note, I saw several large plovers from afar on the rocks at Asilomar on Saturday morning. I could not tell whether they were Pacific or American Golden Plovers. Could you give me a clue, please?

Thanks again and I hope to be on several more of your trips in the coming years. 

Connie

We really enjoyed the boat trip and greatly appreciate your teaching, wisdom and enthusiasm.  Looking forward to another trip in the summer.  Have a great winter and spring.  Eli is psyched for the Christmas bird count.  Thanks again for your leadership in opening up a world of wonder for my son.

Josh

If there was a birding hall of fame, you'd be in it.  Thank you for some great experiences and memories.
I know what trip I'd like to take next year:  the Farrallons. Not sure when, but I'll be watching your website.
Bye for now, Reuben

Rough seas and their attendant discomforts notwithstanding, your knowledge (plus that of your fabulous leaders), combined with your enthusiasm, made for a fantastic trip.  Thank you!  I'm a dedicated Shearwater Journeys fan.

Pamela

We had so much fun and it was wonderful to meet you. We just got back to NJ and are exhausted, but very happy to have added 38 life birds on our CA trip - and 14 were thanks to YOU!
We will be out there again...and if you come to NJ, make sure you let me, Rob Fanning, and Lisa know, and we can take you to some fun places!
Take care,
Stephanie :)

I have admired what you have done over the past many years---and look forward to participating on one of your trips.  I live in Washington DC. 

Robert

Hi Debi - I had so much fun on the August 22 trip, I have to book another one!

If there is still a spot, I'll send in a check for the September 21 trip out of Bodega. 

- Jeff

There is a really good reason people come from all corners of the globe to go out with Shearwater Adventures. Just this past Friday she used her voodoo and got birds to appear on a verrrry quiet day until at one point we had 20+ Black-Footed Albatross happily paddling behind the boat like ducklings. The skuas, jaegers, storm petrels, auklets (I saw a Cassin's Auklet from the bow - did any one else?), phalaropes and, of course, shearwaters were not too shabby either. Her leaders are extremely well informed and personable and I got kicked up to a new level of seeing just taking it all in on Friday. Plus Debi has trips to place like Svalbard that are NOT the usual over-crowded Nat Geo boats.
Tom

 I just wanted to thank you for a fine first West Coast pelagic trip out of Half Moon Bay this past Monday. Hopefully my next trip to the west will again coincide with one of your trips and I can join you again. Many thanks again and best wishes for a terrific remainder of your pelagic season,Derek 

Thanks again for some great birding last week. Look forward to more great birding toward the end of September.
Best,  John

Here is my quote..."Even when the sea is rough and the wind is high, the birds still want to come by to check out Debi's boat, and we all had a fantastic adventure! "

all the best,

Beth

I just wanted to thank you so much for a trip of a lifetime out of Monterey! My parents and I saw birds we have wanted to see our entire lives! Albatrosses were everywhere that day...it's a bird I've wanted to see since I was a little girl. Jaegers and stormpetrels and a skua?? Wow!!!!

Anyway, we had an amazing time! I also loved hearing about your trip to Estonia...crap, that's where it was right? That's what I keep telling all my friends! My memory is so horrible! You are so adventurous and inspiring!! 

From your blog it looks like you are seeing amazing birds right in your back yard! A California Condor?? I didn't even think we had any hopes of seeing one while we were out there! 

Thanks again for a great trip! I  hope to make it back there one day soon!

Take care,

April