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

FIVE SEABIRDS THAT BROUGHT GREG MILLER'S BIG YEAR TO #700 — AND, BEYOND!

Did you know?

On this very day, 15 years ago, Greg Miller saw his 700th bird while doing the famous BIG YEAR?

In 1998 Greg Miller, Al Levantin and Sandy Komito were real birders depicted in the book, The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. All three of the guys joined Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trips, hoping to tick as many seabirds as possible. It was an El Nino year. Seabirds were really hot. And, I do mean really HOT! 

Greg Miller would tick the following five species:

 #697 CRAVERI'S MURRELET, above, A gem of a bird!

#698 SOUTH POLAR SKUA, above, the biggest, baddest pirate of the sea.

 #699 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER, above, a bird one usually needs to make 10 trips to find.

#700 RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD, above, a glittering diamond of a seabird! 

#701 XANTUS'S MURRELET, which has since been split into two species: SCRIPP'S MURRELET, above, and GUADALUPE MURRELET which is the species that Greg saw that magical day. Any one of these seabirds would have been considered, "good." But, as Greg says, "Seeing all five species in one day was jaw dropping!"

AND, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE?

THESE FIVE SPECIES OF SEABIRDS HAVE NOT BEEN RECORDED ON THE SAME DAY SINCE! 

GREG MILLER, YOU ARE ONE BLESSED BIRDER!

Many thanks to ace pelagic trip leader and photographer, Dave Pereksta for the images in this blog. 

All images, copyright, Dave Pereksta. Please do not use without permission. 

Tomorrow begins our Pelagic Parade of Seabird Trips!

Jump on Board!

Debi Shearwater