HALF MOON BAY PELAGIC TRIPS

Howdy, Seabirders,

Once again, Shearwater Journeys is pleased of offer a wonderful selection of pelagic trips departing from Half Moon Bay for 2013. Half Moon Bay is within easy reach for birders traveling from San Francisco, San Jose and the East Bay areas. Shearwater Journeys first offered pelagic trips from this port in 1999. However, it has only been in recent years that regular trips with dependable boat operators  have been organized. I'm happy to say that for 2013 all of our charters will be with Dennis Baxter on the New Captain Pete, except for the November 16th departure which will be with Tom Mattusch on the Huli Cat (both vessels depart from the same location). As with all of our trips, friendly expert leaders will be on board to point out birds. We will be chumming.

In the few years that pelagic trips have operated from this port, quite a number of mega-rare seabirds have been sighted. These include: YELLOW-BILLED LOON; SHORT-TAILED and LAYSAN ALBATROSSES; GREAT-WINGED, COOK'S, HAWAIIAN and PARKINSON'S PETRELS: GREAT and MANX SHEARWATERS. On some trips, huge rafts of mixed species of storm-petrels have been observed. These have included: ASHY, BLACK, WILSON'S, FORK-TAILED and LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS. On all of our trips. we search the nearshore waters for the federally endangered MARBLED MURRELET which is not usually found on departures from any other ports, including Monterey.

Trips from Half Moon Bay can easily be combined with trips from Monterey. Trips from Half Moon Bay should be backed up with a second trip, in case your trip is weathered out. Unlike the half-moon shaped Monterey Bay, Half Moon Bay is not protected from the prevailing northwest winds. Although fall (August through October) experiences the best marine weather, trips departing from Half Moon Bay and Bodega Bay can be weathered out at any time of the year. Over the past 38 years, only one fall trip from Monterey has been weathered out, however. Back up your trip by reserving a second trip!

2013 HALF MOON BAY PELAGIC TRIPS WITH SHEARWATER JOURNEYS

JUL. 27, SAT. COOK'S PETREL EXPRESS
JUL. 28, SUN. COOK'S PETREL EXPRESS
AUG. 11, SUN. COOK'S & HAWAIIAN PETREL EXPRESS
AUG. 17, SAT. COOK'S & HAWAIIAN PETREL EXPRESS
AUG. 18, SUN. COOK'S & HAWAIIAN PETREL EXPRESS
AUG. 25, SUN. COOK'S & HAWAIIAN PETREL EXPRESS
SEP. 8, SUN. ALBATROSSES, PETRELS & STORM-PETRELS
SEP. 9, MON. ALBATROSSES, PETRELS & STORM-PETRELS
SEP. 16, SUN. ALBATROSSES & STORM-PETRELS
SEP. 28, SAT. ALBATROSSES & STORM-PETRELS
SEP. 29, SUN. ALBATROSSES & STORM-PETRELS
OCT. 6, SUN. ALBATROSSES & STORM-PETRELS
OCT. 27, SUN. LATE FALL & EARLY WINTER SEABIRDS
NOV. 16, SAT. LATE FALL & EARLY WINTER SEABIRDS

DETAILS FOR HALF MOON BAY TRIPS:
DEPARTURE:  7 A.M. SHARP, meet Debi and check in at H Dock, Johnson Pier at Pillar Point Harbor on Half Moon Bay, El Granada. Location here.
RETURN: We should return about 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Allow for delays of up to several hours.
PARKING is free in the lot near the dock. Do NOT park in the spaces labeled "two hour" parking. Allow yourself about 10 minutes to park and walk to the dock.
PRICE ADJUSTMENT: All rates quoted are 2012 rates. A price adjustment may be collected at the dock of $5 - 10 per person. This is payable only in cash.
MICROWAVE is available on board for your convenience. Bring all food and drinks.
Take seasick prevention medications. Dress warmly with waterproof outer layers. This is a non-smoking trip.
MOTELS: It is possible to arrive and find all motels fully booked. Best to book in advance. As anywhere along the California coast, motel rooms can be quite expensive. Local motels in the area include: COMFORT INN (Where I have stayed often and found to be quite good. Early booking on their web site results in a lower rate, although it is non-refundable); HARBOR VIEW INN is low priced and possibly within walking distance of the dock. Check it out. Under no circumstances should you book: American's Best Value Inn because they have bed bugs! If you really want something cheap,  check out the MOTEL 6 in Belmont. Tricky on and off ramps from Highway 101. Allow yourself at least 45 minutes to drive from the motel to the dock, more time, if you plan to stop for food or you do not know exactly where the dock is located! Get directions to get there from Google Maps. Highway 92 is a winding two lane road that is often enshrouded in fog. Take care.

Hope to see you out there!
Shearwaters forever,
Debi

HALF MOON BAY SEABIRD TRIPS

Howdy, Seabirders.

Shearwater Journeys has an incredible array of pelagic trips departing from Half Moon Bay this fall season. These departures are within easy reach for birders traveling from San Francisco, San Jose and the East Bay areas. While we have only offered trips from this harbor for a few years, the seabird sightings have been top quality. This could turn out to be one of the easiest ports for reaching the waters where COOK'S PETRELS might be observed. This is a highly sought-after species for most birders. Other rare seabirds have been found on Half Moon Bay departures have included: GREAT-WINGED PETREL, PARKINSON'S PETREL, SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS, and of course, COOK'S PETRELS. We normally head to the edge of the Continental Shelf and offshore to the head of Pioneer Canyon. Sometimes, we head northwest toward the Farallon Islands, and see them in the distance. For this reason, TUFTED PUFFIN is often sighted on these trips. In addition, we often find very large flocks and rafts of STORM-PETRELS, which have included: BLACK, ASHY, WILSON'S, LEACH'S and FORK-TAILED. LAYSAN ALBATROSS is "regular" on our early season trips in late July and August. Most of our trips begin by searching for the endangered MARBLED MURRELET, just outside of the harbor. This murrelet is not usually encountered on Monterey, Bodega Bay, Fort Bragg or Farallon Islands trips. Please note: Half Moon Bay trips can easily be combined with trips from other ports such as Monterey, Bodega Bay and Emeryville (to the Farallon Islands). The August 27th Half Moon Bay trip is designed to be combined with the August 24 & 25 trips departing from FORT BRAGG. Our Half Moon Bay trips typically cover both SAN MATEO and SAN FRANCISCO COUNTIES. 

2012 HALF MOON BAY PELAGIC TRIPS

JUL. 28, SAT. Cook's Petrel Express

JUL. 29, SUN. Cook's Petrel Express

AUG. 12, SUN. Cook's Petrel Express

AUG. 27, MON. Hawaiian Petrel Search & Offshore

SEP. 9, SUN. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

SEP. 10, MON. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

SEP. 22, SAT. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

SEP. 23, SUN. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

SEP. 24, MON. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

OCT. 1, MON. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

OCT. 7, SUN. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

OCT. 28, SUN. Storm-Petrels & Fall Seabirds

NOV. 20, TUE. Late Fall & Early Winter Seabirds

We are pleased to announce that all of our trips will be with Captain Bob Ingles, on board the "Queen of Heart," a sparkling clean, stable, 50 foot vessel with two clean bathrooms. A working microwave is available for your use. Please meet at Johnson Pier, Pillar Point on Half Moon Bay, El Granada at 7 a.m. SHARP.  For more on directions, please click here. Please check in with Debi, prior to boarding the boat. Please allow at least 10 minutes to park, use the public restroom and walk down the dock. Parking is free. (Do not park in the marked spaces, though). Dress warmly, including heavy jacket, and waterproof outer layers; bring hats and gloves. Bring lunch and drinks. Take seasick prevention measures. This is a non-smoking trip. Return time to the dock is variable. We could return anywhere from 3 p.m. to as late as 6 p.m., depending on the weather conditions. If you need to book a motel room, it is best to do this early on, as they can be filled up at the last minute. 

Read our JULY 30, 2011 and JULY 31, 2010  JULY 31, 2009 trip reports. For more about Half Moon Bay Motels, click here.

Cook's Petrels Forever,

Debi Shearwater

A STELLER DAY AT SEA!

26 April: At Sea, east of Torishima. Nearly everyone on board was up at the
crack of dawn to search for albatrosses. Chumming was in progress and hopes
were high. We were within sight of Torishima, the southernmost of the Izu
Islands, where the bulk of the world's Short-tailed, or Steller's
Albatrosses nest. This albatross was once a common species on both the
Asiatic and American coasts. Several million pairs once bred on Torishima,
but as a result of over-hunting by the Japanese feather collectors in the
late 19th and 20th centuries, it declined dramatically. By 1934 it was
presumed extinct. Miraculously, in December 1950, eight to ten birds were
re-discovered on Torishima. The seas had calmed considerably overnight, but
virtually no seabirds, not even shearwaters, were chumming to our wake. A
distant Steller's Albatross was sighted, a tiny, mere speck of white. Again,
John Graham spotted a speck, sitting on the water at our 2 o'clock position.
It was a sleeping "golden gooney," as we refer to the adult Steller's! The
ship circled around and everyone on board had close views while cameras
clicked away. Whew! Throughout the day, the seas continued to calm until
they were a glassy, smooth. At the end of the day, we had tallied more
variety of wildlife than on any previous day of our voyage— a single
Northern Fulmar (first record for the voyage); flocks of Short-tailed
Shearwaters, especially in the evening; a single Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
immediately off the bow (also a first for the voyage); Red Phalaropes; many
whales throughout the day, including one Sei Whale and possibly a small
group of Hubb's Beaked Whales; small groups of Risso's Dolphins, as well as
bow-riding Striped Dolphins; flying fish and flying squid; and half a dozen
distant sea turtles! It was a spectacular day at sea, brimming with activity
and life!
Debi Shearwater, in the Izu Islands, Japan, Western Pacific Odyssey

NORTH PACIFIC ALBATROSSES: THREE IN ONE DAY!

25 April: At Sea, east of the Ogasawara Islands, including Chichi. What a
difference a night can make! We awoke to much cooler temperatures, both sea
and air. Winds were buffeting us and frothing whitecaps covered the seas
while occasional rain showers sent us inside to the bridge. Many seabirds
were about, including good numbers of pale morph Wedge-tailed Shearwaters
and Bonin Petrels. Most of us were hoping to see Tristram's Storm-Petrels.
Finally, several flocks of storm-petrels were spotted, ahead of the ship.
Amongst the Matsudaira's, we saw quite a few Tristram's Storm-Petrels! The
vast majority of the seabirds do not approach the ship, remaining quite a
distance away from ideal viewing conditions. This sometimes makes
identification quite challenging. In fact, many species of both seabirds and
marine mammals are best left unidentified! Case in point— yesterday's call
of Bannerman's Shearwaters may not, indeed have been Bannerman's at all. The
jury is still out, but they may well have been Tropical Shearwaters, based
on photographs. In addition, distant breaching whales which were identified
as Humpback Whales, were correctly identified, using photographs, as Sperm
Whales! Such is ocean life— "identification by camera"! The first
Black-footed Albatrosses of the voyage appeared in the late afternoon.
Shortly, afterward, John Graham of South Africa spotted a Short-tailed
Albatross! Along with Trevor Hardaker, John operates, Zest For Birds a
company that takes folks offshore to the rich feeding grounds of seabirds
off South Africa. John has been one of the best
spotters on our entire voyage! One of our staff began some chumming which
attracted hundreds of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and a few Streaked
Shearwaters. Soon many Black-footed Albatrosses were also following in the
wake. The surprise was two Laysan Albatrosses which followed our wake for
quite some time. Laysans have not been recorded on every voyage. So, cheers
went up for that one! Although only a few on board saw the Short-tailed
Albatross, any day in the north Pacific with three albatross species is a
day to cheer!
Debi Shearwater, east of Ogasawara Islands, Western Pacific Odyssey

TRIP REPORT: SEP 20, 2009: BODEGA BAY

Howdy, Seabirders,

This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip departing from Bodega Bay on September 20, 2009. A huge sea surface temperature break, ranging from the low 50s to 61 F beyond the 1500 fathom curve, was found. We reached 61F offshore at 1300 fathoms, our target spot, where we put out a large chum slick. The LONG-TAILED JAEGER show continued, but the much hoped for Pterodromas did not show up. We returned to our mini-slick at the north end of Cordell Bank, but the much hoped for Short-tailed (Steller's) Albatross did not show up. For a significant portion of the day, fog hampered our visibility. Like a veil, the fog lifted as we neared the 100 fathom line. It was here that we found five BLUE WHALES lunge feeding at the surface on krill. It was a spectacular, sublime ending to the day, watching the blues feeding in the brilliant sunshine. Little butterball CASSIN'S AUKLETS were so stuffed with krill that they could not lift off the water to fly away!


Image by Mark Rauzon, copyright, 2009.


Many thanks to all of our passengers who traveled to join our trip. The leaders on board were: Peter Pyle, Lisa Hug, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Oscar Johnson, Wes Fritz, Todd McGrath, and Debi Shearwater. Thanks to Wes Friz for his magical chumming and to Oscar Johnson for tallying the county lists for Marin and Sonoma Counties.



The complete species list follows.

20 SEPTEMBER 2009 BODEGA BAY SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' PELAGIC TRIP:
Sonama/Marin/Total

RED-THROATED LOON- 2/0/2
PACIFIC LOON- 2/0/2
COMMON LOON- 5/0/5
WESTERN GREBE- 10/0/10
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 15/11/26
NORTHERN FULMAR- 9/6/15
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 16/18/34
BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 0/3/3
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 17/17/34
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 0/1/1
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 0/1/1
ASHY STORM-PETREL- 2/17/19
BROWN PELICAN- 6/0/6
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 35/0/35
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 3/0/3
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 15/0/15
SURF SCOTER- 2/0/2
BLACK TURNSTONE- 0/1 (offshore)/1
RED KNOT- 5/0/5
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 50/3/53
RED PHALAROPE- 250/6/256
SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 0/5/5
POMARINE JAEGER- 2/7/9
PARASITIC JAEGER- 0/2/2
LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 0/31/31
JAEGER SP. -0/2/2
CALIFORNIA GULL- 25/55/80
WESTERN GULL- 125/20/145
SABINE'S GULL- 0/11/11
COMMON TERN- 1/0/1
ARCTIC TERN- 0/6/6
COMMON MURRE- 300/4/304
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 8/0/8
CASSIN'S AUKLET- 800/0/800
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 11/18/29
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- +
STELLER'S SEA LION- 1
FUR SEAL SP.- 1
HARBOR SEAL- +
MINKE WHALE- 1
BLUE WHALE- 5
HUMPBACK WHALE- 1
DALL'S PORPOISE- 2
OCEAN SUNFISH- 2
BLUE SHARK- 2
SALMON SHARK- 12

Shearwaters forever,
Debi

SEP 16, 2009: TRIP REPORT- A STELLER DAY!

Howdy, Seabirders,

This is a trip report for the September 16, 2009 Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip departing from Bodega Bay.

The day began at 6:15 am with the skipper of our vessel up to his elbows in grease, down in the engine room. Not a good sign! Emerging from the engine room, we agreed to meet again at 9:30 am to assess the situation, while the skipper drove off to Santa Rosa to try to get an alternator for the boat. Some birders went off in search of early morning birds, while others, including myself went to breakfast. Reconvening at 9:30 am, I announced that the skipper was not able to get the parts and his boat would not be operable. Instead, he and I had made arrangements to take another vessel out, the ProFishn't. I also reminded folks that during past trips with these sorts of problems, we had encountered meg-rare seabirds. I doubt that anyone put much faith in this at that moment, though. Trouble was, the replacement boat could only take 29 passengers, maximum. Immediately, two of the Shearwater Journeys' leaders were knocked off the trip. Those passengers who had signed up first for the trip were given the option to join us. (Remarkably, some declined! One gracious couple from Pennsylvania, who were also signed up for Friday's and Sunday's trips, offered their spots to two young ladies who could only go out on Wednesday). So, lesson learned: sign up early! The later sign ups had to "walk the plank" as one of them put it, and forego the trip.

At 9:45 am, we were off and running out of the foggy harbor. The fog very soon gave way to completely clear conditions! We could see for miles, but there was precious little to see. Not very many seabirds or marine mammals were around. It was hot, warmer than I can remember in about ten years. We did not even wear coats or jackets. Soon, we were over Bodega Canyon and approaching the 1000 fathom line. I laid out one slick here. A few LONG-TAILED JAEGERS and ASHY STORM-PETRELS came in, along with one FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL. BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES were all around. We continued along the 1000 fathom line, heading for the Cordell Bank. Nearing the Bank, hundreds of RED PHALAROPES were flushing off the water. My co-leader, Steve Howell, wanted me to put out another slick. After nagging me a second time, I did so. And, that's when the SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS flew in! It sat around for a long time with the other albatrosses. The lucky young ladies who garnered their slots from the Pennsylvania folks could not believe the magic of it all! Probably half the folks on board had cameras and were shooting lots of images of this albatross gem. Images will be posted as soon as possible. Photos © Tom Blackman. It was about 3:30 pm and time to head for the harbor. The return ride turned out to be quite tough with spray and water running through the gunnels for nearly two hours solid! Nevertheless, we were all happy campers on board, especially when we looked in our wake to find the SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS still following us at 4:30 pm.

I would like to thank my co-leader, Steve Howell, for joining me on this trip at some inconvenience for him, since he had a flight to catch immediately after the trip. I also thank all of the participants who hailed from ten different states in the USA. And, I thank everyone for remaining patient with our morning situation.

The complete species list for SEPTEMBER 16, 2009 follows:

RED-THROATED LOON- 2

PACIFIC LOON- in the harbor

COMMON LOON- in the harbor

WESTERN GREBE- 4

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 47

*SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS- 1, immature (14-16 months old, approx.)

NORTHERN FULMAR- 8

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 48

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 36

FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 1

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 15

BROWN PELICAN- in the harbor

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- +

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- in the harbor

PELAGIC CORMORANT- in the harbor

SURF SCOTER-2

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 150

RED PHALAROPE- 2000

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 4

POMARINE JAEGER- 22

PARASITIC JAEGER- 1

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 21

JAEGER sp. - 4

HEERMANN'S GULL- 40

CALIFORNIA GULL- 45

WESTERN GULL- 150

SABINE'S GULL- 8

COMMON/ARCTIC TERN- 1

COMMON MURRE- 300

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 6

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 200

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 40

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- +

STELLER'S SEA LION- 1

HARBOR SEAL- +

LARGE WHALE SP.- 2

HUMPBACK WHALE- 4

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 10

DALL'S PORPOISE- 6

BLUE SHARK- 1

SALMON SHARK- 1

Remember: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

Albatrosses forever,

Debi

SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS

Howdy, Seabirders,

The single most stunning seabird of today's Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip from Bodega Bay was a SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSS found by Steve N. G. Howell near the Cordell Bank. This immature (12-16 months old) albatross flew into the wake of our vessel, sat on the water with the Black-footed Albatrosses, and posed for the many photographers on board. It then followed us for nearly an hour. In addition to being one of the rarest albatrosses of the world, it is also one of the rarest of all birds in the world—period!

Many thanks to our wonderful participants, some of whom traveled a long distance to join us. And, many thanks to our leader, Steve Howell, who is a professional tour leader for the bird tour company, Wings, Inc., www.wingsbirds.com

A full report of this most unusual day will follow.

Albatrosses forever,

Debi