Oh, So Sweet— Pelagic Bay-Breasted Warbler

Hello, Birders,

Here she is — a sweet hatch year, female BAY-BREASTED WARBLER that landed on our Monterey Bay pelagic trip on September 28, 2008. She perched on the upper rails of the vessel allowing Don Doolittle to capture these alluring images. She had personality plus!

BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, MONTEREY COUNTY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 IMAGE BY DON DOOLITTLE, copyright 2008.

Showing off her "bay sides." IMAGE BY DON DOOLITTLE, copyright, 2008.

Shearwaters & warblers forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SANTA CRUZ/MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC REPORT: SEP 26, 2008

Howdy, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip today, departed on a spacious, new
boat from the Yacht Harbor in Santa Cruz. It was a very birdy day
with some very distinct highiights, among them: knock-out views of a
LAYSAN ALBATROSS which flew straight in from the bow, circled the
boat, and sat on the water, a terrific show for all. Not to be
outdone, at least 17 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES were also found. Five
species of shearwaters included: 350 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 2 FLESH-
FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 15 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, 1000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS,
and 17 newly arrived, BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS. A grand slam on the
jaegers produced, POMARINE, PARASITIC and LONG-TAILED JAEGERS. The
star of the alcid show was 10 MARBLED MURRELETS off of West Cliff
Drive. Four HARBOR PORPOISES, our smallest cetacean, were spotted
while watching the murrelets. HUMPBACK WHALES were no less
spectacular, with feeding frenzies of shearwaters, BROWN PELICANS,
BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, and CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS. Many happy moments
were spent with the bow-riding NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS and
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS many of them with calves in a herd of
nearly 1000 animals.

We thank all of the participants, and the MONTEREY BAY BIRDING
FESTIVAL (www.montereybaybirdingfestival.org) and the leaders: Jon
Dunn, Alan Hopkins, Jennifer Green, Steve Howell, David Suddjian,
Steve Gerow, and Debra Shearwater.

Spaces are still available on all of our October trips, including a
few on the trip that departs from Santa Cruz on October 12th. Please
email Debra Shearwater, debi@shearwaterjourneys.com for reservation
information.

The complete species list follows:

SEPTEMBER 26, 2008 MONTEREY BAY FROM SANTA CRUZ

RED-THROATED LOON- 2
PACIFIC LOON- 2
COMMON LOON- 1
EARED GREBE- 3
WESTERN GREBE- 28
LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 1
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 17
NORTHERN FULMAR- 1
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 350
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 2
BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 15
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 1000
BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 17
ASHY STORM-PETREL- 12
BROWN PELICAN- 200
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 200
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 50
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2
SURF SCOTER- 4
WANDERING TATTLER- 1
BLACK TURNSTONE- 40
SURFBIRD- 20
SANDERLING- 20
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 1
SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 7
POMARINE JAEGER- 6
POMARINE/PARASITIC JAEGER- 3
LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1
HEERMANN'S GULL- 200
CALIFORNIA GULL- 1000
WESTERN GULL- 1000
ELEGANT TERN- 300
COMMON TERN- 2
COMMON MURRE- 1000
MARBLED MURRELET- 10
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 45
SEA OTTER- 20
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 500
HUMPBACK WHALE- 17
NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 300
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 700
HARBOR PORPOISE- 4
OCEAN SUNFISH- 1, large one

Shearwaters forever,
Debra Shearwater
831.637.8527
debi@shearwaterjourneys.com
PO Box 190
Hollister, CA 95024

SIX SPECIES OF SHEARWATERS: Monterey Bay, September 25, 2008

Howdy, Seabirders,

The highlight of today's Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip from
Monterey was SIX SPECIES of SHEARWATERS: 450 PINK-FOOTEDS, 1 FLESH-
FOOT, 22 BULLER'S, 2500 SOOTYS, 1 or 2 MANX, and 3 BLACK-VENTED
SHEARWATERS. SOUTH POLAR SKUAS put on a great show, as did the BLACK-
FOOTED ALBATROSSES. As on most days at sea, the seabirds were
distributed in patches, but what great patches they were! Toward the
end of the day, we encountered one massive flock of feeding
shearwaters, pelicans, cormorants, and sea lions.

Our next trips with spaces available from Monterey are OCTOBER 3, 4,
5, 11, 18; NOVEMBER 29; JANUARY 17. Spaces are still available on our
OCTOBER 9 & 17 trips from BODEGA BAY. Please email Debra Shearwater
for a reservation.

We thank the many participants who joined us today, and the leaders:
Jon Dunn, Jim Danzenbaker, Brian Sullivan, Steve Howell, & Debra
Shearwater.

The complete species list follows:

SEPTEMBER 25, 2008 MONTEREY BAY

PACIFIC LOON- 7
COMMON LOON- 1
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 26
NORTHERN FULMAR- 2
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 450
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1
BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 22
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 2500
MANX SHEARWATER- 1 or 2
BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 3
ASHY STORM-PETREL- 9
BROWN PELICAN- 150
BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 200
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2
HARLEQUIN DUCK- 1, on the far side of the Coast Guard Breakwater
BLACK TURNSTONE- 6
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 12
SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 11
POMARINE JAEGER- 9
POMARINE/PARASITIC JAEGER- 5
PARASITIC JAEGER- 4
JAEGER SP.- 3
HEERMANN'S GULL- 100
CALIFORNIA GULL- 2000
WESTERN GULL- 500
SABINE'S GULL- 1
ELEGANT TERN- 30
COMMON TERN- 2
COMMON MURRE- 200
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 1
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 85
PEREGRINE FALCON- 1, on the radio tower on Cannery Row
SEA OTTER- 10
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 300
HARBOR SEAL- 10
HUMPBACK WHALE- 22, some breaching
NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 40
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 180
DALL'S PORPOISE- 18

Shearwaters forever,

Debra Shearwater
debi@shearwaterjourneys.com
831.637.8527
PO Box 190
Hollister, CA 95024

BREAKING NEWS: WANDERING ALBATROSS

Hi, there, seabirders,

With great excitement, I am relaying a report from Sophie Webb of a WANDERING ALBATROSS which was seen today from the research vessel, McArthur II, 280 miles west of San Jose, California, and 249 miles west south west of Point Arena, California. It is being reported as the same bird that was seen in Oregon by Greg Gillson. It is possible that some photographic images were obtained. 

It could happen here---

Albatrosses forever,

Debra Shearwater

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831.637.8527

The story to come: ORCAS throwing COMMON DOLPHIN to Neptune!

In this spectacular image, one of four ORCAS is tossing a COMMON
DOLPHIN to Neptune, prior to killing it as seen on the Shearwater
Journey's Monday, September 22, 2008 pelagic trip on Monterey Bay,
California. Stay tuned for the full story and more images.
Image copyrighted by Debra Shearwater.

Fall in San Benito County

Fall in San Benito County, California. Near Soap Lake. Image by Debra
Shearwater.

Paicines Reservoir

Fall at PAICINES RESERVOIR, San Benito County— a great place for
latte with the BALD EAGLE. Image by Debra Shearwater.

American Redstart

AMERICAN REDSTART in eucalyptus trees at VISTA HILL PARK found by
Debra Shearwater. A second San Benito County record. Image by Debra
Shearwater, copyright.

Fall in Panoche Valley

Fall in PANOCHE VALLEY, San Benito County. Image by Don Doolittle,
copyright.

Spooked Barn Owl

A BARN OWL that we accidentally spooked. Image by Don Doolittle,
copyright.

Northern Waterthrush

Admit it— you wanted to see an image of it ON the dead cow! NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH, feeding on insects on a long-dead cow. San Benito
County. Image by Don Doolittle, copyright.

Northern Waterthrush

Beautiful NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at San Felipe Lake, San Benito County.
Image by Don Doolittle, copyright.

Northern Waterthrush

NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at the water's edge, San Felipe Lake, San Benito
County. Image by Don Doolittle, copyright.

Northern Waterthrush

San Benito County's third record of NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at San
Felipe Lake. Image by Don Doolittle, copyright.

Fall birding in San Benito County

Fall birding in San Benito County: California Quail by Don Doolittle

SBT: Northern Waterthrush Macabre Scene

Howdy, Birders,

Birding in San Benito County has been a lot of fun lately. It was somewhat frustrating for me not to be able to share some of these interesting finds with someone else. So, on Saturday, September 20th, I begged my friend, Don Doolittle, to go out with me the next day. And, he did! 

We headed for latte with the bald eagle at PAICINES RESERVOIR, just south of Hollister, my home town. En route, a LEWIS' WOODPECKER flew across Highway 25. Sure enough, the BALD EAGLE was there, along with many of the recent suspects, including 8 WHITE PELICANS and one CANVASBACK. We headed out to PANOCHE VALLEY where we found 2 CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS, 2 NASHVILLE WARBLERS, 1 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, 4 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 1 YELLOW WARBLER, 1 GOLDEN EAGLE, 1 BARN OWL, and 75 LARK SPARROWS, along with 25 SAVANNAH SPARROWS. 

Back in town, mid-day, we stopped at VISTA PARK HILL to look for the AMERICAN REDSTART that I found on September 19th without success. So, we headed up to SAN FELIPE LAKE, or Soap Lake, as it is known to locals. We saw one BURROWING OWL on the drive, and many of the "usual suspects, " including a VIRGINIA RAIL that I heard. Our target was the Northern Waterthrush. Sure enough, as we approached the area where I had seen it the previous day, I heard the loud, metallic chip call. And, there it was— NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH! You might be wondering what all the fuss is about. This is only the third county record of this species. Although, somewhat regular on the coast in fall, the status of vagrant warblers is not so well known in this inland county. The first county record was at Pinnacles National Monument on September 1, 1954. The second county record was on Gloria Road on September 13, 2006. So, we were elated at having refound this little gem.

Don proceeded to aim for photos of the warbler, as it hopped along the small stream, or perched, bobbing its tail non-stop. Every once in awhile, it would disappear from us, either in the thick branches that overhung the stream, or— oh, no, I saw it go into the eye socket of a long-dead cow!! It was an absolutely macabre scene. This cow was long dead, and mostly a hide on bones, nevertheless, it did manage to attract a number of insects. Don actually saw it disappear into the inner gut area under the hide! One dead cow, keeping one very sweet warbler alive. 

Debi for San Benito County,

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SBT County: White-fronted Geese

Hi, Birders,

Yesterday, I was birding with a group of birders in San Benito County. David Vander Pluym spotted 30 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at PAICINES RESERVOIR. Seems early. The adult BALD EAGLE was a no show for latte with me, but was hangin' in the large oak grove at noon. Two RING-NECKED DUCKS were new in recent days. The willow tree held 4 YELLOW WARBLERS and 1 COMMON YELLOWTHROAT. Two LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were in the fields. 

Debi

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SAN BENITO COUNTY: SABINE'S GULL & AMERICAN REDSTART

Howdy, Birders,

Unable to stand it any longer, I finally grabbed my lattte and headed to PAICINES RESERVOIR about 30 miles south of Hollister on Highway 25, this chilly morning at 7 am. A light breeze from the east made it feel like winter already, with temps only 49F. Upon arriving at Paicines, I immediately found the male ADULT BALD EAGLE sitting in the oak grove on the far side. Nice to have coffee with the eagle. The small willow tree directly across from the Highway 25 pullout had several chipping warblers. The same tree became dripping with warblers once the sun hit it from behind me. (Great viewing conditions here in the early morning, and not so great in the afternoon). I scoped around, finding most of the usual birds, and was debating with myself about stayin' or leavin'. I'm not an impatient sort, but I am a "movin on" kind of girl. But, a good birder friend taught me the beauty of waiting for more. And, yup, more it was. At 7:45 am, a JUVENILE SABINE'S GULL was sitting on the water, on my next search. I never saw it fly in, nor did I see it fly out! Well, there's a lot to look at in this spot. Mostly, it sat on the water, but twice it did fly up, showing the distinctive wing pattern. Felt like I was on a pelagic trip, again!! I watched it for about 5 minutes, went to get my camera, and it was gone. It is doubtful that I could have obtained any image of it, since it was so far away. To my knowledge, this is only the second San Benito County record of Sabine's Gull, and the first fall record.

 As the sun rose the willow tree became alive with more and more activity: YELLOW WARBLER (3), NASHVILLE WARBLER (1) COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (5), ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (3), YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (1), HERMIT WARBLER (1- new for this location for me)., WARBLING VIREO (1), CASSIN'S VIREO (1) and WILLOW FLYCATCHER (1). The drip irrigation in the vineyard behind me came on, and many WESTERN BLUEBIRDS and LESSER GOLDFINCHES showed up. Activity in the willow tree died down. I think that there must be some puddles of water under the tree. And, my guess is that the warblers went down for bathing, as many reappeared, cleaning their feathers. Other passerines of note included: LINCOLN'S SPARROWS (4), CASSIN'S KINGBIRD (1), and BEWICK'S WREN (1). The water level is down quite a bit, exposing a very nice mudflat area. LEAST (4) and WESTERN (5) SANDPIPERS, GREATER (1) and LESSER (1) YELLOWLEGS, BLACK-NECKED STILT (1), LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (2), SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (1), and WHITE PELICAN (2) were present along with a few ducks: CANVASBACK, RUDDY DUCKS, and MALLARDS.

On my way to town, I saw two EURASIAN COLLARED DOVES in Tres Pinos, where I stopped to use the restroom. I also noted that one of my favorite restaurants, Flap Jacks, closed down.

At 10:15 am, I was at VISTA PARK HILL, a small park in downtown Hollister, with public access from Hill Street, off of the main drag in town. This is the highest point in town, heavily vegetated with a variety of introduced species. It has always been a draw for unusual birds. A substantial row of bottlebrush attracts many hummingbirds, orioles, grosbeaks, and tanagers in the spring. Most of the flowers area now faded. I pulled into the park, and parked in the very first parking places on the left of the bottlebrush bushes. Hearing CHESNUT-BACKED CHICKADEES in the tall eucalyptus trees on the left side of the entrance, I walked toward them. Immediately, 2 WARBLING VIREOS popped up and sat on the telephone wires! I thought that I heard a Northern Parula, and may well have, but a man was using one of those noisy leaf blowers! (Why the city wants to pay for blowing leaves as opposed to keeping the restrooms open, is beyond me). One pish, and the next bird in front of me was an AMERICAN REDSTART, first fall male, or female. I was so shocked! Ran for my camera in the car, and tried to get some shots, but it went higher in the tree. Doubtful if I got anything. As far as I know, this is the second record for San Benito County. I found one last fall, on private property. So, this is the first record accessible at a public spot. 

Birding around this small park, I also found: SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (1), NUTTALL'S WOODPECKER (2), ANNA'S HUMMINBIRD (5), OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (1), PACIFIC SLOPE-FLYCATCHER (1), SAY'S PHOEBE (1), OAK TITMOUSE (1), CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE (4), BUSHTIT (H), WILSON'S WARBLER (1-male), WESTERN TANAGER (1), CALIFORNIA TOWHEE (3).

Made a quick drive through the HOLLISTER INDUSTRIAL PONDS. Wow! 590 NORTHERN SHOVELERS are all over the place, along with 194 WILSON'S PHALAROPES, 1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER, 1 WILLET, and a few other things. 

At home, I added CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE (1!) for a new yard bird. Great morning. 

Well, tomorrow morning I'll be back at Paicines Reservoir, early, for latte with the bald eagle. Please join me.

Inland pelagics,

Debra

P.S. Birding in the afternoon in Hollister is not too much fun, as we almost always have wind at that time. Morning is best.

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

Hi, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip on Monday, September 15th began the day with a juvenile SABINE'S GULL in the harbor, spotted by the mother of two of the passengers on board! Knock out views, and great photo ops were had of this delightful small gull. The two HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued in the harbor. Offshore, a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER sitting in a mixed flock of SOOTY, PINK-FOOTED, and BULLER'S SHEARWATERS also offered up prize views and more photo ops. Although the day was filled with seabirds and the marine mammal show was quite stupendous, we could not locate any flocks of storm-petrels, owing to the more choppy surface of the seas, or to the fact that they just plain moved somewhere else! Those glassy seas were so reminiscent of the mid-1980's when we had so many spectacular calm days. Still, the Beaufort was only 2, sea surface temperature was steady at 59F. 

The leaders for this trip were: Clay Kempf, Luke Cole, David Vander Pluym, Don Doolittle, Steve Howell, & Debra Shearwater. Lauren Harter chummed the seabirds to the stern. Many thanks to all who came!

Spaces are available on our next trip, Monday, SEPTEMBER 22 with David Vander Pluym, David Wimpfheimer, Luke Cole, Oscar Johnson, & Debra Shearwater leading, and Lauren Harter chumming. 

Update on next weekend's trips: Jon Dunn will be joining the Shearwater Journey's leaders on the SEP 25, 26, and 28 trips. A few spaces are remaining on these trips. Jon Dunn will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, September 26th at the Monterey Bay Birding Festival. There's still time to join us!

The complete species list for the SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP follows:

COMMON LOON- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 18

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 750

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 70

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 4500

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 25

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 1

BROWN PELICAN- 20

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 250

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 2, on the CG jetty

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2

HARLEQUIN DUCK- 2

RUDDY TURNSTONE- 1

BLACK TURNSTONE- 5

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 125

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 11

POMARINE JAEGER- 11

PARASITIC JAEGER- 5

JAEGER SP.- 4

HEERMANN'S GULL- 100+

WESTERN GULL- 100+

SABINE'S GULL- 8

ELEGANT TERN- 80

FORSTER'S TERN- 2, over the kelp beds on Cannery Row

COMMON MURRE- 95

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 4

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 110

SEA OTTER- 8

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 400+

STELLER'S SEA LION- 1

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL- 1

HARBOR SEAL- 6

HUMPBACK WHALE- 24

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN- 2, cow/calf

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 150

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 45

 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 600+

DALL'S PORPOISE- 14

OCEAN SUNFISH- 2

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter with leaders: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, John Sterling, Clay Kempf, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater

AWESOME DAY: SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 MONTEREY BAY

Howdy, Seabirders, 

Another incredibly awesome day on Monterey Bay thrilled seabirders on Shearwater Journey's September 14, 2008 pelagic trip. Seas were glassy, greasy smooth throughout the day, allowing for amazing viewing, especially of the STORM-PETREL FLOCKS, which continued to be the highlight of the trip. At least 10,000 ASHY STORM-PETRELS were rafting over acres of the sea. Among them, the most sensational find was a single LEACH'S STORM-PETREL (white-rumped, northern? form), which flew very close to our boat for all to see. Many of the photographers on board were able to obtain images of the bird. Also found were 5 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, 5 FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS, and only 60 BLACK STORM-PETRELS. Other highlights included one FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER and 14 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS. The PEREGRINE FALCON has returned to its wintering spot on the radio tower on Cannery Row. One might say, however, that the true highlight of this day was the brilliant ocean conditions! Beaufort 0. Sea surface temperature 59F, steady.

We thank all of the participants who came from near and far for this trip. The leaders were: Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, John Sterling, Clay Kempf, Don Doolittle, David Vander Pluym, & Debra Shearwater. Lauren Harter was our diligent chummer. 

Spaces are still available on the following trips from MONTEREY: SEPTEMBER 22, 25, 27, 28; OCTOBER 3, 4, 5, 11, 18; NOVEMBER 29.

Spaces are still available on the following trips from BODEGA BAY: OCTOBER 9 & 17.

Spaces are still available on the OCTOBER 12 trip departing from SANTA CRUZ.

Please contact Debra Shearwater as soon as possible for a reservation.

The complete species list for SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 MONTEREY BAY follows:

MONTEREY COUNTY/SANTA CRUZ COUNTY

PACIFIC LOON- 4/0

EARED GREBE- 2/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 4/2

NORTHERN FULMAR- 1/0

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 865/18

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1/0

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 45/12

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 2570/10

WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 0/5

FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 0/5

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL- 0/1

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 67/10,000

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 0/60

BROWN PELICAN- 45/0

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 270/0

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2/0

HARLEQUIN DUCK- 2/0,. in Monterey harbor

SURF SCOTER- 19/0

RUDDY TURNSTONE- 1/0

BLACK TURNSTONE- 8/0

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 46/30

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 14/0

POMARINE JAEGER- 5/2

PARASITIC JAEGER- 4/0

JAEGER SP.-3/0

HEERMANN'S GULL- 75/4

CALIFORNIA GULL- 125/35

WESTERN GULL- 400/30

SABINE'S GULL- 7/2

ELEGANT TERN- 43/3

COMMON TERN- 2/0

COMMON/ARCTIC TERN- 1/0

COMMON MURRE- 190/0

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 210/0

GREAT BLUE HERON- 1/0, on the Coast Guard jetty

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

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD-1/0

SEA OTTER- 2/0

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 800/0

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 6/0

HARBOR SEAL- 6/0

HUMPBACK WHALE- 18/0

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN- 2/0, along Cannery Row, cow/calf

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 40/0

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 200/0

DALL'S PORPOISE- 3/0

OCEAN SUNFISH- 1/0

BLUE SHARK- 2/0

ADDENDUM to the SEPTEMBER 13, 2008 REPORT: MARINE MAMMALS SIGHTED:

HUMPBACK WHALE- 21

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 765

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 260

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 24

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 250

HARBOR SEAL- 6

SEA OTTER- 9

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SHEARWATER BIRTHDAY BIRDING: SEP 13, 2008 MONTEREY BAY

Howdy, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's Monterey offshore trip was a smashing success by any standards! California County Birders had a field day, adding as many as eight species to some of their county lists. With incredibly perfect seas and weather, we covered three counties today: MONTEREY, SANTA CRUZ, and SAN MATEO COUNTIES. Most of the day was spent in Santa Cruz County. Highlights in that county included thousands of storm-petrels— at least 7,000 ASHY STORM-PETRELS, 8 BLACK STORM-PETRELS, 3 FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS, 4 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, and amazingly, ONE LEACH'S STORM-PETREL! Other Santa Cruz County highlights included a BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER, 1 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER, all three species of JAEGERS, SOUTH POLAR SKUA, and RED PHALAROPES. SAN MATEO COUNTY highlights included: BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, PINK-FOOTED, BULLER'S and SOOTY SHEARWATERS, ASHY STORM-PETREL, RED and RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, SOUTH POLAR SKUA, POMARINE and PARASITIC JAEGERS, COMMON TERN, CASSIN'S and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS.

Dawn broke on greasy-smooth seas, with PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS riding the bow, and ASHY STORM-PETRELS still feeding in the earliest light, just off of Point Pinos. Many species were still actively feeding, while small flocks of shearwaters were awakened as our boat headed offshore to the shipping lanes. Miles and miles of feeding White-sided dolphins, and seabirds were soon joined by NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS. After traveling for many hours, we left many of the albatrosses and shearwaters behind, but found more CASSIN'S AUKLETS and mixed flocks of RED and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. Large container ships seemed so close to us, owing to the incredibly flat-calm seas, when in reality they were more than 8 miles away! Linda Terrill spotted a lone storm-petrel offshore, which Steve Howell announced was as a LEACH'S STORM-PETREL! Nearly everyone on board saw this single bird, and it was "high fives" everywhere! Jaegers hunting and harassing gulls, and just about anything that they could harass, filled the skies! Finally, a group of gulls and jaegers were seen harassing a passerine. We stopped the boat in hopes of saving the bird, as it escaped the jaws of one of its hunters. It made a beeline for our vessel— and on the deck plopped a Brown-headed Cowbird. Later, we found a Black and White Warbler, but it never landed on our boat. Dipping into San Mateo County was a lot of fun, and more county birds were ticked. We spent several hours with the storm-petrel flocks, picking them over and over until everyone had seen Wilson's, Fork-tailed, and Black. Satisfied and strained at the neck (Is there a petrel neck, like "warbler neck"?), the bow was given over to the photographers who then took their shots of the little petrels.  It was not until the end of the day when we found our first HUMPBACK WHALES. Exhausted, we returned to the dock, although many of us are preparing for yet another day or two on Monterey Bay! Truly, it must be one of the most spectacular places on earth for seabirds and marine mammals! 

Many thanks to all of the folks who traveled with us today, and to the leaders: Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Brian Sullivan, John Sterling, David Vander Pluym, and chummer Lauren Harter. The sea surface temperature ranged from 58-59F throughout the day. The Beaufort reading was 0, skies were uniformly high overcast for most of the day. Perfect.

Spaces are still available on Sep 14, 15, 22, 25, 27, 28 and on all of the October trips. Please email Debra Shearwater for a reservation.

The incomplete (marine mammal numbers missing) species list for SEPTEMBER 13, 2008 OFFSHORE MONTEREY BAY TRIP follows:

SANTA CRUZ/SAN MATEO/MONTEREY

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 11/1/3

NORTHERN FULMAR- 2/0/0

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 78/28/98

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1/0/0

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 60/2/25

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 55/14/130

WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 4/0/0

FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 3/0/0

LEACH'S STORM-PETREL- 1/0/0

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 7,000 (minimum)/5/200

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 8/0/1

LEAST STORM-PETREL-1 (?)/0/0

BROWN PELICAN- 5/0/40

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 0/0/75

WESTERN SANDPIPER- 1/0/0

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 48/40/45

RED PHALAROPE- 4/6/0

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 8/2/2

POMARINE JAEGER- 9/2/9

PARASITIC JAEGER- 4/0/8

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1/4/1

JAEGER SP.- 4/0/0

HEERMANN'S GULL- 40/0/150

WESTERN GULL- 120/0/250

SABINE'S GULL- 19/0/0

ELEGANT TERN- 12/2/137

COMMON TERN- 2/2/0

COMMON MURRE- 6/1/28

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 36/4/4

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 47/1/24

BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD- 1/0/0

BLACK & WHITE WARBLER- 1/0/0

Marine mammal totals will be posted tomorrow.

SEA OTTER

CALIFORNIA SEA LION

NORTHERN FUR SEAL

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL

HARBOR SEAL

HUMPBACK WHALE

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLHIN

DALL'S PORPOISE

It was a terrific birthday birding day for me!

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SEP 12 MONTEREY BAY: BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS!

Hello, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip from Monterey Bay today was extremely "birdy"! The highlight, in the late afternoon, was finding the "mother lode" of storm-petrels in one extremely long raft: 7000 ASHY STORM-PETRELS, 30 BLACK STORM-PETRELS, and 5 WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS, all in SANTA CRUZ COUNTY! This is the largest storm-petrel raft for this fall season that we have seen. And, we plan to head for it tomorrow! 

The morning began with TWO HARLEQUIN DUCKS in the harbor, and all of the usual suspects. Heading south to Bird Rock, we encountered quite a feeding spectacle of 2000 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS and about 1200 SOOTY SHEARWATERS. It was interesting that the day tallied more Pink-foots than sootys. Among these, we also found 175 BULLER'S and one FLESH-FOOTED. The shearwaters were feeding in distinct flocks, accompanied by HUMPBACK WHALES, PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED and NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS, CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS, Brown Pelicans, Elegant Terns, Brandt's Cormorants, and a few COMMON MURRES, RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. We visited flock after flock after flock, sometimes sitting on the water, completely stuffed with food, and sometimes in active pursuit of food! It was quite a sight. Things lulled for a bit as we headed north to the petrel grounds, but once the main flock was found, we were once again very busy. Notable today was that we did not find any Pigeon Guillemots or Cassin's Auklets. The sea surface temperature was a fairly constant 59F.

Spaces are still available on tomorrow's ALBACORE GROUNDS trip, which departs at 5:30 am, sharp, and returns at 5:30 pm. And, spaces are available on both our Sunday, September 14th, and Monday, September 15th trips. Please call or email me for a reservation. Please call only until 9 pm this evening. 

We thank all of the birders who traveled from near, and very far to join us on this great day. The leaders today were: Clay Kempf, Brian Sullivan, Steve Howell, and Debra Shearwater.

The complete species list follows:

SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 MONTEREY BAY WITH SHEARWATER JOURNEYS

COMMON LOON-1 in the harbor

WESTERN GREBE-1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 18

NORTHERN FULMAR- 1

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 2000

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 175

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 1200

WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 5

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 7000

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 30

BROWN PELICAN- 60

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 200

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 3

HARLEQUIN DUCK- 2

WHIMBREL- 12

BLACK TURNSTONE- 3

WILLET- 2

DOWITCHER sp.- 4

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 50

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 5

POMARINE JAEGER- 6

PARASITIC JAEGER- 5

PARASITIC/LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1

HEERMANNS' GULL- 200

CALIFORNIA GULL- 30

WESTERN GULL- 300

SABINE'S GULL- 1

ELEGANT TERN- 40

COMMON TERN- 6

COMMON MURRE- 45

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 70

SEA OTTER- 6

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 150

HARBOR SEAL- 12

HUMPBACK WHALE- 22

COMMON DOLPHIN- 2

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 80

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 300

DALL'S PORPOISE- 12

OCEAN SUNFISH- 6

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

Late Report: August 29, 2008 Monterey Pelagic Trip

Hello, Seabirders,

This is a late report for the August 29, 2008 Shearwater Journey's Monterey Bay pelagic trip, written by Linda Terrill. I thank all of the trip participants and the leaders who made this trip a success in my absence. The leaders for August 29 were: Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Clay Kempf, and Jennifer Green. 

Shearwater Journeys had another great day at sea on Friday, August 29^th, despite (again) a heavy marine layer limiting visibility much of the day.  The Long-tailed Duck in the harbor cooperated for excellent viewing right out of the slip, as a Belted Kingfisher perched on a mast to seemingly check out what we were all looking at. Rounding the breakwater full of Brandt's Cormorant's and a few Black Turnstones, we headed out, where Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwater numbers were both up from recent trips, and Buller's Shearwaters are increasing for their regular fall showing, with many graceful passes near the boat for the ooh's and ahh's these beautiful birds deservedly elicit.  Our wonderful eclectic  passenger group that had gathered from far and wide enjoyed the camaraderie of excitement for the first of almost 20 Black-footed Albatross of the day that made a rather quick but satisfying pass by the expert chumming at that back of the boat, to return shortly and sit for viewing and photo ops.  The cry of "Laysan" refocused all a bit later, as i t cruised straight for the boat, sailed majestically around the boat a few times, then sat for all to enjoy.  Ashy Storm-petrels in ones and twos kept largely to the edge of the fog, scattered through the day, and a group of Whimbrels flew over the boat on their search for land. A juvenile Black Tern was an unusual visitor out over the canyon, and one lone heavily-molting Pigeon Guillemot was spotted on the water on our way in. Red-necked Phalarope numbers were up, and a few scattered Red's made a showing.  Other highlights included a South Polar Skua harassing gulls in the wake for an extended show near the end of the day.  The marine mammal show was fun and varied, with three Humpback Whales giving good viewing, and three species of dolphins bow-riding, plus a very nice show by Risso's Dolphins.  A young male Elephant Seal uncharacteristically popped his head up near the boat repeatedly – seeming to check us out, as much as we were him.  The reciprocal curiosity was again displayed by a very cooperative (and yes, beautiful!) Blue Shark swimming on the surface next to the boat for extended viewing.

 

 

 

Species list:

 

Laysan Albatross – 1

Black-footed Albatross – 19

Pink-footed Shearwater – 180

Buller's Shearwater – 32

Sooty Shearwater – 2750

Ashy Storm-petrel – 47

Brown Pelican – 12

Brandt's Cormorant – 400

Pelagic Cormorant – 2

Surf Scoter – 2

Long-tailed Duck – 1

Kingfisher – 1

Whimbrel – 24

Black Turnstone – 5

Red-necked Phalarope – 590

Red Phalarope – 6

Sough Polar Skua – 1

Pomarine Jaeger – 9

Parasitic Jaeger – 2

Parasitic/Long-tailed Jaeger – 1

Heermann's Gull – 32

California Gull – 85

Western Gull – 65

Sabine's Gull – 6

Elegant Tern –f 17

Common Tern – 1

Black Tern – 1

Caspian Tern – 1

Common Murre – 165

Pigeon Guillemot – 1

Cassin's Aucklet – 60

Rhonoceros Aucklet – 78

 

Marine Mammals:

Sea Otters

California Sea Lions

Northern Elephant Seal – 1

Harbor Seals

Humpback Whale – 3

Northern Right Whale Dolphon – 35

Risso's Dolphon – 45+

Pacific White-sided Dolphon – 20

Dall's Porpoise – 25

Blue Shark – 2

Egg-yolk (many) and Moon (a few) Jellies

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SEP 7, 2008 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

Hello, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's September 7, 2008 pelagic trip from Monterey Bay did not disappoint the many participants who traveled from near and far in search of seabirds. Light fog, a relief from the hot days on shore, greeted the morning, but broke up early in the day. Seabirds were in view throughout the entire day— PINK-FOOTED, SOOTY, & BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, NORTHERN FULMAR, all three species of jaegers— POMARINE, PARASITIC, and LONG-TAILED, SOUTH POLAR SKUAS, RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, COMMON MURRES, RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, and more. Highlights included 1200 ASHY STORM-PETRELS in one large raft (in Santa Cruz County), a juvenile SABINE'S GULL at the Coast Guard Breakwater at the end of the day, and two ARCTIC TERNS. HUMPBACK WHALES put on a show, while RISSO'S DOLPHINS were actively feeding, and PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS made a brief appearance. The sea surface temperature was a warm, steady 60F throughout the day, with no temperature gradients. It was a very pleasant day on a very "birdy" Monterey Bay. 

UPCOMING PELAGIC TRIPS WITH SHEARWATER JOURNEYS: Spaces are still available on many trips. As soon as a trip is sold out, it will be listed as "Sold Out" on our web site. Please contact Debra Shearwater immediately for reservations. Email is preferred. 

MONTEREY (7 am until 3 pm)

SEP 12 with leaders Clay Kempf, Brian Sullivan, Steve Howell, & Debra Shearwater.

*SEP 14 with leaders Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, John Sterling, Clay Kempf, David Vander Pluym, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater. Chummer: Lauren Harter.

SEP 22 with leaders David Vander Pluym, David Wimpfheimer, Luke Cole, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater.

*SEP 25 with leaders Jim Danzenbaker, Steve Howell, & Debra Shearwater.

SEP 27 with leaders Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Steve Howell, Jim Danzenbaker, & Debra Shearwater.

*SEP 28 with leaders Denise Wight, Steve Howell, Jennifer Green, & Debra Shearwater.

*OCT 3 with leaders Clay Kempf, Jennifer Green, & Debra Shearwater.

*OCT 4 with leaders Clay Kempf & Debra Shearwater.

*OCT 11 leaders TBA.

*OCT 18 with leaders Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Clay Kempf, & Debra Shearwater.

MONTEREY (7 am until 4:30 pm)

*SEP 15 with leaders Luke Cole, Clay Kempf, Steve Howell, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater

MONTEREY ALBACORE (5:30 am until 5:30 pm)

*SEP 13 with leaders Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, John Sterling, Brian Sullivan, David Vander Pluym, & Debra Shearwater. Chummer: Lauren Harter.

*OCT 5 with leaders Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, & Debra Shearwater.

SANTA CRUZ (7 am until about 3:30 pm)

SEP 26 with leaders Steve Gerow, David Suddjian, Jennifer Green, Steve Howell, Alan Hopkins, & Debra Shearwater. SOLD OUT- WAIT LIST ONLY.

OCT 12 with leaders Clay Kempf, Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Jennifer Green, John Sterling, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater.

BODEGA BAY (6:30 am until about 4-5 pm)

*OCT 9 with leaders Lisa Hug, John Sterling, Steve Howell, Jim Danzenbaker, & Debra Shearwater. 

*OCT 17 with leaders Lisa Hug, John Sterling, Steve Howell, Jennifer Green, & Debra Shearwater.

*These trips are especially recommended for photographers. 

We thank all of the participants who helped make the September 7 trip a success. The complete species list follows:

SEPTEMBER 7, 2008 MONTEREY BAY:

EARED GREBE-1 summering in the harbor

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 48

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 330 

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 12

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 2400

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 1200

BROWN PELICAN- 35

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 140

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2

BLACK TURNSTONE- 8

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 1080

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 8

POMARINE JAEGER- 4

POMARINE/PARASITIC JAEGER- 2

PARASITIC JAEGER- 3

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1

HEERMANN'S GULL- 55

CALIFORNIA GULL- 115

WESTERN GULL- 400

SABINE'S GULL- 3

ELEGANT TERN- 47

ARCTIC TERN- 2

FORSTER'S TERN- 1

COMMON MURRE- 66

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 1

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 62

SEA OTTER- 5

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 100

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

HUMPBACK WHALE- 10, breaching & pectoral flipper slapping

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 22

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 6

OCEAN SUNFISH- 1

BLUE SHARK- 2

Shearwaters forever,

Debra Shearwater

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter