THE BEEF BETWEEN
DEBI SHEARWATER & SANDY KOMITO
This is a (serious) trip report for Shearwater Journeys' July 28, 2012 pelagic trip departing from Half Moon Bay. Highlights included: LAYSAN ALBATROSS, BULLER'S SHEARWATER, FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL, POMARINE, PARASITIC and LONG-TAILED JAEGERS; SABINE'S GULL; MARBLED and SCRIPP'S MURRELETS; BLUE and HUMPBACK WHALES; NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS and PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and, er, Debi pulling the knife.
Compared to our trip the day prior, July 27th, the northwest wind was blowing a bit, but not a lot. It was just enough to get the Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels up close and personal behind our boat. Sandy Komito of The Big Year fame was on board for his second trip in a row. He didn't complain one bit about stopping for forty three HUMPBACK WHALES the day before. Just kidding! We tried really hard for Cook's and Hawaiian Petrels, making it all the way to the Pioneer Canyon. But, none were found. It seems that the conditions are not right for Cook's Petrels at all this year. Far offshore (100 miles) trips by another birder, have turned up few Cook's. However, what I suspected was that the marine weather was setting up for us to make a "hit" on Hawaiian Petrels. The only problem was that the "setup" had just begun on this day. The conditions did in fact, materialize — on August 2 at Monterey Bay — where we did see a HAWAIIAN PETREL! Life Bird for Sandy Komito and many of the folks on board. If you didn't see the movie, "The Big Year" check it out. It stars Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin. Angelica Huston plays Debi Shearwater in the movie and she pulls a knife on Owen Wilson who plays Sandy Komito. No, it never happened in "real" life.
It was a great day at sea. The leaders on this day were: Al DeMartini and Debi Shearwater, with Ross Schaefer chumming. Many thanks to all of the birders who joined us.
The complete species list follows, with SAN MATEO/SAN FRANCISCO COUNTIES:
LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 0/1
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 13/30
NORTHERN FULMAR- 0/3
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 130/400
BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 0/2
SOOTY SHEARWATER- 350/250
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 0/3
ASHY STORM-PETREL- 11/70
BROWN PELICAN- 300/100
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 4/0
PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2/0
BLACK OYSTERCATCHER- 2/0
WANDERING TATTLER- 1/0
BLACK TURNSTONE- 6/0
SURFBIRD- 5/0
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 300/100
RED PHALAROPE- 2/5
POMARINE JAEGER- 0/2
PARASITIC JAEGER- 0/3
PARASITIC/LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 0/4
LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1/4
HEERMANN'S GULL- 75/0
CALIFORNIA GULL- 30/4
WESTERN GULL- 145/60
SABINE'S GULL- 30/100
CASPIAN TERN- 1/0
ELEGANT TERN- 250/0
COMMON MURRE- 310/75
PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 11/0
MARBLED MURRELET- 7/0
SCRIPP'S MURRELET- 2/0
CASSIN'S AUKLET- 2/4
RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 4/3
CALIFORNIA SEA LION- +
NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 3
HARBOR SEAL- 1
BLUE WHALE- 2
HUMPBACK WHALE- 7
NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 20
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 55
HARBOR PORPOISE- 2
To say that we had a lot of fun on our first three trips this season is an understatement! Sandy Komito and I had a blast hamming it up for the photographers, trying to create a "beef" where there is none!
Hope to see you out there!
Shearwaters Forever,
Debi Shearwater
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