AUGUST 12, 2011 MONTEREY BAY: IMAGES OF THE DAY BY ABE BORKER

ABE BORKER

Howdy, Birders,

Please enjoy Abe Borker's images from Shearwater Journeys' August 12, 2011 Monterey Bay pelagic trip. It was a spectacular seabirding day! All images are copyright, Abe Borker. Please do not use without permission from Abe. To see more of Abe's outstanding images, click here.

Enjoy! Debi Shearwater

Above, Franklin's Gull and below, Black-footed Albatross.

Both Red and Red-necked Phalaropes were seen in good numbers, which are increasing each day.

Common Terns migrate offshore along with Arctic Terns, sometimes an ID challenge.

Franklin's Gull, above and below, uncommon in our area.

We tallied an amazing 225 Northern Fulmars, a high count for this time of year, but not unprecedented.

Sabine's Gull, above, will increase in numbers over the next several weeks.

The feeding frenzy behind the boat, above. Note the fulmar in the foreground.

Pomarine Jaeger above. All jaeger numbers will increase over the coming weeks.

Jaegers chase terns and gulls until they drop their food.

Um, mmm. I'd drop my food, if this mighty "hawk of the sea", above, was bearing down on me!

Some of the best, and closest views of Ashy Storm-Petrels, ever. Fork-tails and Blacks, too.

Most of the Laysan Albatrosses showing up at this time of year are likely from the breeding colony on Guadalupe Island, Mexico.

TRIP REPORT: AUGUST 12, 2011: MONTEREY BAY

Howdy, Birders,

Monterey's seabirds did not disappoint us on our sixth pelagic trip of the fall season! We started the trip with a bang— a stunningly beautiful FRANKLIN'S GULL in alternate plumage, just off Cannery Row. Although the face feathers are molting, the pink breeding blush on the breast is still evident. This bird followed us for several minutes. Other highlights included: LAYSAN ALBATROSS, FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER and four species of STORM-PETRELS.

Again, we found two SURFBIRDS, along with the usual BLACK TURNSTONES along the Coast Guard Breakwater. The PEREGRINE FALCON was, again, perched on the radio tower near the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Many father/chick COMMON MURRE pairs were present. PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were just outside the kelp beds.

Before 9:30 a.m. we had already ticked FORK-TAILED, ASHY and BLACK STORM-PETRELS, SABINE'S GULLS, NORTHERN FULMAR, BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, RED and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, CASSIN'S AUKLETS and ELEGANT TERNS. Yet, remarkably, we had not yet espied a PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER. Soon enough, these tubenoses were following our vessel. Wes dropped out his superslick line and the storm-petrels put on quite a show! Great for nice close up views— some of the best views, ever, of Ashy Storm-Petrels.
Before long, a LAYSAN ALBATROSS flew in to check out the commotion! Meanwhile, POMARINE and PARASITIC JAEGERS harassed the gulls.
The SABINE'S GULL show following our boat was pretty spectacular. Amazingly, we saw no whales! The whale watching boats out on the bay also had a very difficult time finding any whales. They seemed to have disappeared. The only cetaceans for the day were two BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS spotted by Jean Myer's along Cannery Row. Whales come and go, depending on where the food shows up. That's why it is always a good idea to book trips from at least two ports. I'd recommend our Half Moon Bay departures, as we had trouble navigating amongst the 75+ whales each day, last September! Nevertheless, the seabird show was awesome.

Many thanks to all of the birders who came from near and far (Belgium) for this trip. Shearwater Leaders on this day were: Jennifer Green, Wes Fritz, Todd McGrath, Abe Borker, John Sorensen and Debi Shearwater. Derek Lovitch, leader for Wings bird tour company, was a guest leader.

The complete species list follows:

12 AUGUST 2011 MONTEREY BAY with SHEARWATER JOURNEYS covering both Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties:

LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 30

NORTHERN FULMAR- 225

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 42

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1, seen by only a few. A definite ID, not the dark morph Pink-footed Shearwater. First of fall.

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 5000

WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 1, seen by only a few

FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL- 4, (2 Monterey, 2 Santa Cruz Counties)

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 70

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 9

BROWN PELICAN- 7, offshore

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 350

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 4

BLACK TURNSTONE- 9

SURFBIRD- 2

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 700

RED PHALAROPE- 300

RED/RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 100

POMARINE JAEGER- 9

POMARINE/PARASITIC JAEGER- 1

PARASITIC JAEGER- 2

HEERMANN'S GULL- 40

CALIFORNIA GULL- 25

WESTERN GULL- 125

WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 2

SABINE'S GULL- 52, 5 juvs, 4 first summer

*FRANKLIN'S GULL- 1

ELEGANT TERN- 13

COMMON TERN- 2

COMMON/ARCTIC TERN- 3

COMMON MURRE- 353

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 21

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 21

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 0, unusual

PEREGRINE FALCON- 1, on the radio tower

SEA OTTER- 12

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 200

HARBOR SEAL- 2

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN- 2

MOON JELLIES + EGG YOLK JELLIES

All images in this post, copyright, ABE BORKER. Please do not use without permission from the photographer.

See more of Monterey's seabirds, as diversity and species numbers will only increase over the coming days: AUG 26; SEP 8, 9, 11, 12, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26; OCT 1, 8, 16; NOV 27. Or, join us on one a trip from one of the following ports: BODEGA BAY, FORT BRAGG and HALF MOON BAY. To view our complete schedule, click here. For reservations, please email me at: debi@shearwaterjourneys.com.

Shearwaters forever,

Debi Shearwater