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.

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER (Puffinus creatopus) DARK MORPH

Howdy, Birders,

Perhaps the most unusual Monterey seabird on Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip, August 5, 2011 was this "dark morph" PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER (Puffinus creatopus), images copyright by Tom Johnson, below. These stunning images, perhaps the best-ever of this little-known seabird identification topic show the variable grayish plumage typical of "dark" Pink-footed Shearwaters. We have seen and photographed several of these individuals.
Typically, these shearwaters are first thought to be Flesh-footed Shearwaters. Closer inspection reveals that the plumage features of the darker, chocolate-colored Flesh-foots is lacking.
Pink-footed Shearwaters breed in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of Chile on Robinson Crusoe Island, Isla Santa Clara (Juan Fernandez group) and Isla Mocha off the central Chile coast. The Pink-footed Shearwater qualifies as a Red List Species.
Transequatorial migrants, Pink-footed Shearwaters disperse after breeding to feed in the off the coast of western North America. To see a map of the feeding routes of 2011 post migrants, click here. This is a project of Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge. Amazingly, I had the chance to see Pink-footed Shearwaters just last year, calling and circling overhead as they flew into their nest burrows on a hillside above, from where I was watching while in a hot tub on Robinson Crusoe Island.
This color banded Black-footed Albatross flew into the wake of our boat. It may read: "C648." We will try to track this down.
A few of Tom Johnson's images of the male KILLER WHALE, above and below.
For a complete species list of our August 5, 2011 Monterey trip, please see our Trip Report.
All images in this blog report are copyright, Tom Johnson. Please do not use without permission.

Shearwaters forever,

Debi Shearwater