MONTEREY SEABIRDS: AUGUST 15, 2014 FIREWORKS!

Skua, Sabine's Gulls & Breaching Humpback Whales, Oh My!

Shearwater Journeys's August 15 pelagic trip started off with fireworks and ended with a grande finale! Monterey's seabirds were putting on a show by 8 a.m. with ELEGANT TERNS, below, feeding noisy, begging youngsters and flocks of thousands of SOOTY SHEARWATERS just outside of the harbor along with over thirty HUMPBACK WHALES. It was quite an image of marine bounty! Amongst the thousands of Sooty Shearwaters, were hundreds of BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS. Soon, we spotted a group of RISSO'S DOLPHINS, flocks of RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, and the first of a few RHINOCEROS AUKLETS. Offshore marine life was quiet, but this is where we found SOUTH POLAR SKUA and a small flock of SABINE'S GULLS, including the first juveniles of the fall season. A single CRAVERI'S MURRELET instantly flew off. Returning to the harbor along the Pacific Grove coastline, we ran into more Humpbacks, including one small individual that repeatedly breached, putting on a grand finale show much like the last fireworks of the evening on the 4th of July! Whale watching was superb and Monterey seabirds pulled out all the stops! 

ELEGANT TERN

SOOTY SHEARWATER

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER

 

BRANDT'S CORMORANT

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER

RISSO'S DOLPHIN

RISSO'S DOLPHINS have been observed on almost all of our trips. They feed on squid. 

There has been loads of squid around, both Monterey Bay and Half Moon Bay.

RISSO'S DOLPHIN calf in foreground showing the steely-gray, unscarred body. 

RHINOCEROS AUKLET, even in silhouette, the flat head is prominent, unlike a puffin which has a rounded head. The horn is even visible in this image. The horn is grown during breeding season. These auklets excavate a burrow underground for nesting. The horn wears down in the excavating process.

RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, the inshore phalarope species. 

SABINE'S GULLS, above, first of the season juvenile on left. 

HUMPBACK WHALE off Pacific Grove on our return to the harbor. 

Repeatedly breaching HUMPBACK WHALE!

Just like the grand finale at a 4th of July fireworks celebration!

This was a small HUMPBACK, even so, note the very long pectoral flippers, distinctive on an Humpback Whale. 

WHALE WATCHING boats watching the breaching HUMPBACK WHALE!

Spy-hopping HUMPBACK WHALE

Mouth of the HUMPBACK WHALE, slightly open. Notice the throat pleats which can expand when feeding, and many barnacles on the lower jaw, and the distinctive nobs on the top of the head. 

HUMPBACK WHALE, sounding in front of the whale watching boat. 

All images, copyright, Sophie Webb.

Please do not use without permission.

Many thanks to all of the folks who joined us from near and far. 

The leaders on this trip were: Todd McGrath, Sophie Webb, Rick Fournier, Jennifer Green, Jim Danzenbaker, John Sorensen, and Debi Shearwater. We headed southwest off the Monterey Submarine Canyon. The Sea Surface Temperature was an even 63F throughout the day — like a big bathtub.

THE COMPLETE SPECIES LIST FOR SHEARWATER JOURNEYS'S MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP, AUGUST 15, 2014 FOLLOWS:

ALL RECORDS FOR MONTEREY COUNTY

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 11

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 66

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 7650

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 450

BROWN PELICAN- 25

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 309

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2

WANDERING TATTLER- 1

BLACK TURNSTONE- 2

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 154

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 1

JAEGER SP.- 2

HEERMANN'S GULL- 65

CALIFORNIA GULL- 6

WESTERN GULL- 139

SABINE'S GULL- 8, including juveniles

ELEGANT TERN- 93

COMMON MURRE- 280

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 8

CRAVERI'S MURRELET- 1

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 1

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 11

SEA OTTER- 4

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 200

HARBOR SEAL- 2

HUMPBACK WHALE- 30 to 35

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 22

DALL'S PORPOISE- 3

OCEAN SUNFISH- 10

BY-THE-WIND-SAILORS- some, not as many as on July trips

UPCOMING MONTEREY BAY TRIPS & LEADERS

AUG. 22: Scott Terrill, Rick Fournier, Jennifer Green

SEP. 5: Rick Founier, Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green

SEP. 6: Scott & Linda Terrill

SEP. 9: Rick Fournier, Tom Johnson

SEP. 10: Tom Johnson

SEP. 11: Jennifer Green

SEP. 12: Tim Miller, Dena Spatz

SEP. 13, ALBACORE: Scott & Linda Terrill, Jennifer Green

SEP. 14: Clay Kempf

SEP. 25: Jon Dunn, Nick Levendosky, Jim Danzenbaker

SEP. 26: Kenn & Kimberly Kaufman, Scott & Linda Terrill

SEP. 27: Scott & Linda Terrill, Jim Danzenbaker, Jennifer Green

SEP. 28: Rick Fournier, Marissa Ortega-Welch, Courtenay Ray

OCT. 4: Nick Levendosky, Jennifer Green

OCT. 11: Nick Levendosky, Rick Fournier

Debi Shearwater will be co-leading on all trips

Shearwater Journeys has many pelagic seabird trips departing from HALF MOON BAY (next one, August 23), and BODEGA BAY (September 1 & 19). 

BREACHING HUMPBACKS FOREVER,

DEBI SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

TRIP REPORT: AUGUST 17, 2013 HALF MOON BAY: TEN SPECIES OF TUBENOSES!

FIRST OF SEASON: FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER

Howdy, Birders,

This is a trip report for Shearwater Journeys' August 17, 2013 pelagic trip departing from Half Moon Bay, California. Highlights included: LAYSAN ALBATROSS; FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER (first of the fall season), BULLER'S SHEARWATER, ASHY STORM-PETREL, WILSON'S and BLACK STORM-PETRELS (seen well by almost all on board), POMARINE, PARASITIC and LONG-TAILED JAEGERS; COMMON and ARCTIC TERNS; and HUMPBACK WHALES. All images, copyright, Todd McGrath. Please do not use without permission. Want to learn more about "tubenoses?" Click here. 

 A whopping TEN SPECIES OF TUBENOSES were observed on this trip!

We started the morning by taking a drive through the thousands of SOOTY SHEARWATERS which I had previously reported near the Pillar Point Harbor. In addition, we tallied some 325 PELAGIC CORMORANTS which might be a high count in recent years for the central coast of California. Undoubtedly, these birds are feeding on the schooling ANCHOVIES. 

A LAYSAN ALBATROSS, above followed our vessel for nearly three hours, appearing in both San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. 

 

The first FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER of the fall season showed up, as leaders Linda Terrill and Todd McGrath spotted it simultaneously. As usual, it flew right past the wake of the boat — long enough for Todd to capture the image, above. This is one of the "highly prized" species on West Coast pelagic trips. It may become more so in the future, as biologists are working to make a more accurate estimate of the world population of this species. Some biologists in Australia are making dire estimates that the population has plummeted from an original estimate of 450,000 pairs to 60,000 pairs. 

 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, above, were found in mixed species flocks.

 We tallied all three species of jaegers: POMARINE, PARASITIC, above & LONG-TAILED. 

 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, above, were with us throughout the day.

SABINE'S GULL, above, were found in both San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. 

Returning to the harbor at day's end, we were treated to the sight of feeding seabirds, including nearly 800 ELEGANT TERNS. Above, an adult is feeding a still dependent youngster. Grow up, already!

We had a wonderful, nearly 11 hour day at sea. One new Big Year birder was on board, Ron Furnish, who ticked a load of new birds for the year. One young birder, Will, scored 16 Life Birds! The leaders on this trip were: Todd McGrath, Jim Holmes, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill and Debi Shearwater. Many thanks to all of those folks who traveled from near and far to join us at sea!

The complete species list follows for SAN MATEO/SAN FRANCISCO COUNTIES/TOTAL

AUGUST 17, 2013 SHEARWATER JOURNEYS

WESTERN GREBE- 12/0/12

CLARK'S GREBE- 1/0/1

WESTERN/CLARK'S GREBE- 30/0/30

LAYSAN ALBATROSS- 1/1/1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 6/8/8

NORTHERN FULMAR- 0/1/1

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 26/64/90

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 0/1/1

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 3/0/3

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 8135/130/8265

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

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 42/84/126

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 3/0/3

BROWN PELICAN- 1200/0/1200

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 130/0/130

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 90/0/90

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 325/0/325

BLACK OYSTERCATCHER- 7/0/7

WANDERING TATTLER- 2/0/2

BLACK TURNSTONE- 11/0/11

SURFBIRD- 1/0/1

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 3/3/6

RED PHALAROPE- 19/36/55

POMARINE JAEGER- 1/3/4

PARASITIC JAEGER- 0/2/2

LONG-TAILED JAEGER- 1/6/9

HEERMANN'S GULL- 1500/1/1500

CALIFORNIA GULL- 190/1/190

WESTERN GULL- 925/25/950

SABINE'S GULL- 5/2/7

ELEGANT TERN- 800/0/800

COMMON TERN- 2/0/2

ARCTIC TERN- 2/0/2

COMMON MURRE- 310/14/ 325

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 12/0/12

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 0/7/7

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 4/4/8

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 25/3/28

STELLER'S SEA LION- 1/0/1

HUMPBACK WHALE- 0/2/2

HARBOR PORPOISE- 12/0/12

SPACES ARE AVAILABLE ON THESE UPCOMING TRIPS:

HALF MOON BAY: AUG 25; SEP 8, 9, 16, 22, 28, 29; OCT 6, 27; NOV 16

BODEGA BAY: AUG 30; SEP 20; OCT 18

MONTEREY: ALBACORE TRIP: SEP 7 

MONTEREY BAY: AUG 23; SEP 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 27; OCT 5, 13, 25

Jump on board!

Tubenoses Forever,

Debi 

RETURN OF THE ANCHOVY SPARKS SEABIRD FEEDING FRENZY

Hello, Birders,

You might think that the ANCHOVY is something that only comes on your pizza. Or, something you "hold" when ordering a pizza! 

Actually, the Northern Anchovy is a small, schooling fish that supplies food for many open ocean seabirds and mammals. As such, it is an extremely important part of the pelagic food web. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a beautiful and mesmerizing display of Northern Anchovies. 

In 2008, our local anchovy population crashed. However, this year, it has returned with some incredible feeding frenzies of seabirds, easily viewed and photographed while standing on shore! 

Above, is Linda Terrill's video of ELEGANT TERNS, part of this huge feeding frenzy of seabirds which comprises nearly 800 of the terns, as well as 8 - 10,000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, hundreds of BROWN PELICANS and HEERMANN'S GULLS. Linda, who is a leader for Shearwater Journeys' trips, shot this video on during our return to Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay at the end of Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip, August 17, 2013. 

Join us on our Half Moon Bay trip, AUGUST 25! For reservations contact: debi@shearwaterjourneys.com.

Shearwaters Forever,

Debi

EVENINGS AT PILLAR POINT, HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA

Howdy, Birders,

If you are anywhere in the neighborhood of Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay, California you might want to stop to see the seabird spectacle that happens most evenings and sometimes, early mornings, as well. There is a good anchovy run, right up to the beach, happening, right now! Up to 10,000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, 200 BROWN PELICANS, 300 HEERMANN'S GULLS and as many as 800 ELEGANT TERNS are feeding on the schooling anchovies. 

 A small portion of the massive numbers of ELEGANT TERNS, resting on the jetty at Pillar Point.

A very small portion of the nearly 10,000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, in swarming flocks, feeding on anchovies. 

After an extremely disheartening show of Sooty Shearwaters last year, this is good to see. Sooty Shearwaters were seen in a few large flocks from shore last year, and even inside of the Pillar Point Harbor, but they were not feeding. Rather, they were looking for food — and, not finding it. The Central California anchovy population crashed in 2008. It seems that they are now making a comeback! Don't take the Sooty Shearwater for granted. The population is still in decline. Don't miss this scene if you are in California, just south of San Francisco.
Shearwater Journeys has a number of upcoming trips departing from Pillar Point, Half Moon Bay. This morning, we had wonderful views of this ocean event. During out nearly 11 hour pelagic trip today, we saw 10 species of tubenoses! A full report will come later. Heading out, again, tomorrow.
Shearwaters Forever,
Debi Shearwater