copyright 2004 Shearwater Journeys

Hello, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journeys began its' 28th season of fall pelagic trips on August 7, 2004 from Monterey. On August 8, 2004, along with Golden Gate and Sequoia Audubon Societies and friends, we made our annual trip to the Farallon Islands from Sausalito. Excitement was high as we entered yet another year of seabirding along California's central coast.

August 7 Monterey Bay

The trip from Monterey departed Fisherman's Wharf at 7:30 am. Unfortunately, this was the first trip in five years where we have been socked in with fog for the entire day! This fog was low on the water, and visibility was often less than one eight of a mile. It made finding large flocks of seabirds virtually impossible, and finding whales even more so. Nevertheless, we were able to very large flocks of ghostly-looking SOOTY SHEARWATERS taking off the water as our vessel approached them. Incredibly, we were the only folks to find whales, as well‹7 HUMPBACKS! I guess some folks have all the luck. We tallied 9 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES, many of them flying up the wake! Flocks of SABINE'S GULLS brought our daily total to 30. It was lovely to see them. We tallied some of the other usual suspects: 4 NORTHERN FULMARS, 15 PINK-FOOTED and 10,000 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, BROWN PELICAN, BRANDT'S and PELAGIC CORMORANTS, 40 RED-NECKED and 1 RED PHALAROPE, HEERMANN'S, CALIFORNIA, HERRING (1), and WESTERN GULLS, 20 ELEGANT TERNS, 20 COMMON MURRES, 8 PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, and remarkably no Cassin's or Rhinoceros Auklets (see next report). Marine mammals included: CALIFORNIA SEA LION, SEA OTTER, and HARBOR SEAL, HUMPBACK WHALES, and 4 RISSO'S DOLPHINS.

August 8 Farallon Islands

Dawn brought a totally different day on August 8 for our trip to the Farallon Islands. Forecasts of high winds never materialized, and we enjoyed a Beaufort 0-.5 seas all day long! Gone was the low fog, and instead, we had the ideal, "uniformly high overcast skies"! Perfect conditions! Passing under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, we began by tallying the first of 30 HARBOR PORPOISES, some common murre father and chick pairs, and our first TUFTED PUFFIN in full alternate plumage. Approaching the islands, we encountered the first HUMPBACK WHALE of the day, which was quickly eclipsed by the LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE which was nearby! This was the first leatherback of the fall season, a rare living dinosaur.

At the islands, we were very surprised to find thousands of CASSIN'S AUKLETS feeding on small fish. This is most unusual. Several RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were around, as well. The sounds and sights of thousands of seabirds flying in and out of their nesting crevices was indeed very powerful. After taking in our fill of the auklets only several feet off the boat, and shooting many rolls of film, we moved offshore a short distance only to encounter a rare summering GRAY WHALE. Continuing offshore to some 30 miles, we began finding our first BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES, NORTHERN FULMARS, SOOTY and PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS. I spotted a flock of shearwaters sitting on the water, and our captain slowed the boat for a closer inspection‹yes! the first BULLER'S SHEARWATERS of the fall season were sitting in the flock. The seas were glassy with many "paddies" of drift kelp. One paddy held a beautiful COMMON TERN. Miles away, dolphins were breaking the surface, breezing along. When we finally caught up with them, we were surrounded by over a thousand NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS and a few PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS. More TUFTED PUFFINS flew around our boat. Reluctantly, we headed back to the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito, passing breaching humpbacks, and ending one very fine day at sea.

The trip report follows:
August 8-
Black-footed Albatross-9
Northern Fulmar-30
Pink-footed Shearwater-80
Buller's Shearwater-2
Sooty Shearwater-500
Brown Pelican+
Brandt's Cormorant+
Double-crested Cormorant+
Pelagic Cormorant-5
Black Oystercatcher-1
Red-necked Phalarope-60
Red Phalarope-3
Pomarine Jaeger-2
Heermann's Gull+
California Gull+
Herring Gull-1
Western Gull+
Sabine's Gull-12
Elegant Tern+
Common Tern-3
Forster's Tern+
Common Murre++
Pigeon Guillemot-40
Cassin's Auklet-4,500
Rhinoceros Auklet-12
Tufted Puffin-12
California Sea Lion++
Northern Fur Seal-1
Northern Elephant Seal-1
Gray Whale-1
Humpback Whale-8
Northern Right Whale Dolphin-1,400
Pacific White-sided Dolphin-50
Harbor Porpoise-30
Ocean Sunfish-8
Blue Shark-3
Leatherback Sea Turtle-1*

Shearwater Journeys thanks Alan Hopkins and Luke Cole for co-leading on August 8th and Mike Danzenbaker, Jennifer Green, Rusty Scalf, and Don Doolittle for co-leading on August 7th.

Upcoming trips: As this is just the beginning of fall seabird migration, we have a full schedule of trips ahead of us. From Monterey, we offer: August 13 and 29, September 5, 11, 13, 24, 25, October 1, 3, 8, 9, 15, November 27. The September 13th trip has been upgraded to a very nice, larger vessel (Debi's birthday trip!). We offer albacore trips that run for 12 hours from Monterey on Sep 12 and Oct 2 and 10. From Bodega Bay trips are scheduled for: Aug 15 and 23, Sep 10, 17, and 26, Oct 11. From Fort Bragg where we have found many records of rare seabirds: August 17, 20, and 21, Sep 19 and 28, and Oct 13. Spaces are available on all trips. Please make a reservation by contacting Debra Shearwater at the phone numbers or email listed below. PLEASE NOTE: Debra will be out of the office from August 16th through August 26th, attending the British Bird Fair. Please see the web site for details during this period.

The Aug 7 & 8 trips were just the start of fall migration, and we expect that more and more seabirds will be arriving each day, both numbers and variety of seabirds will continue to change over the next three months. It is a very exciting time, and one of the best places in the world to observe seabirds and marine mammals, ...and turtles!!

Shearwaters forever,
Debi

Click on the Murrelet to find out how to reserve a trip.