SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

Hi, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip on Monday, September 15th began the day with a juvenile SABINE'S GULL in the harbor, spotted by the mother of two of the passengers on board! Knock out views, and great photo ops were had of this delightful small gull. The two HARLEQUIN DUCKS continued in the harbor. Offshore, a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER sitting in a mixed flock of SOOTY, PINK-FOOTED, and BULLER'S SHEARWATERS also offered up prize views and more photo ops. Although the day was filled with seabirds and the marine mammal show was quite stupendous, we could not locate any flocks of storm-petrels, owing to the more choppy surface of the seas, or to the fact that they just plain moved somewhere else! Those glassy seas were so reminiscent of the mid-1980's when we had so many spectacular calm days. Still, the Beaufort was only 2, sea surface temperature was steady at 59F. 

The leaders for this trip were: Clay Kempf, Luke Cole, David Vander Pluym, Don Doolittle, Steve Howell, & Debra Shearwater. Lauren Harter chummed the seabirds to the stern. Many thanks to all who came!

Spaces are available on our next trip, Monday, SEPTEMBER 22 with David Vander Pluym, David Wimpfheimer, Luke Cole, Oscar Johnson, & Debra Shearwater leading, and Lauren Harter chumming. 

Update on next weekend's trips: Jon Dunn will be joining the Shearwater Journey's leaders on the SEP 25, 26, and 28 trips. A few spaces are remaining on these trips. Jon Dunn will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, September 26th at the Monterey Bay Birding Festival. There's still time to join us!

The complete species list for the SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 MONTEREY BAY PELAGIC TRIP follows:

COMMON LOON- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 18

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 750

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 70

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 4500

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 25

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 1

BROWN PELICAN- 20

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 250

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT- 2, on the CG jetty

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2

HARLEQUIN DUCK- 2

RUDDY TURNSTONE- 1

BLACK TURNSTONE- 5

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 125

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 11

POMARINE JAEGER- 11

PARASITIC JAEGER- 5

JAEGER SP.- 4

HEERMANN'S GULL- 100+

WESTERN GULL- 100+

SABINE'S GULL- 8

ELEGANT TERN- 80

FORSTER'S TERN- 2, over the kelp beds on Cannery Row

COMMON MURRE- 95

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 4

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 110

SEA OTTER- 8

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 400+

STELLER'S SEA LION- 1

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL- 1

HARBOR SEAL- 6

HUMPBACK WHALE- 24

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN- 2, cow/calf

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 150

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 45

 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 600+

DALL'S PORPOISE- 14

OCEAN SUNFISH- 2

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010* 

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter with leaders: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, John Sterling, Clay Kempf, Don Doolittle, & Debra Shearwater