TUFTED PUFFIN STAR: SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 TRIP REPORT

Howdy, Seabirders,

The September 28th Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip from Monterey started out with some dense fog, that lifted by 10 a.m. with great visibility for the remainder of the day. The singular highlight of the day was TUFTED PUFFIN that leader, Linda Terrill spotted sitting on the water. Everyone on board had great views, and the photographers were delighted. This represents the only fall sighting of a tufted puffin for Monterey Bay. (Although, our trip to the Farallon Islands in early August always records them, as they are presumed to breed on the islands). We saw most of the fall migrants, including five species of shearwaters: 180 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 1 or 2 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 20 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, 330 SOOTY SHEARWATERS, and 3 to 5 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS. The large, mixed feeding groups of both whales, dolphins, sea lions, and seabirds continued.

We thank all of the trip participants who traveled from near and far, and the Monterey Bay Birding Festival for its support of this trip. The leaders were: Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, Jim Danzenbaker, Oscar Johnson, Don Doolittle, Steve Howell, and Debra Shearwater. 

Spaces are still open on all of our October trips, except the October 12th trip from Santa Cruz which is sold out. Spaces are available on the November 29th trip.

The complete species tally follows:

SEPTEMBER 27, 2008 MONTEREY BAY

PACIFIC LOON- 10

COMMON LOON- 2

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 29

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 180

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1 or 2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 20

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 330

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 3 to 5

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 3

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 1

BROWN PELICAN- 100

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 300

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 2

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER- 5

BLACK TURNSTONE- 8

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 45

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 5

POMARINE JAEGER- 9

POMARINE/PARASITIC- 2

PARASITIC JAEGER- 4

JAEGER SP.- 2

HEERMANN'S GULL- 150

CALIFORNIA GULL- 70

WESTERN GULL- 300

SABINE'S GULL- 3

ELEGANT TERN- 70

COMMON MURRE- 800

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 2, in the harbor

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 15

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 180

TUFTED PUFFIN- 1

SEA OTTER- 3

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 400

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 2

HUMPBACK WHALE- 30

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 100

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 420

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 220

DALL'S PORPOISE- 12

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* 

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