Sept. 10 trip report

It is strange how things change on the Monterey Bay. Last weekend’s trip we called the Sooty Shearwater Study Tour when we found only one each of Buller’s and Pink-footed Shearwaters. A week later we find more PINK-FOOTS than I’ve ever seen in one day on the bay. I estimate we saw about 1,000 for the day and they outnumbered the Sooties by a wide margin. There was a PFSH in view almost continuously after we passed Pt. Pinos.

All photos copyright by permission only Martijn Verdoes/www/agami.com

Pink-footed Shearwater

BULLER’S SHEARWATERS still remain scarce with only 16 seen on the day but we did manage to find a grand total of 3 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS to the excitement of the visiting group of birders from Denmark. The shot below is not photoshopped!

Flesh-footed (L) and Pink-footed Shearwaters

The first of fall SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER was photographed by Martijn Verdoes to give us five species of shearwater for the day.

Martijn adjusted the size of the Sooty in this photoshopped comparison so it would match the Short-tailed Shearwater on the right.

We were able to achieve the Skua Slam with sightings of PARASITIC, POMARINE and LONG-TAILED JAEGERS and 2 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS.

Other good bonus birds seen this day included 2 BLACK TERNS and a single TUFTED PUFFIN.

Tufted Puffin

Weirdest sighting of the day was of a DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT that we saw 10 miles from land. Add 2 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS and a TOWNSEND’S WARBLER and we totaled 28 species on the day which is pretty good for a Monterey Bay pelagic.

Brown-headed Cowbird and friend

eBird report

Monterey Bay pelagic (MTY Co.), Monterey, US-CA Sep 10, 2011 8:15 AM - 2:45 PM Protocol: Traveling 40.0 mile(s) Comments:     Monterey Seabirds trip w/ Todd Easterla, Martijn Verdoes, Matthew Dodder, Richard Ternullo skipper and Alex Rinkert chummer. Also Martin Meyers and Ken Peterson and the Danish Field Ornithologists (DOF) Confused seas and wind kept us from going to the north coast so we spent the day in Monterey County waters. Seas were Beaufort 3 at times with high overcast marine layer all day but good visibility. 28 species (+1 other taxa) 

Black-footed Albatross  100

Northern Fulmar  25

Pink-footed Shearwater  1000

Flesh-footed Shearwater  3

Buller's Shearwater  16

Sooty Shearwater  750

Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater  1     photographed

Ashy Storm-Petrel  10

Double-crested Cormorant  1     10 miles from shore

Brown Pelican  30

Red-necked Phalarope  12

Red Phalarope  20

Sabine's Gull  20

Heermann's Gull  50

Western Gull  80

California Gull  30

Black Tern  2

Common Tern  5

Elegant Tern  3

South Polar Skua  2

Pomarine Jaeger  8

Parasitic Jaeger  8

Long-tailed Jaeger  10

Common Murre  300

Cassin's Auklet  15

Rhinoceros Auklet  120

Tufted Puffin  1

Townsend's Warbler  1

Brown-headed Cowbird  2