April 18, 2009 Trip Report
Archive
Saturday April 18, 2009
As I write up this trip report Central California is experiencing record breaking high temperatures. If only that had been the case for our April 18th outing. As it was we were subjected to a double whammy of both wind and fog so the day was a chilly one with bad visibility. The winds at this time of year are to be expected and appreciated as they are what drives the food chain in the Monterey Bay and coast of California but the fog this time of year is atypical.
One trip highlight occurred shortly after leaving the harbor. Off of Cannery Row we were pointing out the Sea Otters anchored in the kelp forest when our attention was called to some commotion that turned out to be a copulating pair of otters. This was a first for many of us on board and admittedly we were voyeurs to the act which was devoid of any tenderness. The male appeared to be brutalizing his mate, gripping her nose in his sharp teeth and holding her under water for long periods of time. Fortunately it did not go on for long. They broke it off when I brought out the video camera, no YouTube for them! But Glen Tepke did capture some still shots of the mating activity, including this photo of the male biting the female's nose.
As to the birds, here is what Don Roberson compiled for Ebird:
12 45 1 1 80 15 8 2 2000 1 5 15 1 3 1 40 100 1 50 3 1 2 75 2 5 2 12 6 Brant (Black) Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter (North American) male Red-throated Loon Pacific Loon Black-footed Albatross (conservative estimate) Northern Fulmar 2 white morph Pink-footed Shearwater Sooty Shearwater Short-tailed Shearwater (photos) Brown Pelican Brandt's Cormorant Whimbrel (American) 2 mi offshore, heading N Red-necked Phalarope Black-legged Kittiwake Bonaparte's Gull Western Gull Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) California Gull Herring Gull (American) Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) Glaucous-winged Gull Common Murre Cassin's Auklet Rhinoceros Auklet Harlequin Duck (pair in the harbor) Pigeon Guillemot Pelagic Cormorant
Also seen:
BLACK TURNSTONE
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN NORTHERN FUR SEAL CALIFORNIA SEA LION
For additional photos, see Jeff Poklen's photo gallery for the April 18 seabird cruise.
Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds
Species mentioned
Pacific White-sided Dolphin · Short-tailed Shearwater · Black-footed Albatross · Pink-footed Shearwater · Black-legged Kittiwake · Red-necked Phalarope · Glaucous-winged Gull · California Sea Lion · Brandt's Cormorant · Pelagic Cormorant · Rhinoceros Auklet · Northern Fur Seal · Sooty Shearwater · Bonaparte's Gull · Pigeon Guillemot · Northern Fulmar · Black Turnstone · California Gull · Cassin's Auklet · Harlequin Duck · Brown Pelican · Pacific Loon · Herring Gull · Western Gull · Common Murre · Surf Scoter · Brant