September 19, 2009 Trip Report
Archive
Saturday September 19, 2009
Our plan was simple. Drive the boat west to where the sea surface temperature map indicated a temperature break from 57.5 degrees F to 61.5. That being said we made it out 44 nautical miles west of Pt. Pinos where we found the albacore tuna fishermen trolling. We found the blue water to be relatively birdless with the exception of numerous RED PHALAROPES. We did see what appeared to be a distant cookilaria petrel but it was too far away to be certain.
It did get a bit bumpy with conditions at Beaufort 4 with some gusty northwest winds.
The trip highlight has to be the 15 FIN WHALES that we had very satisfying looks at whilst sitting on a slick. Avian highlights were two XANTUS'S MURRELETS and our First Of Season BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER which Todd Easterla spotted as we made our way back into the Monterey Bay.
Once again we saw very few BULLER'S SHEARWATERS (15) but many POMARINE and LONG-TAILED JAEGERS.
All told we traveled 110 miles straight out and back. (See map below.)
Here are the totals that Don Roberson tallied for eBird:
Monterey Bay and offshore waters:
Black-footed Albatross 15
Northern Fulmar 8
Pink-footed Shearwater 75
Buller's Shearwater 15
Sooty Shearwater 150
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater 1
Ashy Storm-Petrel 25
Brandt's Cormorant 1 this imm ~32 nmi offshore, which is way out there for a cormorant
Red-necked Phalarope 300
Red Phalarope 100
Sabine's Gull 320
Heermann's Gull 20
Western Gull 50
California Gull 50
Common Tern 1
Arctic Tern 2
Common/Arctic Tern 2
South Polar Skua 3
Pomarine Jaeger 36
Parasitic Jaeger 6
Long-tailed Jaeger 45
jaeger sp. 4
Common Murre 50
Xantus's Murrelet (scrippsi) 2
Cassin's Auklet 70
Rhinoceros Auklet 120
Inside Pt. Pinos to Harbor
Common Loon 1
Sooty Shearwater 40
Black-vented Shearwater 1
Brown Pelican 15
Brandt's Cormorant 500
Pelagic Cormorant 2
Great Egret 1
Black Turnstone 6 on C.G. jetty
Surfbird 2 on C.G. jetty
Red-necked Phalarope 15
Heermann's Gull 75
Mew Gull (American) 1 1st cycle bird following boat just off Lovers Pt.; nice views -- my first of fall (found by R. Wolfe & T. Easterla)
Western Gull 150
California Gull 75
Elegant Tern 50
Common Murre 10
Pigeon Guillemot 5 exact count; all juvs. It appears that all adults have left
Marine Mammals:
Fin Whale 15
Humpback Whale 12
Harbor Seal
Elephant Seal
Northern Fur Seal
California Sea Lion
Sea Otter
See the Google Earth image showing locations of points along the track in red (same route out and back) and county boundaries in white (opens in new window).
Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds
Species mentioned
Short-tailed Shearwater · Black-vented Shearwater · Black-footed Albatross · Pink-footed Shearwater · Red-necked Phalarope · Buller's Shearwater · California Sea Lion · Brandt's Cormorant · Long-tailed Jaeger · Ashy Storm-Petrel · Pelagic Cormorant · Rhinoceros Auklet · Northern Fur Seal · Sooty Shearwater · South Polar Skua · Parasitic Jaeger · Pigeon Guillemot · Northern Fulmar · Black Turnstone · Pomarine Jaeger · Heermann's Gull · California Gull · Cassin's Auklet · Humpback Whale · Brown Pelican · Red Phalarope · Sabine's Gull · Western Gull · Elegant Tern · Common Murre · Common Loon · Common Tern · Arctic Tern · Harbor Seal · Fin Whale · Surfbird