October 18, 2009 Trip Report
Archive
Sunday October 18, 2009
Quite a rough trip, with seas Beaufort 5-6 west of Pt. Pinos, strong NW winds. Elegant Terns were seen to 3 nmi off (and a young Brown Pelican followed the boat for miles with the gulls, even landing on a participant's head!). We went perhaps 10 nmi W of Pt. Pinos, then north into SCZ, back to N rim of Canyon, and east into Moss Landing, returning along the shore.
Rough conditions hampered birding, with spray a problem. Bright sunny day after early a.m. fog.
Species totals for Monterey County/Santa Cruz County
Brant (Black) 18/0
Surf Scoter 308/0
Pacific Loon 2/1
Red-throated Loon 1/0
Common Loon 2/0
Red-necked Grebe 1/0
Western Grebe 150/0
Clarks Grebe 8/0
Black-footed Albatross 8/8
Northern Fulmar 4/3
Pink-footed Shearwater 30/10
Buller's Shearwater 9/0
Sooty Shearwater 6/1
Black-vented Shearwater 4/4
Brown Pelican 20/2
Brandt's Cormorant 325/1
Pelagic Cormorant 3/0
Red-necked Phalarope 150/50
Red Phalarope 1/0
Heermann's Gull 10/5
Western Gull 275/100
California Gull 150/150
Elegant Tern 3/0
Common Murre 20/30
Cassin's Auklet 10/2
Rhinoceros Auklet 25/5
Pigeon Guillemot 1/0
Marine Mammals
Humpback Whale 2/0
Dall's Porpoise 18/0
Bottlenose Dolphin 12/0
California Sea Lion
Sea Otter
Don Roberson for Monterey Seabirds
Species mentioned
Black-vented Shearwater · Black-footed Albatross · Pink-footed Shearwater · Red-necked Phalarope · Buller's Shearwater · California Sea Lion · Brandt's Cormorant · Bottlenose Dolphin · Pelagic Cormorant · Rhinoceros Auklet · Red-necked Grebe · Sooty Shearwater · Pigeon Guillemot · Northern Fulmar · Heermann's Gull · California Gull · Cassin's Auklet · Dall's Porpoise · Humpback Whale · Western Grebe · Brown Pelican · Red Phalarope · Pacific Loon · Western Gull · Elegant Tern · Common Murre · Common Loon · Surf Scoter · Brant