Paradise

Hello, Seabirders, Well, as the song goes, it was "Just Another Day in Paradise" on the Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip from Monterey today. Beautiful light on the Pacific Grove coastline and puffy clouds over the mountain ranges surrounding Monterey Bay greeted us this morning.

Highlights

Highlights of today's trip included the continuing great sea conditions and the flocks of STORM-PETRELS: 8 WILSON'S, 1 FORK- TAILED, 4000 ASHYS, and 1000 BLACKS. A few BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES remain, along with one FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER. SOOTY SHEARWATERS seem to have departed for the southern hemisphere already, about 7-10 days earlier than usual, while BULLER'S SHEARWATERS seem to be staging to leave, gathering in flocks. Jaeger numbers have dwindled, but SOUTH POLAR SKUAS continue to harass the gulls. A BREACHING HUMPBACK WHALE and small groups of RISSO'S DOLPHINS topped off the day.

Leaders

Shearwater Journeys thanks all of the participants and the leaders: Jennifer Green, Steve Howell, Michael O'Brien, Brian Sullivan, & chummer: Lizbeth Tinajero. We still have spaces open on tomorrow's trip from Monterey, and the marine forecast looks good. Many birders ask me when to go out to see the storm-petrels, and there could never be a better time than Right Now! All trips on our schedule have spaces open.

Species List

The complete species list for SEPTEMBER 23, 2007 MONTEREY BAY follows:

COMMON LOON-1
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS-3
NORTHERN FULMAR-2
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER-110
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1
BULLER'S SHEARWATER-109
SOOTY SHEARWATER-80
WILSON'S STORM-PETREL-8
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL-1
ASHY STORM-PETREL-4000
BLACK STORM-PETREL-1000
BROWN PELICAN-35
BRANDT'S CORMORANT-290
PELAGIC CORMORANT-2
DOWITCHER sp.-29
BLACK TURNSTONE-6
WESTERN SANDPIPER-8
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE-18
SOUTH POLAR SKUA-6
POMARINE JAEGER-11
PARASITIC JAEGER-6
POMARINE/PARASITIC-1
JAEGER sp.-1
HEERMANN'S GULL-70
CALIFORNIA GULL-40
WESTERN GULL-110
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL-1
ELEGANT TERN-9
COMMON/ARCTIC TERN-1
COMMON MURRE-22
PIGEON GUILLEMOT-2
RHINOCEROS AUKLET-15
SEA OTTER-4
CALIFORNIA SEA LION-150
NORTHERN FUR SEAL-1
HUMPBACK WHALE-15
RISSO'S DOLPHINS-50
DALL'S PORPOISE-10
OCEAN SUNFISH-2
BLUE SHARK-7
MOON JELLIES+++


Storm-petrels forever,

Debra Shearwater
PO Box 190
Hollister, CA 95024
831/637-8527