Howdy, CALBirders,
Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trip departing from Monterey Bay yesterday revealed a shift in the central California coast seabirds. Both shearwaters and storm-petrels are on the move searching for, I believe, food. It's all about food.
During the morning hours off Point Pinos, we saw good numbers of shearwaters, many of them sitting on the water. However, ashy storm-petrels surprised us by being right off Point Pinos in only 27 fathoms. (This reminded me of the late 1970's and seeing storm-petrels right from shore with Rich Stallcup).
From Point Pinos, storm-petrels were scattered just about everywhere we traveled for the entire day. We went north to Santa Cruz County, finding storm-petrels along the underwater ridges where we have found them in year's past. Small flocks of 6-30 ashy storm-petrels were sitting on the water, but primarily they seemed to either be hunting for food, or actively feeding (). Supposedly, ashy storm-petrels are nocturnal feeders, but perhaps this is not the case during times of stressed hunting.
We saw ASHY, BLACK, and FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS throughout the day. Again, I say they seemed to be hunting for food. One of the most remarkable behaviors I saw yesterday was a SABINE'S GULL CHASING A BLACK STORM-PETREL! So, I'm assuming the black storm-petrel had some food item that the Sabine's gull was trying to steal! Indeed, I believe that the gull was successful. I have never, ever seen these two species interacting in such a manner.
We recorded many of the usual fall seabirds, but missed Buller's Shearwater.Black-footed Albatross; Northern Fulmar, Sooty, Short-tailed, Black-vented, and Pink-footed Shearwaters; Red and Red-necked Phalaropes; Parasitic Jaegers; Cassin's Auklets (great views with our captain doing a great job of boat handling), etc., were all, sighted.
The marine mammal highlight was about a dozen KILLER WHALES which were traveling toward Moss Landing where another group of Killer Whales had killed two dolphins already!
There has never been a better time to do a pelagic trip! My post, below was very prophetic, as it turns out! If you haven't heard the news, Shearwater Journeys has recorded three MEGA-RARE seabirds within the past week! http://shearwaterjourneys.blogspot.com/2015/09/why-you-should-do-pelagic-trip-in.html
Factor in new reports of yet two new sightings of WEDGE-RUMPED (GALAPAGOS) STORM-PETRELS sighted from a cruise ship, and the recent report from NOAA of the continuing El Nino, but more importantly, the prediction for El Nino to die weaken through spring 2016 and, there could never be another time to "get out there."
Shearwater Journeys still has spaces available on the following trips: MONTEREY (where two mega-rare seabirds have been seen within the past week):SEPTEMBER 25, 26, 27; OCTOBER 3, 10 HALF MOON BAY: OCTOBER 4 & 11. FARALLON ISLANDS GREAT WHITE SHARK SEARCH: OCTOBER 18, departing from Sausalito (only a few spaces open)
The MONTEREY BAY BIRDING FESTIVAL will be held, September 24-26 at Watsonville. Although our pelagic trips are part of the festival program, one does not need to be registered or signed up for any festival events in order to book on the September 25, 26, 27 Monterey pelagic trips. Scott Terrill will present a seabird workshop on Friday, September 25 at the festival, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
See you out there! Living the Salt Life, Debi Shearwater
P.S. Perhaps shore based birders should be searching for (Galapagos) Swallow-tailed Gull, especially from Point Pinos. North America's first record was on the "monkey rocks" at Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove.

DEBRA SHEARWATER Shearwater Journeys, Inc. PO Box 190 Hollister, CA 95024 831.637.8527 debi@... www.shearwaterjourneys.com www.shearwaterjourneys.blogspot.com
Celebrating 40 Years of Seabirding with Shearwater Journeys