Hi I have been discussing the two different four (4) hour boat trips that I've been on recently in search of the Short-tailed Albatross. One was last Sunday and the other was this Sunday. It looks like this albatross is staying around for a good while, perhaps for the whole summer, and it probably has a feeding circuit that it carries out. Four hours and only searching a couple of locations doesn't sound like enough time and energy to actually find the bird. The friend that I've been having these conversations with is a highly experienced birder with extensive sailing and navigation experience, along with an in-depth knowledge of the underwater geology of the coast. We are considering organizing a longer boat trip in the near future, if the albatross is sighted again by fishing boats. Such a trip would be designed to also give enough advanced warning for birders who want to fly in from other parts of the country to join us for the trip. I'm going to start working on the specifics of the logistics. Without having checked with the various companies that provide such voting services we are assuming that the cost would range somewhere between $100 and $200 per person, but every effort would be made to get the price as low possible. My friend stated that we would definitely need to bring fresh squid with us (He also said that we are not allowed to lure the bird away from whatever spot we find it at.) Please feel free to forward this email to any boat captains who are interested.
Thomas Geza Miko
Claremont, LA County
909.241.3300
"Tyranny is the deliberate removal of nuance."--Albert Maysles