Westport Pelagic 8-13-16

Today, 8/13/16, I went out of Westport, WA with Westport Seabirds.  I drove up from Portland via Astoria.  This White-winged Scoter was along the jetty at Parking Lot C at Fort Stevens on Friday afternoon.

The trip left the dock at 6 am.  The morning was foggy.  It did not take long to get out of the fog and into the sunshine.

We saw a handful of Tufted Puffin.  Hatch-year Tufted Puffin have dark bills and a dark eye.  The puffin develop ornamental plates in Feb-Apr and shed them in Sept.  It takes three or four years to get the full adult bill and all the plates. Based on the sketches in Pyle's book, Vol II, page 788, this looks to me like a second-year or third-year bird.  It has a light eye and a bill that does not look as bulbous as an adult.  Please add any info or corrections.

An adult bill that, as far as  I can tell, has not shed any of its plates.

We spotted a number of Mola Mola.  They hold the record for the world's heaviest bony fish.

Website dedicated to these cool fish:  Ocean Sunfish

A face only a parent could love.

Fishing boats pulling in their nets are pelagic birdfeeders.  Only thing that compares on land is a yard full of hummingbird feeders.

 Most of the birds we saw were behind these shrimpers. The most common birds out there today were California Gulls and Sooty Shearwater.  Next in line was the Pink-footed Shearwater.

To be a successful shearwater you need to race to eat the chum before a California Gull lands on top of you and grabs the fish.

The dark-white-dark underside of a Pink-footed.  This one is racing along the water to launch into air. Today was another great day to study the flight differences between Sooty and Pink-footed.  You need to know these birds well to ever hope to find a rare one.

Most of the birds I saw appeared to be in nice new plumage.

A nice hatch-year California Gull.  All of the Cal Gulls we saw out there were hatch-year birds.  It was explained the older birds are molting and prefer to stay closer to shore.  This was verified on the way in where adult gulls were everywhere.

This gull ID was debated as to what it was.  The bird did not look bulky enough to be an Olympic Gull (Western x Glaucous-winged), it was thought to contain some Herring.

Bulbous bill and a pale eye.

My favorite bird was this Arctic Tern sitting on a log.  Often the only view you have is one flying overhead or far away.

It was still in alternate plumage.

Short legs, the wings were an even gray.

40-50 Black-footed Albatross were seen.  My streak of always seeing an albatross continues.

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel were seen through-out the day.

Once we got offshore, about 40 miles or so, we stopped to chum. We hoped to draw in a good bird.  Only birds that appeared were Fork-tailed and Leach's Storm-Petrels.  It was a great chance to study the nighthawk-like flight style of a Leach's.  They were free from dodging the larger birds.

 Their shape is different than a Fork-tailed.  They have longer,  narrower wings.

You can see the line that divides the white patch. This line varies on Leach's, easy to see on some , impossible on others.

Nice open wing of a Leach's Storm-Petrel.

Back in the harbor we saw a flock of Marbled Godwits.  Kind of a pale photo, but can you see the other bird?

This Bar-tailed Godwit was known to be in the Marbled Godwit flock.  We thought the tide would be too far out and the birds would not have roosted in the harbor yet.  Good thing it was not a real low tide.  All the godwits were in the harbor.

It looked to me to be the same size as a Marbled but shorter legs, the bill looked short with binoculars, but I can see now it was very long. It looks streaked on the side, and pale gray in color.  I thought it was an adult in molt.

Tons of Heermann's Gulls were on the jetty and in the harbor.  No hatch-year birds.  How many nesting failures can they endure before we see a drop in population?  I was thinking maybe the nesting failures do not take such a toll on the adults as compared to raising a chick.  Maybe they live longer so the species will make it through these tough periods?   

Thanks to the Monte Carlo, the crew, and  the guides for another great trip.

eBird lists:

Westport pelagic--inshore, Grays Harbor, Washington, USAug 13, 2016 6:00 AM - 6:53 AM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Foggy for a while in morning, then clear for most of the day, overcast as we came close to shore on way back. Winds were calm then picked up as we got further out. Beaufort 2-4 later. Lead was Scott Mills, Spot 1 was Jim Danzenbacker, Spot 2 was Cara Borre. Bruce LaBar was also spotting. Boat personal and spotters were Phil and Chris Anderson.1 Humpback Whale
11 species (+1 other taxa)

Sooty Shearwater  2
Brandt's Cormorant  4
Brown Pelican  262
Red-necked Phalarope  17
Common Murre  340
Pigeon Guillemot  4
Marbled Murrelet  4
Rhinoceros Auklet  11
Heermann's Gull  700
California Gull  36
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  202
Caspian Tern  1

Westport--Offshore waters, Grays Harbor, Washington, US
Aug 13, 2016 6:53 AM - 8:55 AM
Protocol: eBird Pelagic Protocol
30.0 mile(s)

1 Humpback Whale
11 species (+1 other taxa)

Black-footed Albatross  1
Pink-footed Shearwater  34
Buller's Shearwater  1     Our first of the year
Sooty Shearwater  245
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  5
Parasitic Jaeger  1
Common Murre  255
Cassin's Auklet  8
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Tufted Puffin  2
California Gull  13
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1

Westport pelagic--Offshore Pacific County, Pacific, Washington, US
Aug 13, 2016 8:55 AM - 9:55 AM
Protocol: eBird Pelagic Protocol
15.0 mile(s)

Encountered 3 shrimp boats. One Pacific Sun Fish.
11 species

Black-footed Albatross  10
Northern Fulmar  1
Pink-footed Shearwater  400
Buller's Shearwater  1
Sooty Shearwater  100
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  20
Scripps's Murrelet  2     spotted by Scott Mills.
Cassin's Auklet  5
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Sabine's Gull  6
California Gull  350

Westport pelagic--Offshore Pacific County, Pacific, Washington, USAug 13, 2016 9:55 AM - 12:10 PM
Protocol: eBird Pelagic Protocol
35.0 mile(s)
Comments:   This was a transect between Willapa and Grays Canyon in deep water to 125W. All in Pacific County. We also put out a chum at 125W. Two sun fish.
10 species

Black-footed Albatross  2
Northern Fulmar  1
Sooty Shearwater  33
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  10
Leach's Storm-Petrel  8
Long-tailed Jaeger  1     Our first of the year
Cassin's Auklet  14
Rhinoceros Auklet  7
California Gull  3
Arctic Tern  2

Westport pelagic--Offshore Pacific County, Pacific, Washington, USAug 13, 2016 12:10 PM - 1:50 PM
Protocol: eBird Pelagic Protocol
25.0 mile(s)
Comments: Encountered three shrimp boats heading back. 1 sunfish.
9 species

Black-footed Albatross  30
Northern Fulmar  5
Pink-footed Shearwater  535
Sooty Shearwater  89
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  18
Rhinoceros Auklet  7
Tufted Puffin  1
Sabine's Gull  3
California Gull  506

Westport--Offshore waters, Grays Harbor, Washington, USAug 13, 2016 1:50 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: eBird Pelagic Protocol
15.0 mile(s)
Comments: 7 species

Pink-footed Shearwater  2
Sooty Shearwater  619
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  1
Common Murre  172
Rhinoceros Auklet  5
Tufted Puffin  2
California Gull  4

Westport pelagic--inshore, Grays Harbor, Washington, US
Aug 13, 2016 3:00 PM - 4:02 PM
Protocol: Traveling
7.0 mile(s)
Comments:
Mammals seen as we came in: 1 Humpback Whale, 12 Harbor Porpoise, 3 Harbor Seals, 4 Calif. Sea Lions and 7 Steller's Sea Lions.
16 species (+1 other taxa)

Sooty Shearwater  600
Brandt's Cormorant  89
Pelagic Cormorant  40
Double-crested Cormorant  50
Brown Pelican  200
Bar-tailed Godwit  1     in boat basin with 700 Marbled Godwits. photos
Marbled Godwit  700
Black Turnstone  4     on jetty
Red-necked Phalarope  12
Common Murre  515
Pigeon Guillemot  3
Rhinoceros Auklet  8
Black-legged Kittiwake  1
Heermann's Gull  1800
Mew Gull  1
California Gull  33
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  1200

Thanks for the visit.

Westport Pelagic May 16, 2015

 I was hoping to go on a petrel hunt out of Newport, OR on May 17th, but that trip did not work out so I managed to get on the May 16th trip out of Westport, WA.   I had never been to Westport so I was looking forward to the trip. So a non-Oregon blog but close enough.

The Westport pelagic trips are the oldest continuous seabird survey in the world, very cool to know.  I think they said it has been going since the early 70's. 

The weather was very gray and some mist when we left the dock at 5:30 am.  The goal was to head straight offshore about 40 miles to see what was out there. I went looking for petrel.  The first great bird we saw was in the early morning light, a skua just outside the channel.  As we headed offshore we started seeing Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels and Sooty Shearwater.  At about 24 miles out we stopped near a fishing boat that had attracted a few birds.

Black-footed Albatross on the water.  These were waiting for food, but the winds were light as well.  There are studies showing how much wind is needed to give these birds the advantage of dynamic soaring.  It is about 7-10 knots of wind.  Otherwise they might just as well sit on the surface and wait for the wind to kick up a bit.  Lack of wind makes for a nice trip but you need some wind to get the birds up and flying so you can spot them.  Still it is nice to get so close to great birds.

Another Black-footed.

The calm conditions are great for studying storm-petrels.  There were a few pure flocks of the birds out on the water.  If I am seeing this bird correctly and those are worn flight feathers since it is May, this is probably a first-summer bird?  I had a tough time checking the wings out on the birds since the kept fanning them and it was hard to see if feathers were worn or just spread out.  Problem is I would think a first summer bird would be more brown with wear than this one, so I am not sure.  I always  try to concentrate on relative bill sizes, flight styles and structure on these buggers.  Sometimes best to just put the binos down and watch the birds.

UPDATE: I decided this shows little wear and is in fresh plumage, I looked at my photos and I did not get a photo of any in worn plumage, maybe all these were past their first summer. 

I think since this bird looks fresh, it is not a first summer bird.

Storm-Petrels pattering on the surface on a peaceful ocean away from those  pesky shearwaters.

When we were 40 miles out we found more storm-petrels.  We were watching a flock of Fork-tailed when we saw a small group of Leach's Storm-Petrels fly into the chum slick.

Fork-tailed on left Leach's on the right.  You can see the small dark bar up middle of white rump.

Blurry picture but was trying to get the rumps on all the Leach's present and also compare them to Fork-tailed in shape.

After seeing Leach's flying with Fork-tailed yesterday and Wilson's flying with Fork-tailed off Newport last year, I will make the bold statement that I will not confuse the two species again.  Wilson's wing shape is more tri-angular than the long winged Leach's.

No dark band on this nicely forked tailed, long narrow winged Leach's.

Leach's Storm-Petrel

We we also had a large group of shearwater and gulls at a fishing boat; we threw out or own supply of suet and all the birds rushed over to us.  Adult Sooty Shearwater and Pink-footed Shearwater are under heavy molt now.  The clean fresh looking Sooty Shearwaters are thus birds that were hatched this nesting season.  I assumed this one was a young bird.  Not sure if it hatched in late 2014 or early 2015, so is it first-year or second-year :).

 I think this is the wing of an ASY Sooty Shearwater.  Looks to me that it is molting secondary coverts and primaries.  By the way, feel free to correct any errors!

Not a first year bird.

Same

Recently fledged Sooty Shearwater.

Same

Wing of a recently fledged Sooty, no signs of molt.

Another

All the photos I have show molting Pink-footed Shearwater,  I thought I had a few fresh birds, rats.

Sometimes I wonder how they manage to fly, this was not as ratty as some.

Well if you had looked a second sooner you would have seen a Cassin's Auklet.

There were many Red-necked Phalarope on the ocean , a few Red Phalarope as well.  Red-necked show very dark upperparts with a narrow but bold white stripe. The Red Phalarope seem to show more white but not as contrasting a pattern.

We saw lots of Common Tern in the channel and a few flying out in the near shore waters.

The wider black tips to the primaries of a Common Tern are seen here.  We saw one Arctic Tern offshore, where they usually hang out.  

White-winged Scoter in the channel

Rhinoceros Auklet were everywhere.

Coming into the channel we  encountered a huge mixed flock of birds (terns gulls and loon).  I was in the stern hoping for some decent pictures, the folks in the bow saw a Manx Shearwater in the flock, I missed it.  But I was on the bow out on the ocean when I saw but missed a picture of a Black-legged Kittiwake that flew in over the stern, so I could not win.

Tattler on the rocks.

I was hoping to get a nice shot of a Steller Sea Lion (Northern Sea Lion), but they dove off the can as the boat passed.  This one tried to get back on. It would wait for a wave then take a leap up on can. In the calm seas it took a few efforts, it failed on this one.

More Steller's, you can see the more pushed in bear like face compared to California Sea Lions.

Narrow face and bump on head of a full on male California Sea Lion.  We had a few Harbor Porpoise and some Humpback Whales on the trip.

Here is a list of the birds seen as provided by Bruce through ebird.  Comments are by Bruce and I'll need to delete the Manx, otherwise I managed to see all birds.

Westport pelagic, inshore, Grays Harbor, US-WA

May 16, 2015 5:54 AM - 6:20 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Westport pelagic deep water trip. cloudy, 52 degrees
19 species (+1 other taxa)

Surf Scoter  26
White-winged Scoter  18
Red-throated Loon  4
Pacific Loon  4
Common Loon  1
Sooty Shearwater  5
Brandt's Cormorant  9
Double-crested Cormorant  50
Pelagic Cormorant  6
Brown Pelican  1
Red-necked Phalarope  8
South Polar Skua  1     incrediable sighting as we headed out. 1 mile past jetty before offshore leg. closest I've ever seen to shore. Good looks by many including leaders and Phil.
Common Murre  20
Pigeon Guillemot  25
Marbled Murrelet  1
Rhinoceros Auklet  5
Bonaparte's Gull  2
California Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  14
Common Tern  12

Westport--Offshore waters, Grays Harbor, US-WA

May 16, 2015 6:55 AM - 10:55 AM
Protocol: Traveling
40.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Westport seabirds deep water trip. cloudy, 55 degrees. Mammal highlight- 2 Humpback Whales
14 species (+1 other taxa)

Pacific Loon  2
Black-footed Albatross  114     Large number behind a long liner boat
Northern Fulmar  5
Pink-footed Shearwater  55
Sooty Shearwater  193
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  103
Leach's Storm-Petrel  1
Red-necked Phalarope  43
Common Murre  64
Cassin's Auklet  5
Rhinoceros Auklet  56
Sabine's Gull  29
California Gull  15
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  71
Arctic Tern  1

Westport--Offshore waters, Grays Harbor, US-WAMay 16, 2015 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Protocol: Traveling
40.0 mile(s)
Comments:     Westport seabird deep water trip, return leg.
21 species (+1 other taxa)

White-winged Scoter  58
Pacific Loon  2
Black-footed Albatross  25
Northern Fulmar  6
Pink-footed Shearwater  212     many at boats
Sooty Shearwater  780
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel  157
Leach's Storm-Petrel  5
Brandt's Cormorant  4
Red-necked Phalarope  382
Red Phalarope  6
Parasitic Jaeger  2
Common Murre  17
Cassin's Auklet  18
Rhinoceros Auklet  51
Tufted Puffin  2
Black-legged Kittiwake  1
Sabine's Gull  28
California Gull  35
Herring Gull  1
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  180
Common Tern  28

Westport pelagic, inshore, Grays Harbor, US-WAMay 16, 2015 3:15 PM - 3:45 PM

Protocol: Traveling
3.0 mile(s)
Comments:     return inshore leg.
19 species (+1 other taxa)Surf Scoter  41
Red-throated Loon  3
Pacific Loon  210
Common Loon  4
Western Grebe  2
Manx Shearwater  1     on water, just taking off when spotted by several of us up front. excellent looks, black and white, small shearwater.
Brandt's Cormorant  90
Double-crested Cormorant  5
Pelagic Cormorant  45
Brown Pelican  5
Wandering Tattler  3
Ruddy Turnstone  2
Surfbird  1
Common Murre  3
Pigeon Guillemot  8
Rhinoceros Auklet  20
Black-legged Kittiwake  1
Bonaparte's Gull  10
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  50
Common Tern  410     huge migrating flock near jetty.

Finally I would like to thank the Monte Carlo, its crew, skipper and the guides, Bill, Bruce and Mike.  

I have enjoyed pelagic trips out of both Newport and Westport.  Try these links for more info:

WESTPORT SEABIRDS       OREGON PELAGICS

Thanks for visiting.