Newport Pelagic 11/21/15

I have not erred on the date, 25 people did go out on a pelagic trip on the 21st day of November.  We went out with Oregon Pelagic Tours 31 miles into the North Pacific.  A few of the birders were on their first pelagic trip.  The hard east winds created a bumpy chop on our first stop. but the winds faded farther off shore and it was a relatively dry run back home for a boat trip off Newport .  It turned out to be a great day.

The first good bird seen was this female Long-tailed Duck just west of the bridge.

At the very tip of the south jetty was a group of Harlequin Ducks.

They were hugging the north jetty on the way home.

Other than the hope for the rare pelagic bird, I was looking forward to studying the winter alcids. As we wandered south of the jetty we saw a few Marbled Murrelets, and we also got great views of two basic plumaged Pigeon Guillemots.  I wasn't sure if the one on right was a juvenile or not.  It appeared to be darker than its pal.  I was not sure if they were still molting into basic plumage or not.  I decided not a juvenile.

Showing their other cheek.

Watching alcids on the ocean is tough.  These were close enough that they were easy to keep in the binoculars, but still they go down into a wave...

And then they are back up on top of a wave.

Rhinoceros Auklets were seen,  as well as many Common Murres and a few Ancient Murrelets.  It was fun searching murre flocks for a black backed, and more black headed Thick-billed Murre, none seen.  We saw Cassin's Auklets, looked for but saw no other auklets.  But it was a very fun hunt.

Once we got offshore we spotted a large flock of feeding shearwater, gulls and Rhinoceros Auklets.  There was a large school of bait fish just under the surface, Humpback Whales were in the area as well.  Once we got closer to the swirling flock of shearwater, we discovered many were Short-tailed Shearwater.  They are certainly expected offshore this time of year, but it was great to see a mixed flock of Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters to study since it is often impossible to separate these two species.

The percentage of the flock we thought were Short-tailed climbed the more we studied the birds.

Most of these birds were identified as Short-tailed.

They were once called Slender-billed Shearwater, a more slender bill  is one way to separate them from Sooty.

 Another photo of the same flock.  The bird I cropped and lightened up in above photo is the one on bottom left.

They also have a very steep forehead when compared to a Sooty.  When I got back to shore I could not believe I did not think about shooting a video of their flight styles. Many were flying side-by-side, I was too busy trying to compare the birds. 

After a  bumpy look at the Short-tailed flock we headed off shore to 31 miles out, our chum spot out there gathered a nice group of Northern Fulmars.  The east winds did not reach this far out, it was a nice ocean.   Below is a flock of fulmars in our chum while a Herring Gull flies off with a treat.

I thought the one on bottom was a Thayer's Gull.

I have always seen albatross on these pelagic trips, we were darn near skunked on this trip.  This one Black-footed saved the day.

Lots of Black-legged Kittiwakes were seen.  This first-year bird put on a nice show around the boat.

Typical of my pelagic photos, I get something in focus but I cut the wing off.  Getting birds in focus is tough out on the water!

A different kittiwake growing out a primary.

A nice sight after a day at sea.

Horned Grebes were common between the jetties.

As were Red-necked Grebes.

This California Sea Lion had a bit of his fur missing off the top of his head.  We saw two groups of dolphin (probably Pacific White-sided) and a number of Humpback Whales  (maybe a total of 5-7) offshore.

 Thanks to Misty, her crew, Tim, Dave, Russ, Jim and Shawneen for a great trip.  I will add a plug for Misty: as far as  twin engine diesel charter boats go, she is quiet. A great boat for a bird trip.

Thanks for the visit!  I'll add the ebird lists when the leaders share them with me.

To see the Oregon Pelagic Tours 2016 schedule click on link at top right of my blog.


Bird list:

Newport pelagic--Yaquina Bay, Lincoln, Oregon, USNov 21, 2015 8:05 AM - 8:25 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Mammals: harbor seal (5), California sea lion (10).
23 species

Harlequin Duck  6
Surf Scoter  35
Long-tailed Duck  1
Bufflehead  12
Red-breasted Merganser  1
Red-throated Loon  1
Pacific Loon  1
Common Loon  8
Horned Grebe  10
Red-necked Grebe  8
Eared Grebe  1
Western Grebe  4
Brandt's Cormorant  8
Double-crested Cormorant  6Pelagic Cormorant  50
Brown Pelican  65
Great Blue Heron  1Black Turnstone  6
Mew Gull  6
Western Gull  16
California Gull  40
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
American Crow  4


Newport pelagic--southwest route 0-5 miles offshore, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 8:25 AM - 9:08 AM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty.  Clear weather, good ocean conditions. Mammals: humpback whale (2).
19 species (+1 other taxa)

Surf Scoter  125
White-winged Scoter  6
Red-breasted Merganser  3
Red-throated Loon  3
Pacific Loon  80
Common Loon  25
Western Grebe  12
Brandt's Cormorant  50
Pelagic Cormorant  5
Brown Pelican  6
Common Murre  150
Pigeon Guillemot  12     Medium-sized,  thin and long-billed alcid.  Most individuals in basic plumage or finishing transition to basic plumage. Grayish-white body, on most individuals white wing patches obvious.
Marbled Murrelet  8
Black-legged Kittiwake  3
Mew Gull  5
Western Gull  4
California Gull  25
Herring Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)  40

5-30 miles NW Newport, Bird Guide pelagic, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 9:08 AM - 12:08 PM
Protocol: Traveling
26.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Clear weather, good ocean conditions.  5 to 31 miles (approx 200 fathoms) offshore; includes chum stop at feeding flock nine miles offshore at 44.6213 N, 124. 27135 W.  Other fauna: humpback whale (1), northern fur seal (2), ocean sunfish (3).
10 species (+2 other taxa)

Pacific Loon  75
Northern Fulmar  40
Sooty Shearwater  75
Short-tailed Shearwater  60     A number of photos taken by passengers. Rounded head, thinner thin than Sooties, less white on underwings, sometimes saw feet extending behind tail.
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater  65
Pomarine/Parasitic Jaeger  1     1 distant bird in feeding flock nine miles out.  Dark above, showed some white at base of primaries, white below.
Ancient Murrelet  1     Seen by some.
Cassin's Auklet  20
Rhinoceros Auklet  10
Black-legged Kittiwake  30
Bonaparte's Gull  36
Herring Gull  25

100-300 fathoms, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 12:08 PM - 12:44 PM
Protocol: Stationary
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Clear weather, excellent conditions. Chum spot at 44.57844 N, 124.78309 W.
8 species

Black-footed Albatross  1     Only one.  Came in to slick.
Northern Fulmar  71
Rhinoceros Auklet  1
Black-legged Kittiwake  20
California Gull  15
Herring Gull  25
Thayer's Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  2

Newport pelagic--5-30 miles offshore, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 12:44 PM - 3:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
26.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Return to five miles offshore.  Mammals: humpback whale (2), Dall's porpoise (3), northern fur seal (2).
12 species

Pacific Loon  25
Northern Fulmar  3
Sooty Shearwater  1
Short-tailed Shearwater  4
Common Murre  40
Ancient Murrelet  9
Cassin's Auklet  2
Black-legged Kittiwake  3
Bonaparte's Gull  16
California Gull  10
Herring Gull  10
Glaucous-winged Gull  5


5 miles offshore to Yaquina Bay, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 3:00 PM - 3:25 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Return to mouth of Yaquina Bay.  Mammals: Steller's sea lion (4).
8 species

Pacific Loon  11
Common Loon  2
Red-necked Grebe  1
Western Grebe  5
Brandt's Cormorant  5
Common Murre  20
Marbled Murrelet  2     Seen by few.
California Gull  15

Newport pelagic--Yaquina Bay, Lincoln, Oregon, US
Nov 21, 2015 3:25 PM - 3:40 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments:     7 hour Oregon Pelagic Tours trip aboard FV Misty. Mammals: California sea lion (10), harbor seal (4).
23 species

Harlequin Duck  2
Surf Scoter  35
Bufflehead  14
Common Goldeneye  7
Red-breasted Merganser  6
Red-throated Loon  1
Common Loon  8
Horned Grebe  15
Red-necked Grebe  12
Eared Grebe  1
Western Grebe  6
Brandt's Cormorant  8
Double-crested Cormorant  6
Pelagic Cormorant  40
Brown Pelican  65
Great Blue Heron  1
Black Turnstone  2
Surfbird  1
Mew Gull  1
Western Gull  20
California Gull  25
Glaucous-winged Gull  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  5

Newport Pelagic: Feb 21,2015

Today, Feb. 21, 2015, I went out with Oregon Pelagic Tours on their pelagic trip out of Newport Oregon.   This is the company that took over for The Bird Guide.  I have a link for their web site over on the right side of the blog page under Birding Sites in Oregon.  The weather was partly cloudy to sunny and the wind was 10-20 knots out of the NE.  Peak gusts may have topped 20 knts.  The seas were rough but not as bad as they could have been for February.

The highlight of the trip was spotting two Parakeet Auklets.  I tried to set a waypoint on my iPhone but the location it shows does not make any sense.  My phone was accurate out to about 20 miles out, then it went crazy.  I think we were about 27 miles offshore, open to being  corrected.

The bird was sitting on very deep blue water.  And the boat was rocking all over the place.  SO this is a picture of it.  (On top of picture)

Thank goodness you can zoom in on photos these days.  You can see the hint of color in the bill.  Through binoculars you could see the white plume and the shape was different than any other alcid. To me it looked long necked and "bill-less".

Another cropped picture.

Just for yucks, I lightened up one of the pictures to see if more color would come into play:

Out of focus , but you can see the white belly and more color to the bill.  I think this was the second one we saw.  Parakeet and Least Auklets have white bellies, Whiskered and Crested do not. 

We chummed on two spots during the trip, both efforts yielded a good variety of birds.   Mostly a variety of gulls (lots of Black-legged Kittiwakes) and Northern Fulmars, Laysan Albatross and Black-footed Albatross.  We saw just one or maybe two Pink-footed Shearwater.  No other shearwater were seen.  Not surprised about the lack of Sooty, most of them are leaving New Zealand now heading this way.  I was hoping for a Short-tailed.  I had a suspected shearwater, but it was too low to the water to be seen well.  It was probably a dark fulmar.  We probably saw about 8 Laysan Albatross, a great day for the species.

Here are a few photos of some that we saw.

Black-footed Albatross were also out there.

Above is a typical view of birds on the ocean.  Black-footed Albatross and what is the bird in between the two?

Black-legged Kittiwake

Northern Fulmars were common:

We did see several jaegars on the trip.  All that I saw were either pestering gulls or were being chased by a ticked off gull.

Below I think is a Pomarine Jaegar.  The boldly streaked uppertail coverts (compared to brown and buff stripes) and dark head point that way. Also the wide wings, wider than tail behind wing is Pomarine as well. I am not sure why I can't see a sharply bi-colored bill.  But it is out of focus.   Its flight style was like a large gull and it bulky shape is good for Pomarine as well.  They are about Ring-billed Gull in size compared to a Mew Gull for Parasitic.

I lightened up the photo to show the double flash of a Pomarine and the underwing bars of a young bird.  Not sure how old it is..

Lots of activity in the channel as well. 

Barrow's Goldeneye with a Greater Scaup behind.

Greater Scaup and Surf Scoter

Common Loons in a variety of different plumage aspects.

Pacific Loon, note lack of white cut on neck and thinner bill.

California Sea Lions

Adorable face of a Harbor Seal 

Only bad part of trip was I was dog tired, feel asleep and woke up sea sick on way home, ucky.  Something that rarely happens to me in any sea state.  I think my problem was I did not eat my normal snacks of crackers and cheese.  Last time I'll make that mistake.  No more cashews topped with chocolate mints.

Great trip, great birds and can't wait until May 17th.

I will add a species list tomorrow.

Thanks to MISTY, the crew, Russ, Tim and Dave.

Birds seen in channel:

Harlequin Duck  
Surf Scoter  
Bufflehead  

Common Goldeneye

Barrow's Goldeneye
Red-throated Loon  
Pacific Loon  
Common Loon  
Horned Grebe 
Western Grebe  
Brandt's Cormorant  
Double-crested Cormorant  
Pelagic Cormorant  
Brown Pelican 
Common Murre  
Pigeon Guillemot  
Mew Gull  
Western Gull  
California Gull  
Thayer's Gull  
Glaucous-winged Gull  

Near shore:

Surf Scoter  

White-winged Scoter 
Black Scoter  
Red-throated Loon  
Common Loon  
loon sp.  
Brandt's Cormorant 
Pelagic Cormorant  
Common Murre  
Pigeon Guillemot      saw several groups of four or so
Marbled Murrelet  
Ancient Murrelet  
Rhinoceros Auklet  
Mew Gull  
Western Gull  
California Gull  

Offshore:

Laysan Albatross  

Black-footed Albatross  

Pink-footed Shearwater

Northern Fulmar  
Common Murre  
Ancient Murrelet 
Parakeet Auklet      photos taken, will post if I can
Rhinoceros Auklet 
Black-legged Kittiwake 
Western Gull  
California Gull  
Herring Gull  
Thayer's Gull