On Sunday, August 12, 2007, I took my first pelagic out of Ft. Bragg, CA. This is billed as a "mega-raritiy" trip and there is a hefty charge to take it on Shearwater Journeys. We departed from Noyo Harbor on the Trek II boat. As we passed under the bridge out of the harbor we saw Black Turnstones, Wandering Tattler, Pigeon Guillemot, Pelagic Cormorant on the rocks. As we headed off shore mostly we saw lots of California Gulls and a few Western Gulls. Finally after about two hours we came across a Cassin's Auklet and a couple of Rhinoceros Auklets. Then we found a Pink-footed Shearwater sitting on the water. There were not many Sooty Shearwaters like I expected. We drove on for a long time without seeing anything else but a few more Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwaters. Eventually we came into a pod of Humpback whales playing. Then a Black-footed Albatross flew in close to the boat. The birds were few and far in between after that excitement. We passed a frolicking Northern Fur Seal and then we came into a large pod of Risso's Dolphins that were showing off their high fins and sometimes leaping up in the air. They can be identified by the unique scars on their fins. One of the ones we saw had a collapsed dorsal fin. Right after that exciting encounter a Northern Fulmar landed right next to the boat.
Then the sea went calm, the sun came out, and lighting and conditions were quite nice. However, there were no birds for an extended period of time. Of course as soon as I pulled my sandwich out a Pomarine Jaeger flew by that I completely missed out on. After lunch we went way out to sea to Cordell Bank but still no rarities came by. There were many, many Red-necked Phalaropes around the boat all day long and Common Murres flew by all day as well. Finally we were running out of gas and had to head back. Not too far off shore a Sabine's Gull landed in the water nearby in perfect lighting and that was it before heading back to shore. As we proceeded back under the bridge at Noyo Harbor we saw a Clark's Grebe and some Common Loons but no rarities. Oh well, I'll just have to go back out there again soon.
Michelle Brodie
August 14, 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment