Here is a brief account of the pelagic trip aboard the Monte Carlo out of
Westport this past Saturday (20 Aug). Terry Wahl and Bill Tweit ran the
show; Russell Rogers was aboard as well and was, as usual, quite helpful.


We left the dock at 6:05 AM and headed out for the 125th parallel (ca 38
nautical miles offshore). We encountered some choppiness crossing the bar
on the way out. This being my first pelagic trip, during this early part
I was concentrating on learning how to get the binocs on a bird and follow
it aboard the pitching boat. It didn't take too long to get the hang of
it, but unfortunately I was still in this acclimation phase when Bill
Tweit screamed "Manx Shearwater! Eleven o'clock!" Alas, the bird was gone
in a matter of seconds. As I hadn't even gotten a good look at a Sooty
Shearwater at this point, I probably wasn't ready for or deserving of a
Pacific Manx. But still...

By the end of the day we had had plenty of good looks at Sooty
Shearwaters, along with Pink-footed and Buller's, Northern Fulmar,
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel, the undignified but impressive Black-footed
Albatross [it's hard to be dignified when you're scarfing chicken skin],
and other oceanic denizens including mola and blue shark. It was overcast
on the water all day, but the sun was strong when we returned to port ca
3:30 PM.


A highly fun day. Mea and I each picked up 11 lifers.

An unofficial version of the trip list:

Red-necked Loon (1)
Black-footed Albatross (dozens)
Northern Fulmar (2)
Manx Shearwater (called by Bill Tweit)
Sooty Shearwater (100s)
Pink-footed Shearwater (dozens)
Buller's Shearwater (2)
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (20+)
Pigeon Guillemot (20+)
Common Murre (dozens)
Rhinoceros Auklet (100+)
Cassin's Auklet (ca 6)
Pomarine Jaeger (2)

Long-tailed Jaeger (2)
Heerman's Gull (ca 50)
California Gull (lots; including one imm following the boat

which had a *clam* closed on its foot)
Black-legged Kittiwake (1 on jetty)
Sabine's Gull (2)
Arctic Tern (1)
Double-crested Cormorant (20+)
Brandt's Cormorant (10+)
Brown Pelican

Red Phalarope (20+, all in winter plumage)
Red-necked Phalarope (1 winter)
Wandering Tattler (4 on jetty)
Black Turnstone (1 on jetty)

Blue Shark (dozens)
Mola [Ocean Sunfish](2)
Minke Whale (1)
Grey Whale (1)
Dall's Porpoise (ca 10)


David Wright
dwright at u.washington.edu