Subject: Oregon pelagic results: 9 APR 95
Date: Apr 12 13:01:01 1995
From: Greg Gillson - guide at teleport.com


Re: Pelagic trip report, Newport, Lincoln Co., Oregon, 9 April 1995.
From: Greg Gillson <guide at teleport.com>

The Bird Guide
311 Park Street
Banks, OR 97106
(503) 324-0508

Next trip: Sunday, May 14, 1995
8 hours out to 30 miles
>From Newport, OR
$37.50
Expected species: Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed
and Sooty Shearwater, possibly Flesh-footed Shearwater, Fork-tailed
Shearwater, Red and Red-necked Phalarope, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger,
possibly South Polar Skua, Black-legged Kittiwake, Sabine's Gull, Arctic
Tern, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Cassin's Auklet, possibly Marbled
Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Tufted Puffin.
Leader: Greg Gillson; co-leader: Matt Hunter


Pelagic trip report from Matt Hunter (co-leader):
(Edited by Greg Gillson)

Following is brief account of the Bird Guide pelagic trip out of
Yaquina Bay on 9 April 1995:

Water temperature in Yaquina Bay docks about 54 F, and very
consistently 50.9 in all depths of ocean 5-29 miles out. Seas were
rough near jetties and more calm the farther out we went. We had an
easier ride on the way back in because the sea was a bit more calm and
we were going with the waves rather than against them. The smaller
birds such as CASSIN'S AUKLET and FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL were more
easily seen on our way in. Following is my list of species observed
from the boat, including beginning and ending periods in the bay, the
first five miles from the jetties, and 5-29 miles out. Most of
albatross, shearwaters, and oceanic gulls were seen 20-29 miles out.
I've put Greg's estimates for pelagic species in parentheses. As Greg
mentioned, the FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER was well seen both circling the
boat several times and sitting on the water as close as 50ft. This
shearwater, 75+ albatross, 200 western gulls, 4 fulmar, most kittiwake,
and a good portion of the sooty and pink-footed shearwaters were
located in the vicinity of one large feeding flock at about 29 miles
[100 fathoms -gg].


BAY First 5 5-29mi Total
RED-THROATED LOON 6 3 9
PACIFIC LOON 3 3 6
COMMON LOON 15 15 10 40
EARED GREBE 1 1
RED-NECKED GREBE 9 3 12
WESTERN GREBE 10 10
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT 25 6 31
BRANDT'S CORMORANT 20 25 2 47
PELAGIC CORMORANT 15 20 35
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL 1 6 7 (3)
NORTHERN FULMAR 4 4 (4)
SOOTY SHEARWATER 2 72 74 (80)
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER 9 9 (8)
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER 1 1 (1)
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS 100+ 100+ (100)
BRANT 30 2 32
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER 22 10 32
SURF SCOTER 15 30 10 55
BLACK SCOTER 2 2
BUFFLEHEAD 30 30
COMMON GOLDENEYE 2 2
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER 6 6
OSPREY 1 1
WESTERN GULL 50 10 250 310
(I put hybrid WE/GW gulls into species category they most resembled)
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL 20 5 15 40
HERRING GULL 1 7 8 (most adults)
THAYER'S GULL 2 2 (ad & 1S)
CALIFORNIA GULL 5 6 11
RING-BILLED GULL 2 2
MEW GULL 10 10
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE 1imm 4imm 5 (15)
SABINE'S GULL 1 ( at 20mi) 1 ad (2)
BONAPARTE'S GULL 4ad,2imm 6 (15)
CASPIAN TERN 1 1
COMMON MURRE 10 150 40 200
PIGEON GUILLEMOT 20 10 30
RHINOCEROS AUKLET 12 12 (35)
CASSIN'S AUKLET 24 24 (25)
BLACK TURNSTONE 8 8
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE 8 8 (20)
AMERICAN COOT 1 1
ROCK DOVE 20 20
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 2 heard singing 2

Two mammal sightings: both brief looks at what appeared to be harbor
porpoise; one in the bay and one about 2 miles out.

Matt Hunter
hunterm at fsl.orst.edu

[Greg Gillson adds that there were several adult kittiwakes as well,
in the flock at 29 miles. About a dozen Rhino Auklets were seen early
on in the trip, which Matt missed, but in general Matt's count should
be more accurate than my estimates. Remember that the main flock was
swirling around the boat for an hour.]

--
Greg Gillson <guide at teleport.com>