Point Piedras Blancas, San Luis Obispo, Co., California.

Weekly Summary #11, 5/27-6/02, 1996.
(*Selected* species; i.e. in most cases including those species which are
clearly long-shore, off-shore migrants but *not* including 'common' large
migrant larid gulls, cormorants (except DCCO), most shorebirds, miscellaneous
non-sea waterfowl, and in most cases unidentified birds like alcids, terns,
jaegers, etc.)

SEARCH EFFORT - 25X = 12.6hrs.
SEARCH EFFORT - E + 10X = 38.3hrs.
TOTAL HOURS OF EFFORT = 50.9hrs.

RTLO --- 52
PALO --- 6,995 (best estimate = ~8,080)
COLO --- 166
ARLO --- 0
YBLO --- 0
CLGR --- 0
BFAL --- 21
LAAL --- 0
SHAL --- 1 ( _D. c. salvini_ -- 5/28 -- see notes below)
NOFU --- 4
PFSH --- 17
FFSH --- 0
SOSH --- 33,131+
STSH --- 0
MASH --- 2 (5/29 and 6/02)
BVSH --- 0
storm petrels 0 (none this year yet)
BRPE --- 865
DCCO -- 14 (some or all probably locals & not migrants)
BRAN --- 84
BLSC --- 0
SUSC --- 284
WWSC -- 0
RBME --- 8
OLDS --- 0
WHIM --- 12
LBCU --- 2
RNPH -- 15
REPH -- 13
POJA --- 0
PAJA --- 1
FRGU --- 0
BOGU --- 6
HMGU --- 532
MEGU --- 0
GWGU --- 0
GLGU ---- 0
BLKI ----- 0
SAGU --- 2
CATE ---- 29 (perhaps just local area residents)
ELTE ---- 1
ROTE ---- 0
ARTE ---- 0
COTE ---- 0
FOTE ---- 0
BLTE --- 0
COMU --- 236 (unknown colony around here somewhere?)
MAMU --- 1
XAMU ---- 1
ANMU --- 6
b&w murrelet sp. 10
CAAU ---- 9
RHAU ---- 15 (unknown nesting around here somewhere?)
TUPU ---- 2 (immatures with COMU on 6/02)

Notes & Comment:

The gray whale cow/calf monitoring program is officially closed down now.
We've been down-sizing operations and packing all week. The last gray whale
cow/calf was recorded on Memorial Day, 5/27, and with it the *checker flag*.
Gray whale '500'? Well, how ironic. Our total cow/calf count was around
500. I'm staying on for another week or two to review infrared heat sensor
tapes and glean off whale and loon, brant, and scoter data. 5/29 was my last
day to use the 25X150 Fujinon 'big eyes' as they were shipped back to San
Diego. That means that totals on small alcids and most other true seabirds
(except sooty shearwater & the 6/02 manx) were all seen 5/27-29. I will
still monitor the loon migration with just morning sessions, weather
permitting. The loons are easy just by eye & 10X. I'll put together a grand
total summary and post it eventually.

COASTAL SEABIRDS; LOONS, PHALAROPES, ETC.:
Numbers of Pacific loons continue to decline with 99% all passing by here
before noon each day. Still some good numbers around. Highest daily total
this week was on 6/02 with ~2,500. The low day was 5/27 with no more than
~50. Only about 10% or maybe less are alternate plumaged adults, and at this
stage perhaps destined to be non-breeders. The rest are clearly immatures
showing an incredible and mind-boggling assortment of plumage variations.

---------------
In PB weekly summary #10, I alluded to something *special* on 5/28. Here's
the scoop (cut & pasted from my notes/journal) --

5/28/96 -- "....Totally off the wall and unexpected was an 80 second
viewing of an absolutely positive shy albatross, probably Salvins
subspecies (Diomedia cauta salvini). I caught sight of the bird in the 25X
as it appeared from the north, passing south at 2.0 reticles (2.2 nm) due
west of the Outer Rock Islet. It was clearly a black & white albatross and
initially figured it would be a Laysan. That was quickly eliminated as was
my next guess, one of those extreme light variant black-footeds.
Short-tailed albatross? No. This bird was a shy (Salvins) albatross! The
bird was sighted at 0810hrs, was in view for about 2-1/2 minutes, ~80-90
seconds in close (2.2 nm is close for detailed viewing in the Fujinon 25X150
big eyes) for full and complete study. The bird was generally moving
southward, mostly just gliding and zig-zagging a bit with an occasional slow
shallow flap of the wings when it first emerged from behind and due west of
the Outer Rock Islet. It was illuminated in full bright though slightly hazy
sunshine which was to my back. Wind was NW, ~10kt out there and sea state
Beaufort 3. For the last minute or so, the bird was out 3+ nm and drifting
off into the haze and fog where I could still see it in shape and form but no
longer in detail. It was clear that it was going away and probably not
coming back, so I resumed the loon counts. I probably missed one or two on
account of this unexpected distraction. Damn!

Description: Large albatross, larger and heavier looking than either
black-footed or Laysan. Dark grey to greyish brown mantle, back, and tail,
more like black-footed and not black like Laysan. Back or saddle area
slightly paler than upper wing surface. Underparts totally white. Long
broad wings, notably broader than Laysan or black-footed and virtually
totally white on the underside with very narrow black margins and black spot
(thumb print) at the base of the leading edge of the underwing -- this
key mark was surprisingly quite visible each time the bird banked up
showing the undersides and distinguishes the *D. cauta* forms from all other
possible contenders. Head was light, off-whitish, showing as a pale to
medium gray wash extending from the hind neck around and through the sides
and lower facial (cheek) area. Forehead did appear whiter than the rest of
the head. Bill was strikingly large and mostly pale creamy white or
horn-colored (possibly slightly darker at tip -- not sure although it
sometimes appeared so -- a bit far to be absolutely positive on the extent of
that -- whether it was a dark tip, or just a darker spot. Upper wings showed
white in the outer primaries (shafts), and on underwing, the distal 1/5 or so
was darker gray.

I believe this was most likely the *Salvins* form (D. c. salvini) based on
the shape and extent of gray on the head (other forms have this too in
varying degree and age of the individual), but more importantly, the darker
region of the distal underwing surface. This species and form is nothing new
to me. I am very familiar with all the southern ocean albatross with several
thousand hours of survey time at sea throughout and around and around the
southern hemisphere from numerous trips down there over the past 16 years.
It was kind of like seeing an old friend -- but just a bit of a novelty I
suppose to see one here. But then, maybe even that isnt all that surprising
either. Afterall, Ive dumped more than 1600 hours of my life down the drain
over the past three Springs here doing nothing but scanning and staring
relentlessly out there. Ive often said that you can never never turn your
back on the ocean here -- not even for a second. Otherwise, you will miss
something. And, if you miss something, ...well..., thats a *D*. :)...."
---------------

PASSERINES & OTHER LAND BIRDS
Nothing this week in the bushes. However, a lesser(?) nighthawk got by me,
up and over the house and gone before I could get a better look at it on
6/01. Two more nest loads of Allen's hummingbirds have fledged. The pair of
black phoebes are well into their second brood in the exact same nest which
fledged 5 birds in April.

ONE DAY IN THE LIFE HERE:

Here's one day's journal entry (cut & paste):

---------------
02 Jun 1996 [SUNDAY]
weather: Clear sky, 100% sunny & hot (relatively); wind light & variable
to NW <10kt (briefly SSE to 10kt (0830-0930hrs); seas calm, mostly B-2 or
less; sea temp 10.00C; air temp 520-720F (record high this season).
Observed Sunset = 2019hrs.

Summary:

Sightings Effort: total effort = 7.2hrs; 0.0hrs (25X); 7.2hrs (eye + 10X).
mean seach effort = 2.3; mean sightability = 2.2

A picture perfect beautiful day for Sunday concentrated loon counting, to
wind up my season here. And a hot one too -- 72:F. That pales to Paso
Robles, just over the hills and inland at 103:F and boasting the highest
heat index recorded in the nation today! The downside is that this will
surely trigger another binge of morning coastal fog at critical loon time.

Ill continue to stay on for another week or two, mostly to review heat
sensor tapes, to glean off the gray whales, as well as select seabirds
(loons, brant, scoters). Hopefully these data will allow me to make some
kind of calibration to determine an error factor in my counts (estimates)
while I am on the offshore and inshore gray whale monitoring stations.

A really good Pacific loon count today and early June date, and also highest
count for this weekly period with 2,393 (best estimate ~2,500). I should be
getting close to the bottom of the loony bin. At least I can see the
bottom now. There continue to be a few straggling groups of brant and surf
scoters. Virtually all the brant this past week are really worn and scraggly
looking.

A good sooty shearwater flight was observed this morning, mostly concentrated
offshore in the 1.0-1.5nm zone. Amongst them was yet another manx
shearwater. Picked it up with the 10X and further confirmed it with the
Zeiss gyro-stablized hand-held 20X. As usual, the bird was flying north, and
was ~0.6nm offshore.

A beautiful calm evening and conducted a 1.5-hour sunset session
(1900-2030hrs) following the Seattle Sonics - Utah Jazz basketball game,
Western Finals (Seattle 90, Utah 86). Two immature tufted puffins flying
north in the company of a common murre, ~500 meters offshore were seen at
~1920hrs. There were 15 Pacific loons seen during this period. Generally,
the more offshore species usually seen only with the 25X during the regular
survey will drop out of the sightings list. Small alcids and most seabirds
will drop out altogether if they are generally more than a mile offshore. I
can still manage the sooty shearwaters, but all the rest, though doubtlessly
out there, are beyond my ability to detect. I guess I just got lucky with
the manx shearwater and tufted puffins today. The Zeiss 20X are OK for the
quick and dirty ID but not practical for prolonged scanning as they are heavy
and awkward to hold for very long, and my field of view is greatly reduced.

Late Bonapartes gulls now dont seem to have much of a chance of getting by
this place. Both single birds today were nailed by the peregrines.
Bonapartes seems to be a favored choice of prey item.

The northward dispersal of post-breeding brown pelicans and Heermans gulls
continues at a steady daily pace. 13 full adult Heermans was a daily high
total for the season so far. A complete range of plumages, ages, are on
display now. Ive been counting Heermans gull and breaking them down by
ages all season. Ive broken them down into four categories, but could
probably do well with about 8 if I could manage it. Im not very happy with
P.J. Grants (Gulls, A Guide to Identification) treatment of this species.
Its way too simple for something which is way more complicated and not
nearly as straight forward as one might otherwise presume.

These big long strings of brown pelicans continue to dazzle me as they slowly
and silently drift by northbound. A single elegant tern flying north this
morning was the one and only for this week.

Peregrines: The entire peregrine clan (two adult, three juveniles) were very
busy this morning during my loon watch from the West Point. Too much
activity to itemize. They were all over the place -- flying about, on the
Outer Rock Islet, and on the antennas at the top of the lighthouse. The
juveniles continue to do well and are beginning to catch some prey items (or
at least try to) for themselves. I observed one of the juvenile females this
morning knock down a rock dove (racing pigeon?) at 0630hrs. All three
juveniles were involved with both adults standing by. The pigeon dropped in
the surf from about 50 feet on the north side of the Point. Im afraid I
disrupted the action in a mad scramble from my loon perch on the west side,
to get up and over the cliff and iceplant to see what was going on on the
north side. I saw the pigeon drop into the surf and the whole clan was
screaming. The female made a bee-line directly for me screaming and
warning me off. Never mind that I was ~200 meters from the pigeon.
Meanwhile, the juveniles aborted and scattered, settling down on rocks at
the edge of the beach. Im reasonably convinced that when the adult female
goes into one of her screaming binges, the one and only observed involving me
this week, it means to the nestlings/fledglings/juveniles -- sit tight
and/or abort the mission which is exactly what happens every time. The rock
dove was lost in the surf and never retrieved.

Only two Bonapartes gulls (immatures) were seen today. Neither made it past
the Point. Both were picked off by the adults and delivered to and shared
with the juveniles. Any tardy Bonapartes gull now in this area doesnt have
much of a chance of getting any further north. Clearly, Bonapartes gull is
the prey item of choice. The whole clan must have been starved today.
Yesterday wasnt a very good day with the cold wet fog, so perhaps they were
making up for the meager offerings. It was just chaotic all over the place
all morning with both adults constantly bringing in something.

An interesting bonding between all the juveniles is being observed and more
regularly this week, and especially this morning. Maybe its just play or
practice or something. The juveniles amidst a lot of calling and screaming
and flying around together are spending a great deal of time flying around
with prey items clutched in their talons and handing them off in repeated
aerial talon to talon exhanges. The juvenile male even presented one such
item to one of the immature females in a bill to talon aerial exchange. This
is something the adult male often does for the adult female during courtship,
nesting, and rearing of young. So, I think the future looks very bright for
the PB peregrine clan.

During a break in the Sonics game, I stepped out the back door at ~1700hrs
just as all three juveniles and the adult male looped up from the South Point
and over the house in pursuit of another rock dove. They all circled the
lighthouse three times and the rock dove bolted off and away to the north.
This had to be a racing pigeon -- too fast even for the peregrines which
finally gave it up and all settled on the top of the lighthouse until sunset.
One by one, they all returned to the Outer Rock Islet for the night.

Texaco Ponds: not checked.

Oasis -- nil.
---------------

Richard Rowlett <pagodroma at aol.com>
(Bellevue, WA)
currently: Piedras Blancas Lighthouse
San Simeon, California