Tweets,

Last week's report of large numbers of birds off Lane County,
Oregon, was punctuated by several experienced birders on a
research vessel reporting excellent looks at a STREAKED SHEARWATER!

Heceta Banks is about 30 miles off the central Oregon Coast. We
will use Depoe Bay as the port, as we have the fastest boat, and
it was already reserved on October 5.

It takes about 2 hours to reach Depoe Bay from Portland. Take I-5
to US99-W to OR18, which goes to Lincoln City. Then 10 miles
south on US101 to Depoe Bay. Tiny harbor, drive to the marina,
turning at only stoplight in town. 4 short docks. biggest boat is
Hombre' - can't miss it!

A preliminary announcement today showed 8 of the minimum 15
people were already interested. Boat will hold 28.

While obviously can't guarantee Streaked Shearwater, this is
an excellent time for Skua and Flesh-footed Shearwater and
Long-tailed Jaeger. Thought you'd want to know. While it will be
3 weeks after a unique pelagic sighting, this is Oregon's
first "chase trip!"


-greg-

Forwarded message:
> Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1996 15:38:34 -0700
> From: hunterm at ccmail.orst.edu (Matthew Hunter)
> Subject: OCT 5 to Heceta Banks

> Dear Birders,
> Greg Gillson has set up the following trip to HECETA BANK:
>
> Saturday, October 5
> 7:30 am
> Depoe Bay Ocean Charters
> 8-hr trip
>
> $60 (minimum 15 passengers)
>
> If we go straight to Heceta Bank, we should have about 2 hours of
> birding there.
>
> Those of you that are interested, please email or call Greg as soon as
> possible to make your reservation. We will probably need to know
> fairly soon if there is enough interest to make the trip (call your
> friends!).
>
> CONTACT:
> Greg Gillson
> guide at teleport.com
> 503-324-0508
> http://www.teleport.com/~guide


> The
> sea has areas of different kinds of water that attract different kinds
> and numbers of seabirds at different times of year. Different kinds of
> waters usually present different food resources to many different sea
> creatures. The more productive areas of surface water are usually
> produced by an interaction of water currents (which are influenced by
> prevailing winds) with seafloor topography. HECETA BANK is an example
> of this, where the change in sea floor elevation at this point causes
> an mixing of surface and deeper water, bringing nutrient-rich waters to
> the surface.
>
> While there haven't been any pelagic trips to Heceta Bank recently,
> this area was a destination of several trips in the 80s, and perhaps
> earlier. These trips were typically quite productive.
>
> Apparently the area is still productive. The recent post by Michael
> Force, who is participating in offshore mammal and seabird censuses,
> indicated that there were "lots of birds on Heceta Bank." Among the
> regular sooty, Buller's and pink-footed shearwaters was a STREAKED
> SHEARWATER on 13 September, and a winter-plumaged LAUGHING GULL on 17
> September. While we are not guaranteed to see these birds on a
> subsequent trip, Greg and I and hopefully many of you are interested in
> going out to see what we can see at Heceta Bank.
>
> Reply to Greg if you would like to join us.
>
> Matt Hunter
> hunterm at fsl.orst.edu
>


--
Greg Gillson <guide at teleport.com>
Oregon Pelagic trips: October 5, October 19, December 7.
http://www.teleport.com/~guide