SOUTH POLAR SKUA was the highlight of the September 21, 1996
pelagic trip 18 miles off Garibaldi, Tillamook Co., Oregon.

In fact, a dark-phase bird sat in the water very near the
boat, getting up from time to time to pound the living daylights
out of several unfortunate PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS. It
remained near the boat for over a half hour. It was very sooty
brown with golden hackles and a huge hooked bill. It had a
large white wing patch at the base of the primaries with the
white extending down the wing along the greater secondary coverts.
Later we saw it and another bird with some primary molt, chasing
shearwaters for another half hour.

The SKUAS even outshown the 3 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS and an
ORCA (Killer Whale)!

We met up with 2 commercial shrimping boats about 18 miles offshore.
Around these boats were about 1000 birds! Two FORK-TAILED STORM-
PETRELS were good, and close looks at POMARINE and PARASITIC
JAEGERS.

Total species for the trip:

Common Loon 2 breeding plumage still
Black-footed Albatross 35
Northern Fulmar 80
Pink-footed Shearwater 250
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER 3
Sooty Shearwater 350
Buller's Shearwater 80
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 2
Brown Pelican 40
Double-crested Cormorant 25
Brandt's Cormorant 75
Pelagic Cormorant 3
Northern Pintail 80
Greater Scaup 140
White-winged Scoter 1
Red-necked Phalarope 10
Pomarine Jaeger 12
Parasitic Jaeger 3
SOUTH POLAR SKUA 2
Heermann's Gull 80
California Gull 600
Western Gull 300
Glaucous-winged Gull 10
Sabine's Gull 15
Arctic Tern 1
Common Murre 25
Rhinoceros Auklet 2

Dall's Porpoise 6
Orca 1

This certainly ranks as one of the best pelagic trips I've
ever been on - it was great! You should'a been there!

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