Terry Wahl sent this:

>Dennis -
>
>Thanks for the info on seabirds from RR and GG in Oregon. The contrast in
>reporter's emphasis between the two is notable. I could comment for hours on
>Richard's impression vs. what we have seen this fall. Much is in agreement,
>some differs. Generally, common spp. are very much less common than a few
>years ago, especially Sooty Shearwater and Common Murre. (There have been
>reports of thousands of
>SOSHs moving along shore off Tokeland, for example, but numbers offshore are
>very low compared to the good old days.) We were out twice recently: 21 Sept
>to 65 NM offshore, 23 Sept to about 35 NM. Latter trip had strong NE winds,
>spray, and many counts were affected consequently. Wind/weather shift may
>explain differences in Buller's Shearwater and Sabine's Gull pictures.
>Note near absence of alcids.
>Pathetic. And phalaropes have also been very low all fall. Not good signs.
>
>In the spirit of listing (and
>anti-Records Committees): I had a probable Murphy's Petrel on 21 Sept.
>Seen best by me,
>very briefly by others and not well enough by anyone. A whale seen on 21st
>may have been Sei.
>
>Westport - 1996 Sep Sep
> 21 23
>
>Black-footed Albatross 66 33
>Laysan Albatross 0 1
>Northern Fulmar 208 77
>Pink-footed Shearwater 37 35
>Flesh-footed Shearwater 0 4
>Buller's Shearwater 48 206
>Sooty Shearwater 202 230
>Short-tailed Shearwater 2 2
>Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 141 19
>Leach's Storm-Petrel 1 0
>Red Phalarope 1 0
>Red-necked Phalarope 4 3
>Pomarine Jaeger 34 6
>Parasitic Jaeger 12 0
>Long-tailed Jaeger 4 0
>jaeger sp. 3 1
>South Polar Skua 4 0
>Heermann's Gull 134 128
>Mew Gull 0 1
>California Gull 332 805
>Western, G-winged gulls 317 166
>Black-legged Kittiwake 16 50
>Sabine's Gull 196 6
>Common Tern 4 7
>Common Murre 30 18
>Pigeon Guillemot 2 0
>Marbled Murrelet 3 2
>Xantus' Murrelet 2 0
>Cassin's Auklet 5 2
>Rhinoceros Auklet 37 6
>Total birds 1845 1856
>
>Gray Whale 0 1
>Pacific White-s. Dolphin 15 0
>Harbor Porpoise 1 0
>Dall's Porpoise 2 13
>Killer Whale 1 0

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416