Subject: PB Sunday (5/17) 25X seawatch & final remarks
Date: May 19 13:19:42 1998
From: PAGODROMA - PAGODROMA at aol.com


Point Piedras Blancas, San Luis Obispo Co., CA, intensive and fully dedicated
Fujinon 25X150 seawatch, Sunday, 17May98, 0600-1000hrs.

Weather: clear sunny, winds light & variable becoming NNW 2-6kts, seas calm
Beaufort 0-2, sea temp 12.7C, visibility 6+nmi (waterline at horzon = 6.37nmi)

Selected species list:
Red-throated Loon (15)
Pacific Loon (3,063)
Common Loon (42)
Black-footed Albatross (2) -- immature (seen almost daily now)
LAYSAN ALBATROSS (1) -- first '98 season from shore sighting
Pink-footed Shearwater (32)
Sooty Shearwater (650+)
Brown Pelican (380)
Brant (9)
Surf Scoter (445)
White-winged Scoter (3)
Red-breasted Merganser (1)
Whimbrel (26)
Spoonbill Sandpiper (0) -- as usual :-)
Phalaropes (2,200) -- 85% Red-necked, 15% Red
Pomarine Jaeger (1)
FRANKLIN'S GULL (3) -- all northbound single adults (6 since 5/08)
Bonaparte's Gull (2)
Heermann's Gull (65)
Caspian Tern (4)
Elegant Tern (1)
Forster's Tern (5)
Common Murrre (57)
Pigeon Guillemot (40-50) -- resident
Marbled Murrelet (4) -- two pair
Cassin's Auklet (85)
Rhinoceros Auklet (17)
marine mammals:
Humpback Whale (2) -- 3 nmile out all morning with BFAL & LAAL
Common Dolphin (40)
Harbor Porpoise (1)
Sea Otter (~60)
Steller's (No.) Sea Lion (1) -- subadult male
California Sea Lion (~2000)
Harbor Seal (~25)
Northern Elephant Seal (~3000)

Estimated 1998 Season Loon Totals (3/20 thru 5/19)
Red-throated Loon (18,000)
Pacific Loon (457,000)
Common Loon (8,500)
Yellow-billed Loon (1) -- alt.plum. adult on 5/10

The 'loony bin' isn't quite empty yet. Still they keep on coming but at a
diminishing pace daily (3,200 already this morning 0600-0730 + thousands of
Sooty Shearwaters). Typical daily flights of Pacific Loons continue to occur
primarily during the morning between 0600-1000hrs running from 2,000 to 5,000
with only a sprinkling thereafter. The migration got off to a slow and late
start, then suddenly peaked in spectacular fashion in late April, and
currently has been diminishing steadily through May. There is probably still
be another 20-30,000 in the wings but it is looking like a minimal, if any,
flight of June stragglers this season. Typically, such flights may trickle
down into the first week of June then end abruptly at zero by June 10th (as
per 1996 observations).

Elsewhere around the site, the two 36-day old Peregrine chicks are coming
along fine and sporting their fine new 'jewelry' (bands). Fledging will
likely occur during the first days of June. They are currently dining on a
lot of near-shore phalaropes (both Red-neckeds and Reds) that have become such
easy pickings. Yesterday, a Starling was on the menu. Not just any Starling,
but *THE* Starling that has caused me no end of grief for several years(!)
because of it's exceptional abilities in shorebird mimicry. You have no idea
how many Black-bellied Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, Least Sandpipers, et.al.
that I'd hear but could never locate until after a few weeks discovering the
source was from this Starling. Kind of sad really in losing this practical
joker.

The two nesting Allen's Hummingbird are doing well; one with two 10-day old
young, one with two eggs just hatching as I write. On Monday, a female Anna's
arrived on the scene and I've been suspecting likely nesting. And low and
behold, literally as I write this very message, I see her now just starting to
weave a nest right outside computer room window, 10 feet away and 6 feet above
the ground on the tip of a branch in one of the Monterey Cypress; the first
strands of the platform consisting of stringy moss.

The male hummngbirds have got this down to an exact science around here. They
live over in the cozy little ravines and gullies on the east side of rt.1
where it's always nice and sunny and warm guarding their little patch of
flowers. They mate with whomever, whenever, and however many they please then
expell the females to the brutal windy cold hinterlands of the Piedras Blancas
where the females have to do all the rest all by themselves -- nest building,
incubation, feeding the young. Talk about a sexist society! And you thought
they were such cute adorable little birds when in fact they are just downright
mean and nasty.

The gray whale cow/calf Baja to Alaska-bound spring migration is virtually
finished. It began 10-14 days earlier than previous observed seasons
(1994-97) and has finished 10-14 days early as well. Calf production during
the 1997-98 Baja calving season appears to be about equal to 1997 which means
that population has probably plateaued to it's maximum carrying capacity.
Estimated total population of the eastern North Pacific stock is about 22,500
and believed recovered to historical pre-whaling levels. Reasons for the
unseasonably early calf migration is uncertain and can never be proven but
perhaps can be at least partially attributed to the 'El Nino' warmed waters
which were reported running 4-5C above normal in the Baja coastal waters in
February and March thus perhaps prodding the whales to leave the calving
grounds a bit early.

Since we've run out of whales, we'll be closing down shop here at the end of
the week, a week earlier than planned. Next stop after a short break: 5-month
Eastern Tropical Pacific dolphin/seabird cruise (mid-July thru mid-December);
San Diego to Hawaii to Peru and everywhere in between. So until next year
from California's best kept secret here on the Central Coast, buh bye.

Richard Rowlett (Pagodroma at aol.com)
Gray Whale Survey
Piedras Blancas Lighthouse
San Simeon, SLO Co., California