Richard (and Tweeters),

Thank you for your wonderful list of ETP birds.

Interestingly, you say:

>Top three most widespread, abundant, and trademark species of the ETP:
> Juan Fernandez Petrel (62 days, >10K)
> Wedge-tailed Shearwater (76 days, >10K)
> Sooty Tern (53 days, >10K)

And yet, the species seen on the most number of days on your trip is
*Leach's Storm Petrel*. That was my experience, too, crossing the ETP.
It's most interesting that this small storm petrel, which we think of as
a north Pacific nesting species, is so ubiquitous in the central Pacific,
even during the time of year when most are probably still feeding chicks,
visiting nest sites every few days. These little guys must be traveling
many hundreds if not thousands of miles on feeding trips.

We've put satellite transmitters on other seabirds -- now someone needs
to try a miniature one on a Leach's Storm Petrel. All seabirds are
pretty amazing, but storm petrels have a way of dealing with the ocean
that to me seems unbelievable.

Bob Boekelheide
Sequim