Subject: Xantus's Murrelets & other stuff off Washington & Oregon
Date: Sep 17 10:26:23 2001
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com


Below is a table summary of sea and other birds and marine mammals observed
on tracklines off the State of WASHINGTON during an ongoing 4-1/2 month
survey cruise up to 300nmi off the coasts of California, Oregon, and
Washington. This NOAA/NMFS sponsored research cruise aboard the NOAA R/V
"David Starr Jordan" commenced in San Diego 30Jul2001 and will conclude there
10Dec2001. Observers in addition to myself include Mike Force, Cornelia
Odevoken, Jim Cotton, et.al.

Relevant daylight survey trackline / waypoint coordinates off Washington;
just match the dates to the columns in the table. CAVEAT: My apologies in
advance IF this table ends up wrecked and splattered all over your screen.
It's not me; it's the inexcusably retarded incompatibilities of this ghastly
primitive e-technology which so aggravates me and everyone else. Note also
Footnote [6] which lists a few notable sightings off Oregon.

13Aug -- all in Washington waters:
0640hrs -- 47.2N, 126.3W (85nmi W of Westport) to:
1300hrs -- 46.2N, 126.7W (135nmi W of Cape Disappointment) to:
2025hrs -- 46.4N, 128.2W (175nmi W of Cape Disappointment)

03Sep ? all in Washington waters:
0700hrs ? 46.6N, 129.3W (215nmi W of Westport) to:
1225hrs ? 46.4N, 128.2W (170nmi W of Westport) to:
1930hrs ? 47.3N, 127.9W (150nmi W of Cape Elizabeth)

04Sep ? all in Washington waters:
0700hrs ? 47.7N, 126.7W (90nmi W of Destruction Island) to:
1600hrs ? 47.5N, 126.0W (70nmi W of Destruction Island) to:
1948hrs ? 48.0N, 125.9W (50nmi SW of Cape Alava)

05Sep ? all in Washington waters:
0700hrs ? 47.5N, 126.0W (70nmi W of Destruction Island) to:
1720hrs ? 47.2N, 124.3W (2nmi W of Pacific Beach)

06Sep ? most in Washington waters:
0652hrs ? 47.6N, 124.5W (2nmi S of Destruction Island) to:
1640hrs ? 46?15'N, 125?02'W (40nmi W of Cape Disappointment) to:
1640-1900hrs ? 40-50nmi off northern Oregon

13Aug 03Sep 04Sep 05Sep
06Sep [note]
Black-footed Albatross ------------- 1 10 12 49
43
Northern Fulmar ----------------------- 1 1 2 58
40
COOK'S PETREL ? ------------------ -- -- 1 --
-- [1]
Buller's Shearwater ------------------ 21 1 1 2
117
Sooty Shearwater -------------------- 1 8 18 230
653
Short-tailed Shearwater ------------ -- -- --
3 --
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel ----------- 1 -- 2 4
5
Leach's Storm Petrel ---------------- 650 120 210 86
1
Red-necked Phalarope ------------- -- -- 1 35
3
Red Phalarope ------------------------- 20 8 4
6 3
South Polar Skua --------------------- -- -- 1
4 8
Pomarine Jaeger ----------------------- -- 1 1
42 26
Parasitic Jaeger ------------------------ -- 1 4
6 4
Long-tailed Jaeger --------------------- 50 15 65 43
12
unid. jaeger --------------------------- 5 -- --
5 2
California Gull --------------------------- -- -- 2
230 1150
Western Gull ---------------------------- -- -- --
-- 2
Glaucous-winged Gull --------------- -- -- -- 1
3
WExGW Gull (hybrid) --------------- -- -- -- 30
110
unid. larid gulls ---------------------- -- -- --
100 750
Black-legged Kittiwake -------------- -- -- --
-- 2
Sabine's Gull ---------------------------- -- 3 4
166 125
Arctic Tern ------------------------------- 10 23 20
23 5
Common Murre ------------------------ -- -- -- 300
135
Pigeon Guillemot ---------------------- -- -- --
-- 3
XANTUS'S MURRELET ------------- 2 -- 2 2
4 [2]
_S. h. scrippsi_ -------------------- (2) -- (2)
(2) (2) [2]
_S. h. hypoleucus_ ---------------- -- -- --
-- (2) [2]
XA/CR Murrelet sp. ------------------- 4 -- 2 2
-- [2]
Cassin's Auklet ------------------------ 2 -- --
6 10
Rhinoceros Auklet -------------------- -- -- 3
11 59
Red-throated Loon ----------------- -- -- --
1 --
Pacific Loon -------------------------- -- -- --
1 2
Common Loon ----------------------- -- -- --
2 3
Brown Pelican ----------------------- -- -- --
6 185 [3]
Brandt's Cormorant ---------------- -- -- --
-- 100
Pelagic Cormorant ----------------- -- -- --
1 --
Great Blue Heron ------------------- -- -- --
1 --
"geese" (BRAN or WFGO ??) - -- -- -- --
23
Green-winged Teal ----------------- -- -- --
-- 1
Northern Pintail ---------------------- -- -- --
-- 22
Surf Scoter ---------------------------- -- -- --
-- 4
Peregrine Falcon -------------------- -- 1 +
-- -- [4]
Whimbrel ------------------------------- -- 2 --
-- --
Western Sandpiper ----------------- -- -- --
-- 1
Belted Kingfisher -------------------- -- -- --
-- 1

marine mammals shown as number of sightings (ie. groups), not total
individuals:
Fin Whale --------------------------------- -- 1 1
7 --
Humpback Whale ---------------------- -- -- 3 3
2
Cuvier's Beaked Whale -------------- -- 1 -- --
--
Killer Whale (Orca) -------------------- -- -- --
-- 1
Pacific White-sided Dolphin -------- -- -- -- 5
1
Risso's Dolphin ------------------------- 1 -- --
1 1
Northern Right Whale Dolphin ----- 1 -- 1 3
--
Harbor Porpoise ------------------------ -- -- --
2 12
Dall's Porpoise -------------------------- -- -- --
2 2
Northern Fur Seal ---------------------- -- -- --
-- 2
Northern Elephant Seal -------------- 1 1 -- --
1
River Otter -------------------------------- -- -- --
-- 1 [5]

**NOTES**

[1] Cook's Petrel ?
04Sep ? 1 (probable) at 1930hrs (48?01'N, 125?58'W)
51nmi WSW Cape Alava (~900 fathoms)

[2] Xantus's Murrelet ?
_S. h. scrippsi_ [So. California (Channel Islands) subspecies]
13Aug -- 2 (paired) at 0750hrs (xx?xx'N, xxx?xx'W)
~85nmi W of Westport
04Sep ? 2 (paired) at 1747hrs (47?47'N, 126?03'W)
56nmi SW Cape Alava (~900 fathoms)
05Sep ? 2 (paired) at 0736hrs (47?32'N, 125?56'W)
60nmi S Destruction Island (~800
fathoms)
06Sep ? 2 (paired) at 1006hrs (47?09'N, 124?43'W)
21nmi SW Cape Elizabeth (~70 fathoms)
_S. h. hypoleucus_ [Mexican (Baja) supspecies]
06Sep ? 2 (paired) at 1405hrs (46?36'N, 124?55'W)
36nmi W Leadbetter Point (~300 fathoms)
Xantus's / Craveri's (probably Xantus's) Murrelet
13Aug -- 4 (2 pair) 0640-0800hrs (xx?xx'N, xxx?xx'W)
~85-90 nmi WSW Westport
04Sep ? 2 (paired) at 0724hrs (48?01'N, 125?58'W)
51nmi SW Cape Alava (~800 fathoms)
05Sep ? 2 (paired) at 1100hrs (47?23'N, 125?24'W)
44 nmi W Cape Elizabeth (~800 fathoms)

[3] Brown Pelican --
06Sep -- 185 northbound sunrise "commuters" counted in 10 minutes around
the ship, 3-4 nmi off the beach and 2-3 nmi south of Destruction Island.
Seems like a surprising large number for Washington and that may have been
only the tip of the iceberg.

[4] Peregrine Falcon (immature Peale's form)
"quoted from my notes":
03Sep ? A very dark immature arrived aboard the DSJ at 1800hrs, 150nmi W
of Cape Elizabeth (47?08'N, 127?56'W) and remained for the night roosting on
the mast under the main large radar and finally on the main cross beam.
Sometime shortly before dark, a hunting foray resulted in the capture of one
Leach's Storm Petrel which was then brought back to the ship where it was
dismembered and eaten on the mast over the flying bridge. This must be a
full blooded Peale's form. Neither Mike nor I have ever seen a Peregrine so
dark ? virtually black. Very dark chocolate brown back and "helmet" with
heavy broad dark chocolate streaking on the underparts. Underwings are
checkered black and white, throat is whitish, and a smallish area around the
vent is whitish.
04Sep ? The immature Peregrine remained with us all day varying its
perches from the A-frame on the stern and various spots on the flying bridge
and main mast. Even with all the human activity, especially on the flying
bridge, this bird seems to have quickly grown accustomed to our presence.
Even during the four feeding sessions, all of which took place at various
posts on the flying bridge and mast, our presence didn't seem to bother him.
Four successful kills were observed, all involving Leach's Storm Petrels
(0900hrs, 1200hrs, 1500hrs, and 1900hrs). In each the victim was brought back
to the ship to be dismembered and eaten. With the 1900hr incident, the storm
petrel was still quite alive when the Peregrine landed on a box about 30 feet
behind us to finally dispatch the hapless storm petrel last seen in it's
final gasp lying on it's back pinned under the Peregrine's talons as it
plunged it's beak into the storm petrels throat and ripping the lower
mandible away. Then as was observed earlier, the Peregrine ripped into the
head to devour the brain first, exactly in the same manner as observed at
1200hrs. Pretty grisly stuff! Since Leach's Storm Petrels have been
reasonably abundant today, during each hunting foray, the Peregrine has
consistently been seen making only one pass at a targeted storm petrel. If
the Peregrine misses which it frequently does, it just moves on to targeting
the next one. It just goes on and on like this, maybe involving a dozen or
many more before a successful strike and kill. Our position at nightfall was
48nmi WSW of Cape Alava (48?03'N, 125?57'W)
05Sep ? No sign of the Peregrine at first light, 70nmi W. of Cape
Elizabeth (47?32'N, 126?01'W) Two pellets were found on the flying bridge
deck each containing remains of Leach's Storm Petrels.

[5] River Otter --
06Sep -- a surprising 'marine' sighting of a single animal encountered
4nmi off the beach and ~2.5nmi south of Destruction Island. --NOT a sea
otter!--

[6] Some notable sightings off OREGON:
DARK-RUMPED PETREL
10Sep -- 1 at 1038hrs (43?27'N, 129?20'W)
230nmi W of Point St. George
XANTUS'S MURRELET _S. h. hypoleucus_
12Aug ? 2 (paired) at 1930hrs (45?57'N, 125?30'W)
64nmi W of Tillamook Head
16Aug -- 2 (paired) at 1925hrs (44?46'N, 126?30'W)
100nmi W of Newport
06Sep -- 2 (paired) at 1902hrs (45?53'N, 125?11'W)
51nmi W of Tillamook Head

And just in case you're wondering, apart from that listed or noted above,
birdlife beyond the shelf break and slope off Washington, Oregon, and at
least northern California is generally pretty dead, dull, boring. Basically,
it consists of what we have come to call the "six-species collectors set"
each and every day and those in numbers which are quite isolated, far, and
few between. The "collector's set" includes Black-footed Albatross, Sooty
Shearwater, Leach's Storm Petrel, Red Phalarope, Long-tailed Jaeger, and
Arctic Tern. Period.

This message is being sent from a short 36-hr inport in Eureka, California
and the only time this email account (Pterodroma at aol.com) can be accessed
until the next inport. Any comment or messages regarding this report should
thus be addressed to:
richard.rowlett.atsea at jonems.jordan.omao.noaa.gov

Richard Rowlett
NOAA R/V "David Starr Jordan"
in port, Eureka, California