Greetings All,

Yesterday's Westport Pelagic was quite successful in the fact that we saw
most of the expected seabird migrants and spring visitors. Although we did
not see anything unusual or mind blowing, it still made for a great day of
studying these gems of birds generally at close range, something that
doesn't happen too often, even offshore.

We left Westport at 6:40AM with conditions being cloudy with a Southwesterly
wind at 4MPH. Not bad conditions at all, swell being roughly 6 feet.

The inner harbor was alive with birds, Black-legged Kittiwakes and
Bonaparte's Gulls making up the majority of the birds in the air, and Common
Murres and Pigeon Guillemots with a few Brant and Western Grebes thrown in
on the water.

After crossing the Bar, the numbers of birds started trickling off. The
Kittiwakes and Boney's stayed back, but the Big Guys (glaucous-winged and
Western Gulls) continued to follow the boat until after a while they thinned
out themselves. So during our cruise to our final chum spot 35 nautical
miles off Westport to Grays Canyon, we were left mainly with the
accompaniment of streaming lines of Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets,
Red-necked Phalaropes. Two-thirds of the way out we encountered a pair of
breeding plumaged Tufted Puffins which allowed a very close approach. And
also in the vicinity of the puffins, were 2 remaining Cassin's Auklet (a few
others took off on our approach). They also allowed quite a close approach
for these shy birds, who usually take off away from the boat once we get
within 500 meters or so. So that was a good bonus. As we left the
Puffin's, Bill Shelmerdine called out the first Sabine's Gull of the trip.
Though it was flying away leaving people with much better desired looks.
But the participants would not be disappointed by trips end.

We approached our first fishing vessel at the edge of Gray's Canyon on the
Continental Shelf. A long-line boat with a several lounging Black-footed
Albatross and many Sooty Shearwaters sitting on the water, with a couple of
Pink-footed Shearwaters. After getting our fill of the sitting birds, we
carried on for another couple of miles till we hit 125 degrees longitude,
our usual chum spot.

Arriving we had absolutely no birds around to be seen, but that would soon
change with the addition of Cod Liver Oil as an attractant for the
tube-nosed wonders of the North Pacific Ocean. Soon our first Black-footed
Albatross arrived, then a couple of Herring Gulls came in. Then several
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels arrived at the chum pattering there feet and
fluttering like butterflies picking off morsels of food from the water's
surface. 2 Sabine's Gulls then joined the group coming in very close to
everyone's amazement. 1 bird was in full adult breeding plumage, while the
other was almost completely into breeding, though its black hood was patched
with gray flecking, but still contrasted greatly to this beauty's
Black/Gray/White triangles wings. The Sab's also brought trouble with them,
as a Parasitic Jaeger came in to inspect and put forth its kleptoparastic
skills to a good use.

After about an hour of drifting with the birds at the chum spot, we began
our trek back to port. On the way back, a few Arctic Terns came down flying
low showing off their dark bellies and black-edged wings with their
massively forked tails, delighting all on board. A few Pomarine Jaegers
flew by the boat, as did some Common Terns farther inshore allowing a good
comparison and study to separate the sterna terns.

Just outside the jetty, hundreds of birds were working a riptide foraging
for food, including 6 breeding plumaged Marbled Murrelets and hundreds more
Bonaparte's Gulls and Black-legged Kittiwakes.

We cruised slowly by the jetty, this weekend being devoid of human activity.
A few Wandering Tattlers were running along the base, nervously
anticipating our next move. 1 Ruddy Turnstone stood proudly on the tip of a
low rock, and a few rocks away were 2 Black Turnstones doing the same thing.
But the real bonus on the jetty were 2 Rock Sandpipers, 1 in full, bright
breeding plumage!

All in all a good pelagic.
Please visit the Westport Seabirds website at: www.westportseabirds.com
Next scheduled trips: May 18, June 1, June 22.
Hope to see you on board!

Species/Numbers
Pacific Loon 88
Common Loon 25
Black-footed Albatross 146
Northern Fulmar 37
Pink-footed Shearwater 9
Sooty Shearwater 528
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 142
Brown Pelican 81
Double-crested Cormorant 27
Brandt's Cormorant 27
Pelagic Cormorant 139
Brant 21
Northern Shoveler (offshore) 30
Surf Scoter 21
White-winged Scoter 13
Western Grebe 20
Red-necked Phalarope 276
Pomarine Jaeger 6
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Bonaparte's Gull 482
Herring Gull 38
Thayer's Gull 4
Glaucous-winged/Western Gull 705
Black-legged Kittiwake 426
Sabine's Gull 36
Common Tern 40
Arctic Tern 12
Common Murre 1010
Pigeon Guillemot 65
Marbled Murrelet 7
Cassin's Auklet 62
Rhinoceros Auklet 482
Tufted Puffin 14
JETTY
Wandering Tattler 4
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Black Turnstone 2
Rock Sandpiper 2
Harlequin Duck 2

Mammals
California Sea-Lion
Harbor Seal
Harbor Porpoise
Dall's Porpoise

Observers/Spotters: Phil Anderson(captain), Bruce LaBar, Ryan Shaw, Bill
Shelmerdine


----Ryan Shaw
----Lacey, Washington
----rtshaw80 at hotmail.com
----(360) 491-1084
----AIM: RTShaw80

----------This machine will not communicate,
---These thoughts and the strain I am under,
------------Be a world child, form a circle,
---------------------Before we all go under,
-------------------------And fade out again
~Radiohead~


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