Greetings All,

Westport Seabirds has concluded our 2003 pelagic season with a fantastic day
of seabirding last saturday October 5th.

A seasonably uncrouded boat with a near 1 to 1 ratio of spotters to
participants left the Westport Harbor at 7AM with cloudy skies but nearly no
wind or swell.

After milling through Grays Harbor and crossing it's Bar, we began
encountering a large number of NORTHERN FULMAR of all color forms milling
around right off the Westport Jetty tip, much closer to shore than normal.
Proceeding farther out, we noticed many Harbor Porpoise heading towards
shore with uncharactiristic speed. Not long after, we saw the reason when
we stopped to observer a small pod of 6 ORCA (Killer Whale). 4 females, 1
young and 1 Bull.

Soon we began encountering our first shearwaters aside from the SOOTY
SHEARWATERS we were observing in small numbers near shore. PINK-FOOTED
SHEARWATERS began trickling by along with a few BULLER'S SHEARWATERS.
progressing farther offshore we started to encounter small pockets of birds
on the water. These groups of shearwaters and gulls contained mainly
BULLER'S, PINK-FOOTED and SOOTY SHEARWATERS, but in amongst them we found
several SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS.

Above the shearwaters came the POMARINE JAEGERS and SOUTH POLAR SKUAS, with
several Skuas in view at one time. As we proceeded out to the submarine
canyon known as Grays Canyon at the continental shelf edge, we began seeing
more and more shearwaters, including several FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS that
were proclaimed by one leader as being "organic" Flesh-foots, ie not being
found in amongst the fishing trawlers.

Prior to reaching the shelf edge, we encountered our first HUMPBACK WHALES.
We observed 1 from a distance until it dove. Shutting off the engines, we
waited to see where it would come up. Surprising us all, 2 whales showed
themselves about 10 meters off the port side startling some (including
myself). Then continued to put on a show for us at very close range before
showing us their flukes and diving out of sight.

CASSIN'S AUKLETS and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS showed up with more consistency
after crossing over the shelf edge, with most of the Cassin's being fly-bys.
We stopped just short of 125 degrees Longitude, our normal chumming stop
because of a large group of birds sitting on the water next to a Long Line
Buoy. In the flock we found several more FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, and
about 40 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS.

We dropped our usual chum: Cod Liver and Vegitable Oil mixed with some
suet. Then turned off the engines and just sat and observed the life going
on 40 miles offshore. The wind was still absent, it was very quiet out
there other than the chickenlike clucks of the ubiquitous NORTHERN FULMARS,
squabbles from the CALIFORNIA GULLS, and the nasal Meewing of the
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS.
I was even able to hear the calls of the passing SABINE'S GULLS who were now
almost in winter plumage, but with several with blotchy gray hoods.

More Jaegers, and skuas came to check out the flock behind our boat, but
what most amazed me was the hundreds of BULLER'S SHEARWATERS that were
streaming by close by. We counted more BULLER'S SHEARWATERS on this
particular trip than any trip in probably a decade or two. Several
FORK-TAILED STORM PETRELS came into the oil slick before we departed to
venture back towards land.

The birding on the way back was extremely impressive, with numerous more
BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, SABINE'S GULLS, and Skuas/Jaegers streaming by. A
couple TUFTED PUFFINS put in an appearance decked out in their winter
plumage.

By the end of the day we tallied a Westport record 30 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS (21
seen on one trip in September 2001) and a season high for a couple species
including 9 Flesh-footed shearwaters and 371 Sabine's Gulls.

Here's the complete trip list:

PACIFIC LOON: 2
COMMON LOON: 28
BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS: 42
NORTHERN FULMAR: 523
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER: 147
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER: 9
BULLER'S SHEARWATER: 705
SOOTY SHEARWATER: 262
SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER: 10
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL: 7

POMARINE JAEGER: 28
PARASTIC JAEGER: 10
SOUTH POLAR SKUA: 30
BONAPARTE'S GULL: 5
HEERMANN'S GULL: 162
MEW GULL: 8
CALIFORNIA GULL: 567
HERRING GULL: 9
GLAUCOUS-WINGED/WESTERN GULL: 915
BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE: 15
SABINE'S GULL: 371
COMMON MURRE: 261
PIGEON GUILLEMOT: 1
CASSIN'S AUKLET: 170
RHINCEROS AUKLET: 260
TUFTED PUFFIN: 2

BROWN PELICAN: 269
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT: 41
BRANDT'S CORMORANT: 32
PELAGIC CORMORANT: 80
SURF SCOTER: 90
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER: 1
WESTERN GREBE: 18 (All offshore)
BLACK TURNSTONE: 17
SURFBIRD: 1

HARBOR SEAL: 12
CALIFORNIA SEA LION: 1
NORTHERN FUR SEAL: 1
HARBOR PORPOISE: 68
ORCA: 6
HUMPBACK WHALE: 9

SUNFISH: 1
BLUE SHARK: 1

2004 dates will be up on the website shortly.
Visit www.westportseabirds.com for more details

Good Birding
Ryan Shaw
Tacoma, WA
rtshaw80 at hotmail.com

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