Subject: [Tweeters]
Date: Sep 23 16:40:49 2012
From: Bruce Labar - blabar at harbornet.com


Yesterday's pelagic trip was greeted by early morning fog along the coast and then wonderful windless, clear skies and unbelievable calm waters for the rest of the day. We had a full boat of birders including a tour group from Minnesota led by Kim Eckert. The highlights for the day included a Scripp's Murrelet (which was recently split as a separate species from Xantus's Murrelet) and a winter plumage Yellow-billed Loon,observed about 3 miles from shore. Other birds seen were the following: Surf and White-winged Scoters, Red-throated, Pacific and Common Loons, Western Grebes, Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed, Buller's and Sooty Shearwaters, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, Brown Pelicans, Brandt's, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, a Sanderling some 20 miles at sea, Red-necked and Red Phalaropes, South Polar Skua, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, Heermann's, California, Western, Glaucous-winged and Sabine's Gulls, Common Terns, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklet's.

No whales were observed, even with such great viewing. A possible Thrasher Shark was observed which was clearly not our normal Blue Shark sighting.
For more information on our pelagic trips please visit our website at www.westportseabirds.com.
Westport seabird leaders yesterday were Scott Mills, Ryan Shaw and myself.

Bruce LaBar
Tacoma,Wa.
blabar at harbornet.com