Subject: [Tweeters] Westport Seabirds pelagic trip April 25
Date: Apr 26 14:17:40 2015
From: Michael Donahue - bfalbatross at gmail.com


A dismal ocean forecast early last week for yesterday?s Westport Seabirds
pelagic trip evaporated into sunshine and smooth seas for the trip 35 miles
off Westport to Grays Canyon. Species encountered were:



113 Black-footed Albatross, with 89 of those behind the boat when we
stopped and put out chum. Several birds were exhibiting courtship behavior.

21 Northern Fulmars

7 Pink-footed Shearwaters

707 Sooty Shearwaters

7 Short-tailed Shearwaters

47 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels

234 Red-necked Phalaropes, with good looks at several flocks twirling on
the water. All were in spectacular breeding plumage. No luck with Red
Phalaropes. (Which would have been in uber-spectacular plumage.)

2 Pomarine Jaegers

1 Parasitic Jaeger
21 Sabine?s Gulls, with some mixed in with small flocks of Bonaparte?s
Gulls. The latter isn?t typically encountered offshore, and it was fun to
see both of these hooded gulls together.
17 Black-legged Kittiwakes

13 Cassin?s Auklet, with good looks at individuals sitting on the water.

1 Ancient Murrelet



Offshore marine mammals were 5 Northern Fur Seals, 2 Humpack Whales, and 10
Dall?s Porpoise.



Migration was evident at the mouth of Grays Harbor, with several large
flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese high overhead, a flock of Brant, and
Surf and White-winged Scoters. There were lots of loons flying by?we
tallied 69 Red-throated and 143 Pacific Loons, which must?ve been a small
fraction of the number of birds going by throughout the day.



Photos will be posted on the Westport Seabirds Facebook page later today,
and complete results will be posted at www.westportseabirds.com soon. The
next scheduled Westport Seabirds trip is May 16; space is still available.
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