Subject: [Tweeters] Westport Pelagic Trip, April 29, 2015
Date: Apr 30 10:22:18 2015
From: Bruce LaBar - blabar at harbornet.com


Yesterday, Westport Seabirds scheduled a pelagic trip for 12 enthusiastic birders from Sweden. There were also 7 of us birders from Washington.
The weather was beautiful with somewhat calm seas as we left. As we got further out to sea, we did have some choppy waters and some good size swells, but the birding was great. Phil Anderson spotted four shrimp boats on the radar just to the north of us, so we headed in that direction. At the boats we had several thousand birds mostly comprised of Sooty Shearwaters and gulls. However, there were a good number of Pink-footed Shearwaters, our first Black-footed Albatross and one Short-tailed Shearwater. Perhaps the bird of the day was the Flesh-footed Shearwater that was first spotted by Jim Danzenbaker. Most of us got excellent views of this all dark shearwater with a flesh colored bill.
As we went to deeper waters over the shelf of the canyon, we put out a chum and had many Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmars and Fork-tailed Storm Petrels.
The inshore waters included my first Brown Pelicans of the year as well as one lone Heermann?s Gull.
The co-leaders for this trip were Jim Danzenbaker and myself. The boat personal and spotters were Phil and Chris Anderson. Our next pelagic trip is scheduled for May 16 with a few spots remaining. For reservations and other information, go to our website at www.westportseabirds.com

Greater White-fronted Goose-229
Brant-27
Cackling Goose-400
Green-winged Teal-30
Surf Scoter-42
White-winged Scoter-31
Red-throated Loon-2
Pacific Loon-740
Common Loon-81
Western Grebe-4
Black-footed Albatross-47
Northern Fulmar-17
Pink-footed Shearwater-138
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-1
Sooty Shearwater-8338
Short-tailed Shearwater-1
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel-22
Brandt?s Cormorant-32
Pelagic Cormorant-33
Brown Pelican-52
Wandering Tattler-1
Black Turnstone-1
Red-necked Phalarope-47
Black-legged Kittiwake-1
Sabine?s Gull-15
Bonaparte?s Gull-10
Heermann?s Gull-1
Mew Gull-3
California Gull-14
Herring Gull-14
Thayer?s Gull-1
Glaucous-winged x Western Gull-614
Caspian Tern-1
jaeger sp.-1
Common Murre-4064
Pigeon Guillemot-14
Marbled Murrelet-4
Cassin?s Auklet-1
Rhinoceros Auklet-90
Tufted Puffin-5
Peregrine Falcon-1

Mammal highlights: Humpback Whale-2 and 1 Gray Whale