Yesterday?s pelagic trip, started out with overcast skies, a light drizzle and some bumpy ocean conditions. However, as we got further out to sea, conditions improved and the stronger winds that were predicted never materialized. We headed a little ways north to encounter 7 shrimp boats, that proved to be a good move, with lots of seabirds waiting for by-catch. Phil Anderson noticed, on the radar, that there were 2 whiting ships further out that often attract albatross and other seabirds. This was the highlight of the trip with around 400 Black-footed Albatross, over 600 Sabine?s Gulls and many shearwaters seen. I don?t believe I have ever seen that many Sabine?s in one area before! Other highlights of the day were 2 Buller?s Shearwaters, 1 Short-tailed Shearwater(seen by Scott Mills), 5 Leach?s Storm-Petrels, 20 Red Phalaropes( a few with red breeding feathers left on there sides), 4 South Polar Skua?s( two that stayed on the water together for great photo opts), 2 Arctic Terns and the 1 Bar-tailed Godwit with the Marbled Godwit flock in the harbor. Our mammal list was not as productive as in the past weeks but we did have 1 Humpback Whale, 1 Gray Whale and 7 Pacific white-sided Dolphins sighted.
Our next trips are August 27 and 28. The 27th looks pretty full but there are available spaces for the 28th. For further information on up-coming trips and reservations, please check our website at www.westportseabirds.com

Spotters for yesterday?s trip were: Bill Tweit, Michael Donahue, Scott Mills and myself. Boat personal and spotters were Phil and Chris Anderson.

TRIP LIST
Northern Shoveler-18
Green-winged Teal-2
Surf Scoter-2
White-winged Scoter-1
Red-throated Loon-3
Pacific Loon-2
Common Loon-1
Black-footed Albatross-423
Northern Fulmar-35
Pink-footed Shearwater-5723
Buller?s Shearwater-2
Sooty Shearwater-16025
Short-tailed Shearwater-1
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel-116
Leach?s Storm Petrel-5
Brandt?s Cormorant-41
Pelagic Cormorant-40
Brown Pelican-201
Wandering Tattler-2 (jetty)
BAR-TAILED GODWIT-1 (harbor)
Marbled Godwit-500 (harbor)
Black Turnstone-19 (2 seen 30 miles offshore!)
Surfbird-2 (jetty)
Short-billed Dowitcher-3 (harbor)
Red-necked Phalarope-157
Red Phalarope-20
South Polar Skua-4
Pomarine Jaeger-3
Parasitic Jaeger-1
Common Murre-1587
Pigeon Guillemot-5
Marbled Murrelet-1
Cassin?s Auklet-17
Rhinoceros Auklet-17
Sabine?s Gull-666
Heermann?s Gull-1000
California Gull-1477
GW/WE Gull-485
Caspian Tern-1
Arctic Tern-2
MAMMALS
Humpback Whale-1
Gray Whale-1
Pacific White-sided Dolphin-7
Harbor Porpoise-15
California Sea Lion-4
Steller?s Sea Lion-1