Sunday April 13, 2003
For the second outing in a row the National Weather Service prediction
was for rain and once again they were wrong. As I made the drive from
Soquel to Monterey the rain was initially intense but grew less so
the closer I got to Monterey. When I pulled into the parking lot there
was no rain at all.
The previous day, as the storm raged, I got a few e-mails from folks
concerned about conditions after visiting the web page for the Monterey
Bay Buoy. Folks, that buoy is 24 miles offshore and does not reflect
conditions in the bay itself!
We had a splendid day on the Monterey Bay, conditions were favorable
enough that only one person on board ended up chumming at the stern
(if you get my drift). The route our skipper Richard Ternullo followed
kept us out of the SW winds by taking a N/NW run out to the W side
of Soquel Canyon to the E rim about 5 miles from Moss Landing and
then back to Pt. Pinos.
Trip highlights were a MANX SHEARWATER spotted by leader Todd
Easterla in group of SOOTY SHEARWATERS whose numbers were way
up from our March 9 outing with about 120 seen on the day. PINK-FOOTED
SHEARWATERS numbered 3. We also saw quite a few BLACK-FOOTED
ALBATROSS (80).
After crossing into Santa Cruz county waters we had a LAYSAN ALBATROSS
delight all on board with close passes of the boat in the Soquel Canyon
vicinity. In this same area we also had the first SABINE'S GULL
of the season. A better look couldn't be had as the bird flew by the
boat then landed on the water.
Other birds that were seen this trip and not on our previous trips
this year were BONAPARTE'S GULL and 60 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.
There were still some RHINOCEROS (30) and CASSIN'S AUKLETS
(12) and NORTHERN FULMARS (12) around.
Species List 4/13/03
Pacific Loon 75
Common Loon 3
LAYSAN ALBATROSS 1
Black-footed Albatross 80
Northern Fulmar 12
Pink-footed Shearwater 3
Sooty Shearwater 120
MANX SHEARWATER 1
Red-necked Phalarope 60
Brown Pelican 20
Brandt's Cormorant 100
Pelagic Cormorant 30
Surf Scoter 50
Bonaparte's Gull 12
Heerman's Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Sabine's Tern 2
Common Murre 15
Pigeon Guillemot 30
Cassin's Auklet 12
Rhinoceros Auklet 30
Red-breasted Merganser 3
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Black Turnstone 1
Whimbrel 5
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Risso's Dolphin
California Sea Lion
California Sea Otter
Roger Wolfe for Monterey
Seabirds
