Sunday January 23, 2011

We enjoyed a lovely day on the Monterey Bay on January 23. Granted seabirds were a bit sparse but the Gray Whales put on quite a show. Northern Fulmars have largely evacuated, and we saw only a few. A single Sooty Shearwater was our only other procellarid and oddly enough zero albatrosses (Richard Ternullo reports he hasn't seen one in 3 weeks).

The highlight was the Gray Whales that approached the boat very closely, trying to evade some Risso's Dolphins that seemed to be worrying them. I've served as a naturalist on dozens of Gray Whale trips but this one was the best! Rarely do we get such close interaction from Gray Whales.

I've put a video of our Gray Whale encounter up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. You can see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-nOHlVX1fY

We'll be doing another one of these half-day trips on March 20. Hope you can make it.

Coni Hendry took these shots using her little point and shoot digital camera from the bow. The Gray Whale in the upper right photo is completely upside down!

Here are Don Roberson's eBird reports for the day:

Location: Monterey Bay pelagic (MTY Co.)
Observation date: 1/23/11
Notes: Part of Monterey Seabird trip aboard Sea Wolf II with R. Ternullo, skipper; Roger Wolfe, Tim Amaral, Blake Matheson, Jeff Poklen, many Scz Bird Club members. See separate checklist for inshore portion (<1 mile offshore). This checklist begins heading for S rim of Canyon, than west past Pt. Pinos (~2-4 nmi offshore), then south to Carmel Bay (~1.5 nmi offshore) where we had very close encounters with Gray Whales (~20 Gray Whale all told), plus 50 Grampus. Gorgeous day; calm, sunny; sea state Beaufort 1-3, becoming calmer as day went on.
Number of species:			16
	Pacific Loon		8
	Northern Fulmar		7		incl 1 white morph
	Sooty Shearwater		1
	Brandt's Cormorant		20		these more than a mile offshore
	Red Phalarope		1
	Black-legged Kittiwake		3		1 ad, 2 first-cycle
	Heermann's Gull		25
	Mew Gull (American)		2		first-cycles
	Western Gull		1200
	Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)		2
	California Gull		400
	Herring Gull (American)		1		adult
	Thayer's Gull		3		1 ad, 2 first-cycle
	Glaucous-winged Gull		50
	Common Murre		150
	Cassin's Auklet		4
	Rhinoceros Auklet		100		widely scattered; most imms but a few full-plumed adults
Location: Monterey Bay pelagic--inshore Mty Harbor to Pt. Pinos (MTY Co.)
Observation date: 1/23/11
Notes: part of Monterey Seabird trip aboard Sea Wolf II with R. Ternullo, skipper; Roger Wolfe, Tim Amaral, Blake Matheson, Jeff Poklen, many Scz Bird Club members. See separate checklist for offshore portion (>1 mile offshore). This checklist is comprised of two portions: 45 min in a.m. off Seaside, looking for inshore alcids & grebes, and last hour of trip, from Cypress Point to harbor, all within 1 mile of shore; also includes Coast Guard jetty (but does not include birds in the harbor). Lovely calm & sunny day.
Number of species:			25
	Harlequin Duck		1		ad male off C.G. pier
	Surf Scoter		20
	Red-throated Loon		2
	Pacific Loon		35
	Common Loon		7
	Horned Grebe		2
	Eared Grebe		25
	Western Grebe		2
	Northern Fulmar		1		1 off Cypress Pt. within a mile of shore
	Brown Pelican		15
	Brandt's Cormorant		250		have begun courtship display on C.G. pier
	Pelagic Cormorant		20
	Black Oystercatcher		1		on C.G. jetty; rather scarce on this spot
	Black Turnstone		15
	Surfbird		1
	Sanderling		1
	Heermann's Gull		15
	Mew Gull (American)		80		including near 'pure' flocks off Otter Pt.
	Western Gull		500
	Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)		2
	California Gull		60
	Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)		1		adult off Seaside
	Glaucous-winged Gull		10
	Common Murre		40
	Pigeon Guillemot		2		both likely first-winter birds
	Ancient Murrelet		6		off Seaside; photos of one pair
	Rhinoceros Auklet		25		all imms but surprising numbers on such a calm day

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org)

Roger Wolfe for Monterey Seabirds