Following breakfast in our room, we drove to the marina where we checked in with Debi Shearwater and boarded the New Sea Angler for our trip out to Bodega Canyon and the Cordell Banks. On the way out of the harbor we could see hundreds of Marbled Godwits, some Willets, and many Western Gulls. In the near inshore we saw Pigeon Gillemots, Common Murres with young, and Sooty Shearwaters. A little further out we ran into our first Ashy Storm-Petrels along with some Red-necked and Red Phalaropes. Later came some Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklets, Pink-footed and Buller's Shearwaters, and a Tufted Puffin. We saw many migrating Sabine's Gulls and Long-tailed Jaegers. At around 2pm our first of three Laysan Albatrosses flew in to the chum manned by Wes Fritz. The albatross was number 686 for the year. But the forty-plus Black-footed Albatrosses Wes chummed in greatly outnumbered the Laysans. During the slow moments I chatted with fellow passenger Chris Hitt who is doing a lower-forty eight big year and doing very well I should say. I met Chris first in Texas, then saw him in Florida and a week ago on the Condor Express out of Santa Barbara. He has just returned from Nevada where he made his second attempt for the snowcock. He heard at least two birds but never saw them. That news helped increase our motivation to go for the snowcock after our current series of pelagics. A further pelagic note: I saw my first Blue Whales today. There were two of these giants of the sea - a real spectacle. Tomorrow we're going to look for Sooty Grouse on our way to Fort Bragg for the next pelagic trip.Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Bodega Bay Pelagic
Following breakfast in our room, we drove to the marina where we checked in with Debi Shearwater and boarded the New Sea Angler for our trip out to Bodega Canyon and the Cordell Banks. On the way out of the harbor we could see hundreds of Marbled Godwits, some Willets, and many Western Gulls. In the near inshore we saw Pigeon Gillemots, Common Murres with young, and Sooty Shearwaters. A little further out we ran into our first Ashy Storm-Petrels along with some Red-necked and Red Phalaropes. Later came some Cassin's and Rhinoceros Auklets, Pink-footed and Buller's Shearwaters, and a Tufted Puffin. We saw many migrating Sabine's Gulls and Long-tailed Jaegers. At around 2pm our first of three Laysan Albatrosses flew in to the chum manned by Wes Fritz. The albatross was number 686 for the year. But the forty-plus Black-footed Albatrosses Wes chummed in greatly outnumbered the Laysans. During the slow moments I chatted with fellow passenger Chris Hitt who is doing a lower-forty eight big year and doing very well I should say. I met Chris first in Texas, then saw him in Florida and a week ago on the Condor Express out of Santa Barbara. He has just returned from Nevada where he made his second attempt for the snowcock. He heard at least two birds but never saw them. That news helped increase our motivation to go for the snowcock after our current series of pelagics. A further pelagic note: I saw my first Blue Whales today. There were two of these giants of the sea - a real spectacle. Tomorrow we're going to look for Sooty Grouse on our way to Fort Bragg for the next pelagic trip.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Fingers are crossed for the grouse! And maybe Hawaiian Petrel!
ReplyDeleteWhy did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows when the ocean can be so cruel? She is kind and very beautiful. But she can be so cruel and it comes so suddenly and such birds that fly, dipping and hunting, with their small sad voices are made too delicately for the sea.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Man and the Sea
Bob... we think Hemingway must have written "The Old Man and the Sea" just for you. G&R