On Saturday October 5th we went to the Monterey Fisherman's Wharf at 7am for a Shearwater Journeys trip to Monterey Bay. Nearly 30 birders, including 5 experts boarded the Checkmate along with Debi. We had Brandt's and Pelagic Cormorants, Surfbird, Black Oystercatcher and Black Turnstone on the way out and had a Pigeon Guillemot and a fly-by Pacific Loon as we headed out.
The journey itself delivered 9 tubenoses including 7 shearwaters - Sooty, Pink-footed, Black-vented, Buller's, Manx, Great and Flesh-footed - just one short of the world record! The Great Shearwater was a surprise and would be submitted to the California records Committee. It was less exciting for em as I had seen 20 just eleven days earlier! Northern Fulmar and Black-footed Albatross were the other tubenoses. We saw many Common Murres, Rhinoceros Auklets and Cassin's Auklets on the surface of the very calm sea, and had a Pomerine Jaeger and a South Polar Skua fly by. The latter came straight at us and passed very close to the boat. The day was not quite so interesting as a year ago - we had a long quiet period in the middle - but I felt more in control of the bird IDs than in 2012.
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