Bird and Mammal Sightings, May 8 2021

 

050821 Bird List                                         Oregon Pelagic Tours

6 hour pelagic out of Newport on Misty, with Skipper Rob Waddell.  Birding the bay, nearshore towards the lighthouse, out almost to Nelson Island, and return.  Guides: Tim Shelmerdine, Jim Danzenbaker, Russ Namitz.

Yaquina Bay (0700-0716)

Greater Scaup 16                                                       Surf Scoter 6

Long-tailed Duck 1                                                    Red-necked Grebe 5

Eurasian Collared Dove 7                                          Western Sandpiper 50

peep sp. 50                                                                 Wandering Tattler 1

shorebird sp. 4                                                           Pigeon Guillemot 25

Western Gull 50                                                        California Gull 10

Glaucous-winged Gull 25                                         Common Loon 12

Brandt’s Cormorant 15                                              Pelagic Cormorant 45                                     

Double-crested Cormorant 50                                    American Crow 1

0-5 miles offshore (0717-0748)

Surf Scoter 15                                                           Red-necked Grebe 1

Western Sandpiper 80                                                peep 120

Red-necked Phalarope 20                                          Common Murre 48

Pigeon Guillemot 5                                                     Marbled Murrelet 12

Cassin’s Auklet 2                                                         Western Gull 5

Red-throated Loon 4                                                    Pacific Loon 9 

Common Loon 7                                                          Brandt’s Cormorant 25                                     

Pelagic Cormorant 5

5-23.5 miles offshore (0748-1013)

Red-necked Phalarope 22                                             phalarope sp. 2

Common Murre 80                                                       Cassin’s Auklet 3              

Rhinoceros Auklet 32                                                   Western Gull 12               

California Gull 1                                                           Red-throated Loon 1      

Pacific Loon 3                                                               Black-footed Albatross 7 

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 3                                            Pink-footed Shearwater 5                                       

Sooty Shearwater 900                                                    **Pacific white-sided dolphin 20+

**northern fur seal 1                                                                                         

Nelson Island (1013-1102) (Chum stop 23.5 miles offshore, NE of Nelson Island)

Common Murre 1                                                            Rhinoceros Auklet 5

Sabine’s Gull 2                                                                Western Gull 10

California Gull 15                                                           Herring Gull 1

Black-footed Albatross 20                                               Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 50

Northern Fulmar 1                                                           Pink-footed Shearwater 4

Sooty Shearwater 60                                                                                      

23 to 3 miles offshore (1103-1306)

Western Sandpiper 10                                                    Red-necked Phalarope 28            

Common Murre 88                                                          Cassin’s Auklet 3              

Rhinoceros Auklet 10                                                     Western Gull 15

California Gull 5                                                             Pacific Loon 3

loon sp. 1                                                                         Black-footed Albatross 5

Pink-footed Shearwater 2                                                 Sooty Shearwater 38      

Brandt’s Cormorant 2                                                     **humpback whale 1 (breached once)                  

3-0 miles offshore (1306-1320)

Red-necked Grebe 1                                                       Red-necked Phalarope 9

Common Murre 20                                                          Pigeon Guillemot 1

Marbled Murrelet 5                                                          Ancient Murrelet 2 (seen by few – rare)

Cassin’s Auklet 2                                                               Rhinoceros Auklet 1

Pacific Loon 1                                                                    Brandt’s Cormorant 6

**Steller’s sea lion 4

Yaquina Bay (return) (1321-1334)

Red-necked Phalarope 3                                               Pigeon Guillemot 15

Western Gull 50                                                             Glaucous-winged Gull 10

Western x Gl-winged Gull 5                                          Pacific Loon 1

Common Loon 3                                                            Brandt’s Cormorant 15  

Pelagic Cormorant 30                                                     Double-crested Cormorant 35

Double-crested Cormorant 35                                        Brown Pelican 1

Turkey Vulture 1                                                              Osprey 1   

**Harbor seal 1

 

May 8 Pelagic Results

OREGON PELAGIC TOURS kicked off its 2021 season with a successful 6 hour pelagic on May 8. 21 birders and 3 guides climbed on board our favorite fishing boat Misty, skippered by the ever-capable Rob, and assisted by his deckhand Shad. Ocean conditions were worrisome as we watched forecasts during the week, but the waves had settled down to decent wave heights for our trip. As usual on these 6-hour trips, we birded the bay and nearshore (Marbled Murrelets again did not disappoint), before heading offshore toward Nelson Island. A couple of flocks of feeding Sooty Shearwaters held our interest for a while, and we managed to pick up our first Black-footed Albatross only 11 miles out. A group of 20 Pacific white-sided dolphins came in to check us out, then quickly lost interest. Our chum stop about 23.5 miles offshore brought in more albatross and up to 50 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels, allowing all of us great views of these species, as well as the many Sooty Shearwaters and several Pink-footed Shearwaters. Two Sabine's Gulls came by briefly to investigate our slick, but unfortunately did not linger long enough for everyone to enjoy them. Highlights of our return trip included a breach by a nearby humpback whale and a very late sighting of two Ancient Murrelets seen by a fortunate few. Russ and Jim did their usual great jobs guiding, pointing out birds and offering natural history information. We got off the dock tired but satisfied, and looking forward to our next trip, another 6-hour trip in July. All future Oregon Pelagic Tours trips have spaces available -- hope to see you on the ocean this year. 

A full list of all sightings will be in the next post. 

May 8 Pelagic Update

 I am pleased to share the good news that our 6 hour pelagic from Newport on May 8 received sufficient sign-up this week to allow me to confirm this trip with the charter. This trip should allow us to witness the northward migration of Sabine's Gulls, jaegers, phalaropes (in their alternate plumage), as well as resident alcids. Our visiting tubenoses, particularly Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulamr, Sooty Shearwater, and Pink-footed Shearwater, and perhaps Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel are also likely to be seen.  There are still a few spaces available at $115 a spot.