Feb 21 2015 Official Trip List

February 21, 2015    Oregon Pelagic Tours 8 hour Winter Seabirds Pelagic Trip List             

7:25 am -- 3:20 pm      Aboard FV Misty, Skipper Rob Waddell, Deckhand Andrew

Yaquina Bay 7:25-7:40

Harlequin Duck 1

Surf Scoter 40

Bufflehead 2

Red-throated Loon 1

Pacific Loon 1

Common Loon 5

Horned Grebe 6

Red-necked Grebe 5

Western Grebe 2

Brandt's Cormorant 10

Double-crested Cormorant 5

Pelagic Cormorant 10

Brown Pelican 20

Common Murre 6

Pigeon Guillemot 5

Mew Gull 5

Western Gull 30

California Gull 10

Thayer's Gull 1

Glaucous-winged Gull 1

**California sea lion 5

**harbor seal 8

0-5 Miles Offshore 7:40-8:20

Surf Scoter 25

White-winged Scoter 4

Red-throated Loon 10

Common Loon 3

Brandt's Cormorant 5

Pelagic Cormorant 5

Common Murre 40

Pigeon Guillemot 12

Marbled Murrelet 8

Ancient Murrelet 2

Rhinoceros Auklet 2

Mew Gull 2

Western Gull 30

California Gull 50

5-30 Miles Offshore 8:20-11:10

Laysan Albatross 2

Black-footed Albatross 10

Northern Fulmar 4

Pink-footed Shearwater 1

Parasitic Jaeger 1

Common Murre 100

Ancient Murrelet 2 (seen by few)

Parakeet Auklet 2

Rhinoceros Auklet 2 (seen by some)

Black-legged Kittiwake 8

Western Gull 6

California Gull 4

Herring Gull 5

Thayer's Gull 1

**California sea lion 1

Chum Stop #1 (200 fm) 11:10-11:55

Layasan Albatross 2

Black-footed Albatross 7

Northern Fulmar 10

Pomarine Jaeger 1

Black-legged Kittiwake 4

Western Gull 4

California Gull 2

Thayer's Gull 1

Glaucous-winged Gull 3

North leg and Chum Spot #2 11:55-12:25

Laysan Albatross 4

Black-footed Albatross 7

Northern Fulmar 15

Pink-footed Shearwater 1

Black-legged Kittiwake 6

Mew Gull 1

Western Gull 2

California Gull 2

Herring Gull 2

Thayer's Gull 2 

Return to 5 miles offshore 12:55-2:40

Laysan Albatross 1

Northern Fulmar 6

Common Murre 20

Black-legged Kittiwake 2

Western Gull 4

California Gull 8

**mola mola (ocean sunfish) 1 (seen by few)

Return, 5-0 miles offshore 2:40-3:00

Common Murre 20

Marbled Murrelet 2

**Steller's sea lion 4

Yaquina Bay 3:00-3:15

Harlequin Duck 4

Greater Scaup 30

Surf Scoter 30

Bufflehead 10

Common Goldeneye 2

Barrow’s Goldeneye 1

Red-throated Loon 1

Common Loon 10

Horned Grebe 8

Red-necked Grebe 4

Brandt's Cormorant 20

Double-crested Cormorant 5

Pelagic Cormorant 10

February 21, 2015: First Oregon Pelagic Tours Trip Very Successful

Two weeks after conditions forced us to cancel a Winter Seabirds Trip on February 7th, we finally made it out of Newport on our first Oregon Pelagic Tours trip on February 21st.  27 passengers, 15 of them from the OSU Bird Nerds, joined the 3 guides on our favorite boat, Misty (out of Newport Tradewinds), with Skipper Rob.

The ocean was a little rougher than we had expected, as the swells, while low, were quite close together. Still, that did not stop us as we headed out. As we turned south out of the bay searching for Marbled Murrelets, some people were rewarded with views of 2 Ancient Murrelets, a target species. We saw a number of Marbled Murrelets, Common Murres and Pigeon Guillemots, before heading offshore.

Overall numbers were low, but we did see a total of 9 Laysan Albatross (one of the target birds for the trip), Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, only 2 Pink-footed Shearwaters (!), many Black-legged Kittiwakes, and very good views of a rare Parakeet Auklet near the boat. A second Parakeet Auklet was seen later. Our two chum stops brought in gulls, kittiwakes and both species of albatross, so passengers got to enjoy these birds at close range.

The trip back, although under the sunny skies we had enjoyed all day, was relatively uneventful, but we did add a couple more species as we returned to Yaquina Bay, including one Barrow's Goldeneye and 2 Common Goldeneye.

Our next trip is our 12 hour Spring Deepwater Trip on May 17th.