SUNDAY 15 Nov 2009
Autumn On The Condor Express
Santa Barbara
2009's LAST HURRAH!!
|
TRIP REPORT
By Terry Hunefeld
A very sore and stiff neck prevented Todd McGrath from turning his head as he welcomed 50+ pelagic birders aboard the Condor Express in Santa Barbara Saturday morning, November 15, 2009.
The twice-delayed trip (Nov 7, Nov 14) got off to a great start in perfect weather; departing the harbor we watched a Parasitic Jaeger tormenting a Royal Tern. We headed due west, paralleling the mainland, traveling 3-4 miles offshore. We encountered a fast-moving, sneaky Minke Whale off Goleta. Sea surface temps (SST) were 60.4 F here in the channel.
2 Peregrine Falcons were spotted on one of the large oil platforms. Before we reached Point Conception we began seeing a few Black-vented Shearwaters, then a jaeger chasing a gull, a Common Murre and then a full-spoon Pomarine Jaeger.
Between Goleta and Pt Conception we saw our first Northern Fulmars of the day, more than 400 Black-vented Shearwaters, a flock of Surf Scoters, a Rhinoceros Auklet, a Short-tailed Shearwater, about 200 Long-beaked Common and 40-60 Risso’s Dolphins. SST dropped to 59 F as we moved off the mainland into the deeper waters west of Pt Conception.
A few miles farther out we saw our first of the day’s Buller’s Shearwaters. Two Sabine’s Gulls were seen by a few, 3 Humpback Whales were seen by all. Here we saw about 3 Rhinoceros Auklets, another Common Murre and seven Bonaparte’s Gulls.
About 12 nautical miles SSW of Point Arguello we encountered a flock of tubenoses on the water. Captain Matt slowed the mighty Condor Express and crept up on the flock that included a Pink-footed, Flesh-footed and 3 Buller’s Shearwaters, plus a Pomarine Jaeger and Northern Fulmar.
A few miles further west SST registered 57F as we encountered more Bonaparte’s Gulls, Cassin’s Auklets, Pink-foots, Fulmars and a Northern Fur Seal as we motored over and beyond Arguello Canyon.
By the time we reached the 2000 fathom line, we had counted about 20 Buller’s Shearwaters. Paul Lehman remarked that a lone Brown Pelican was 60 miles offshore was a long way from home out there in 2000 fathom (2-mile) deep waters. We stopped here to lay a slick that eventually attracted 22 Northern Fulmars, a Parasitic Jaeger, a couple of Ashy Storm-Petrels and a Black-footed Albatross.
We turned left (south), following the 2000 fathom line for several miles, then on towards the “948 spot” were we encountered our third (late-in-the-season) Sabine’s Gull of the day, more fulmar, another Black-footed Albatross, some Red Phalarope and a few more Ashies.
Around the Rodriguez Dome SST was 57.2 F. We encountered another 70-80 fulmar, an aberrant plumaged Black-footed Albatross, more Cassin’s, Reds, Buller’s, a Pom and a Pinky.
Tentative dates for many of the 2010 pelagic trips out of SoCal (San Diego, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, San Pedro, Oceanside, Dana Point) are now posted for your planning and viewing pleasure. 2010 Calendar.
|
 |
| Flesh-footed and Buller's Shearwater (c) Dave Pereksta 15 Nov 2009 |
|
|
Surf Scoter -- -- 17
Bufflehead -- -- 2
Pacific Loon -- -- 4
Common Loon -- -- 1
loon sp. -- -- 2
Eared Grebe -- -- 15
Western Grebe -- -- 115
Clark's Grebe -- -- 1
Western/Clark's Grebe -- -- 500
Black-footed Albatross -- -- 3
Northern Fulmar -- -- 131
Pink-footed Shearwater -- -- 14
Flesh-footed Shearwater -- -- 1
Buller's Shearwater -- -- 24
Short-tailed Shearwater -- -- 1
Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater -- -- 1
Black-vented Shearwater -- -- 1,152
Ashy Storm-Petrel -- -- 7
Brown Pelican -- -- 111
Brandt's Cormorant -- -- 15
Double-crested Cormorant -- -- 30
Great Blue Heron -- -- 1
Peregrine Falcon -- -- 2
Red Phalarope -- -- 12
Sabine's Gull -- -- 3
Bonaparte's Gull -- -- 104
Heermann's Gull -- -- 75
Western Gull -- -- 130
California Gull -- -- 220
Elegant Tern -- -- 6
Pomarine Jaeger -- -- 11
Parasitic Jaeger -- -- 5
Common Murre -- -- 6
Cassin's Auklet -- -- 54
Rhinoceros Auklet -- -- 16
Minke Whale 1
Humpback Whale 3
Risso's Dolphin 60
Long-beaked Common Dolphin 200
California Sea Lion 14
Northern Fur Seal 2
Harbor Sea 1
|
|
