Pelagic trip report:
Saturday, May 1, 2010
11 hours
From Newport, Oregon, to 30 miles west of Newport, then south 10 miles to the seaward slope of Perpetua Bank.

Seas: bumpy seas with swell from two directions, winds to 15 knots.

Boat: Misty
Captain Robert Waddell
Newport Tradewinds Charter

The Bird Guide, Inc.
http://thebirdguide.com/

Guides: Greg Gillson, Shawneen Finnegan, Russ Namitz, Dave Irons



A lone Black-footed Albatross during a brief shower. Photo by Greg Gillson.

Seas weren't high, but exhaustively irregular. We had a few brief light showers, but nothing of consequence. Nearshore birds included migrating loons. Offshore, we spotted about 9 migrating LONG-TAILED JAEGERS. Chum stops picked up low numbers of the regular birds.

I don't believe I've actually seen krill in the water before. Our second chum stop off Perpetua Bank had no birds when we pulled up, so we headed back toward shore to see if we could run into birds. Well, it only took a few minutes and a mile or so! Numerous birds were diving into red patches in the sea.

On our return we encountered a mother and calf HUMPBACK WHALE.

More trip photos...

Species list:

Brant 35
Greater Scaup 40 (bay)
Surf Scoter 60
Bufflehead 2 (bay)
Red-breasted Merganser 2 (bay)
Common Loon 20
Pacific Loon 45
Red-throated Loon 1
Western Grebe 7
Pelagic Cormorant 60
Brandt's Cormorant 80
Brown Pelican 4
Black-footed Albatross 35
Northern Fulmar 5
Sooty Shearwater 60
Pink-footed Shearwater 50
Wandering Tattler 1 (seen by few, jetty)
Least/Western Sandpiper/Dunlin 500
Red-necked Phalarope 65
California Gull 20
Herring Gull 1
Western Gull 70
Glaucous-winged Gull 3
Glaucous-winged x Western Gull 15
Sabine's Gull 6
Caspian Tern 2 (bay)
Common Murre 350
Pigeon Guillemot 40
Marbled Murrelet 17
Cassin's Auklet 25
Rhinoceros Auklet 70
Long-tailed Jaeger 9

Gray Whale 2
Humpback Whale 2
Harbor Porpoise 2
dolphin/porpoise (sp) 1 (Dall's Porpoise/Pacific White-sided Dolphin most 
likely)
California Sea Lion 1 (bay)
Steller's Sea Lion 1
Harbor Seal 5 (bay)
Ocean Sunfish 1