Pelagic trip report:
Sunday, May 13, 2001
Newport, Oregon, to Yaquina Head and offshore 24 miles to Daisy Bank
5-hours

An absolutely gorgeous day on the ocean! Glassy seas in the morning allowed great views of nearshore seabirds, including Marbled Murrelets and Red-necked Phalaropes. We spent 20 minutes with a very cooperative Gray Whale feeding near the boat.

Compared with last weekend the migrations of Red-necked Phalaropes and loons have trailed off considerably.

Among the hoard of salmon trollers we found one dragger and it had many birds around it, including about 80 Black-footed Albatross. We chummed and brought them up to us, along with at least 40 Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel at close range. One Parasitic Jaeger-our only jaeger all spring-flew around the boat for several minutes.

Yaquina Bay (out/return):
1   Common Loon
1   Double-crested Cormorant
3   Pelagic Cormorant
15  Brandt's Cormorant
1   Great Blue Heron
2   Turkey Vulture 
40  Sanderling 
15  Western Gull
1   Common Murre
45  Pigeon Guillemot
10  Rock Dove
5   American Crow
1   Common Raven
19  California Sea Lion
9   Harbor Seal

Nearshore to Yaquina Head:
45  Pacific Loon
2   Red-throated Loon (seen by few)
70  Brandt's Cormorant
5   Pelagic Cormorant
1   Double-crested Cormorant
1   Brown Pelican
50  Surf Scoter
2   White-winged Scoter
25  Red-necked Phalarope
700 Common Murre
22  Marbled Murrelet
1   Barn Swallow
2   Harbor Porpoise (seen by few)
1   Gray Whale

Travel out to 20 miles:
120 Sooty Shearwater
5   Arctic Tern

Chum, 24 miles off Yaquina Head:
80  Black-footed Albatross
10  Northern Fulmar
15  Pink-footed Shearwater
30  Sooty Shearwater
40  Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel
60  Red-necked Phalarope
30  Red Phalarope
1   Parasitic Jaeger
2   California Gull
4   Herring Gull
35  Western Gull
3   Black-legged Kittiwake
4   Common Tern
2   Rhinoceros Auklet

Return to port:
6   Pacific Loon
100 Sooty Shearwater
3   Fork-tailed Strom-Petrel
2   Surf Scoter
6   Red Phalarope
2   tern (sp.)
1   Cassin's Auklet
6   Rhinoceros Auklet
2   Gray Whale