September 20 trip report

We left Westport under clear skies, in pre-dawn light. One of the first birds of the morning was a Leach’s Storm-Petrel, headed out of the channel along with us, a real surprise as we rarely find them after mid-August, and then usually well offshore. Shortly after we finished crossing the bar, and onto the calmer waters of the open ocean, the shearwater action began. The first Pink-footed Shearwaters of the day appeared shortly after the first Sooties, and then came the first of several Buller’s Shearwaters that offered good looks as they passed by. We headed northwest, departing from our usual track, in order to investigate a fishing boat that we had seen on the horizon the day before, and to investigate new waters. We did find the boat, but it did not have as many birds as we had hoped, as it was fishing for hagfish using pots. But it did have the first albatross of the morning. From there, we set course for the shelf edge, stopping for a great comparison of a winter plumaged Tufted Puffin posing next to a Rhinocerous Auklet so we could compare the two. We put out a chum at the shelf edge, and almost immediately attracted several adult Parasitic Jaegers and one imm. Long-tailed Jaeger. With the Pomarines we had found nearer shore, we had our three jaeger species, but where were the skuas? A lone Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel at the slick added another species for the day. The highlight of the return trip was two groups of Humpback Whales, eight in all. Then, with the harbor in sight, a South Polar Skua off the bow provided good looks for all. Great looks at most species, in good sunlight, made for a good trip even though the numbers were low.