Pelagic

Today was a Pelagic for myself and Tom where we went fifty miles off shore over the edge of the continental shelf. Conditions were calm, in fact too calm, as birds were scarce and the pelagic ended earlier than expected to go to Cleland Island. I was very annoyed about this as we were due to go there tomorrow and I later let my feelings known to George (who had arranged, but was not on the trip.) Anyway, while it lasted, it we had a great time. Notable species seen:

Harlequin Duck – four females.
Surf Scoter
Black-footed Albatross – one, unfortunately distant, bird.
Fulmar – 1,000+ nearly all dark birds.
Pink-footed Shearwater x 300+
Sooty Shearwater x 500+
Short-tailed Shearwater – three claimed, but incorrectly in my opinion (see photos at bottom.)
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel x 500+
Leach’s Petrel x 2 (one dark rumped, one pale.)
Brandt’s Cormorant x c.50
Osprey – on Cleland Island.
Wandering Tatler – on Cleland Island.
Black Turnstone – on Cleland Island.
Least Sandpipers? – a flock of about twenty waders, several miles from shore.
Red-necked Phalarope x c.20
Grey Phalarope x c.30
Heerman’s Gull x 50+ around Cleland Island.
Western Gull x 4 (probably very much over-looked.)
Common Guillemot x c.50
Pigeon Guillemot x c.50
Marbled Murrelet x 6
Cassin’s Auklet x 9
Rhinoceros Auklet x 40+
Tufted Puffin x 3
Humpback Whale x 6 very close to boat, some breaching.
Harbour Seal x c.20
Sea Otter – mother and pup.
Pacific Shark x 3

Returning late afternoon, we did little for the rest of the day but lay on the beach whilst the children surfed. Just before dusk we checked a site at Florencia Bay that was apparently reasonably reliable for Wolves but unfortunately there were people on the beach until dark.

A few pictures of the pelagic…

The rest can be seen here. These are the claimed Short-taileds, but they seem to be Sooties…