Washington Pelagic

September 24

I slept in until seven, and started heating water for oatmeal on my camp stove. I've been so busy, even a real breakfast has been rare. As the oatmeal was setting, I packed up my tent. After eating, a quick restroom stop to wash my face & brush my teeth, and I was on the road again. 

Four hours later, I was at Twin Harbors State Park, setting up camp just after 11 am. 

Words can barely describe how nice it felt to have some down time to just decompress, relax, and rehash my plan for the rest of this western trip, now that the plans had been scrambled by my great luck on the Half Moon Bay boat. I      drove into Westport to check out the parking and dock situation for the following morning - I'd be finding it in the dark. I sporadically bought an ice cream cone - cranberry cheesecake - as I was walking by. I did a little scanning of the bay for the off chance of a very early Ancient Murrelet - a bird I'd completely forgotten about on my February trip up the California coast. After a few hours, I ordered fish & chips, choosing Rockfish - the "local favorite" as listed on the menu. Fresh caught fish right on the ocean can't get much better. 

Eventually I drove the handful of miles back to my campsite, and was in bed as the sun was setting. 

September 25 

A 5:15 alarm got me out of my campground by 5:45, and parked and at the dock just after 6:00. It was 6:08 - I saw the boat. Where were the people? We were set to depart by 6:30, and I was asked to get to the dock by 6:15. After a bit of momentary panic that maybe the trip was cancelled (I knew there was bad weather coming tomorrow and they'd already cancelled tomorrow's trip), I realized there was, indeed, one or two people already on the boat, and I was just on the early side, apparently. Trip protocols and safety precautions were gone over; we waited for one late arrival, and were on our way by 6:45. 

It's interesting to see the way birds behave in different areas, and therefore the differing ways that the pelagic trips operate. In Half Moon Bay, we'd had a raft of about 1700 storm-petrels. On the east coast, storm-petrels will follow along in the slick right behind the back of the boat, which doesn't happen in the Pacific. Here in Westport, we'd drive from fishing boat to fishing boat, assessing the giant mass of seabirds and gulls that were following these boats all morning. 

There were skeins and skeins of Short-tailed Shearwaters! 

In a typical year, the work is to pick the Short-tailed out of the flocks of Sooties. This year, it was opposite. There were so many Short-taileds, that it was difficult to pull a few Sooty Shearwaters out from amongst them. Crazy!

At the third boat we checked out, a Flesh-footed Shearwater flew up the port side of the boat, with brief but good looks of this dark bird, with an all pink bill. It was just as described to me - a bird that superficially looks like a Sooty Shearwater, but flies like a Pink-footed Shearwater. 

I'd already picked up Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel in California, which was one of my two intended targets for Washington (Short-tailed Shearwater was the other). Short-tailed was the bird I'd needed to drive the 13 hours each way for. It was the Flesh-footed Shearwater that officially made it feel like it was worth the trip! 

Much later in the day, a super early Black-legged Kittiwake was a surprise new year bird for me. I'd mostly let my guard down, relaxing once I thought the only remaining birds I could get would be one of the rarer albatrosses - Laysan or Short-tailed. I quickly snapped to attention when someone said "kittiwake"- it sat on the water a bit and gave great looks before flying off into the blue ocean abyss. 

We got off the boat, and I made my way to Cannon Beach, Oregon, for the night. I'll have the next five days to meander my way down the coast before going for Island Scrub-Jay on October 1st, followed by a Ventura, California on October 2nd. I'm looking forward to a bit of down time, to be honest! 

Year List: 697 

Northbound to Sand-Plover & Half Moon Bay!

Sept 19 

After getting off of the San Diego pelagic, I decided to drive as far north as I could before tiring out, en route to Bakersfield for Spotted Dove and Rose-ringed Parakeet. Lesser Sand-Plover had been reported in Santa Cruz again today, so I decided to abandon my Island Scrub Jay boat plans for the following day, and instead make my way north. I made it about 30 min short of Bakersfield, and found a hotel for the night. All federal lands in south California are closed currently, due to emergency staff fighting wildfires in other parts of the state, so a hotel was my only option on this route. 

Sept 20

In the morning I woke before sunrise, driving the remaining 30 minutes to Bakersfield - or almost. My check engine light came on, and after well over 2k miles on this trip, I needed to check it as soon as possible. 

Stopping in to Auto Zone, I asked for the instrument, and checked my own vehicle (a covid policy they have). It came back as an issue with the coolant thermometer, a minor ongoing issue I've had for years but never fixed. Whew. A few miles later, I was at the target neighborhood. 

The Rose-ringed Parakeets were obvious before even leaving my car, flying about the neighborhood, not staying put in one place for long enough to get a digiscoped video. I abandoned the videography attempt in order to prioritize finding Spotted Dove. 

Spotted Dove also did not take long, just two blocks away from the Rose-ringed Parakeets. Bingo! I   video'd an adult singing in a tree, and enjoyed great looks, while chatting with a few locals and showing them the bird in my scope as well. 

After getting the Spotted Doves, I managed to digiscope the Rose-ringed Parakeets on the walk back to my car.

Next up: Race up to Santa Cruz! After a three hour drive, I arrived to the beach the bird had been seen, hanging with several Snowy Plovers. A couple leaving as I was arriving instructed that the birds had been off to the left as you walk down to the beach. I scanned like crazy, over and over, not finding any shorebirds at all. I spent another thirty minutes scanning the dunes, then walked back to the main beach, where I found seven Snowy Plovers and the Lesser Sand-Plover sitting on the beach, in human footprints by the base of where the trail meets the beach. 

From there, I headed to a small river mouth near Santa Cruz, where the river meets the ocean. It was here I    was told to wait for the Marbled Godwits to come in to the fresh water - with them, a Bar-tailed Godwit. Despite a two hour vigil, only a small flock of Marbleds came in, with a handful of Whimbrel. I  headed over to camp at Sunset Beach State Park. 

Year List: 684

Sept 21

A four hour morning vigil at the same spot provided similar results. A small flock of Marbleds and Wimbrel came in a few times. I  ran into a few local birders doing county big years. Eventually, I  decided to hit the beach and head to Zils Road, where I  parked, walked the path to the beach, and then continued south on the beach for about a mile. Eventually I ran into about 120 Marbled Godwits, and was able to pick out the Bar-tailed Godwit from within the flock. A few birders showed up just as I was initially getting on the bird, and I was able to help them find it as well. 

I headed north to San Francisco, where I'd stay with my friend Dorian - and finally, after many years, meet his wife, Sonia! I  got to there place, was treated to some amazing homemade vegetarian lasagna, we talked birds a while, and went to bed at a decent hour, prepared to wake early for the pelagic. 

Year List: 685 

Sept 22 

We left around 5:30, making the thirty minute trip to Half Moon Bay. I was excited for my first pelagic trip with Alvaro! 

Hoping to pick up all regularly occurring birds between this trip and the Monterey Bay trip I had scheduled with him on the 27th, we set out, bagging Buller's Shearwater, Cassin's Auklet, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, Black-footed Albatross, Scripp's Murrelet, and South Polar Skua. We'd seen ALL of the primary targets I had for either trip - PLUS we had two Guadalupe Murrelets, which my friend Ed yelled out as I was standing right next to him, as we were studying yet another pair of murrelets - we'd had 15 Scripp's throughout the day - these were somewhat distant birds, but these two had notably more white on the face. This was the second time that Alvaro has ever had Guadalupe Murrelet on his Half Moon Bay trips. Woot! Great success! 

As we were making our way to shore, I gifted all eleven women birders onboard the She's Birdie personal safety alarms. 

Shortly after getting off the boat, I learned I'd gotten off the waitlist for the September 25th pelagic out of Westport, Washington. I  had been scheduled for the October 3rd boat out of there, and had tons of time to kill in the meantime, plus, I wouldn't be needing to get on the September 27th boat out of Monterey anymore, since I had cleaned up all my targets. This would help me save time, plus hopefully get a spot on the October 2nd pelagic out of Ventura, CA, nearby where Blue-footed Booby was seen on the five day Searcher trip ($1500/ticket and out of my price range), the week prior. Perfect! But this means I   would need to start driving north tomorrow and wouldn't have all the time in the world to find Wandering Tattler, as I had figured I would. Moral of the big year story: Nothing ever goes as planned. 

Making our way to San Francisco, Dorian and I started heading to a spot for Wandering Tattler - which I'd tried for in several locations throughout California in February, but missed. As we made it several minutes passed his place, we realized we didn't have either of our scopes along with us. Oops. Tattler would have to wait for another day. But soon. It was getting later in the season, and they were already migrating through. 

Year List: 693

Sept 23 

I said goodbye to Sonia, and Dorian and I caravanned back to Half Moon Bay in the morning, to look for Wandering Tattler. 

We found two on a jetty by 8 am and then I hit the road northbound, driving nine hours and winding up at Paradise Point State Park, in Washington State just north of the Oregon border, after the first campground I checked in Oregon was full, and the second was a sketchy RV park that didn't feel safe. I set up my tent, laid out my sleeping bag, and passed out. 

Year List: 694

Salton Sea to San Diego

Sept 15 

I drove from Mission to South Llano State Park, where I camped overnight. 

Sept 16 

I got up before sunrise, and started driving.

Just as the sun started coming up, my air conditioning in my car went out, a problem I've had intermittently for a few years now. The plan was to drive 15.5 hours to the Salton Sea. It was going to be an incredibly hot day of driving through the desert. After driving from 6 am central to 7 pm pacific, I got to the campground with the air temperature still at 90 degrees.

 I'd seemingly forgotten how desolate the Salton Sea is - especially at such a hot time of year. I was the only tent camper in the area, and feeling pretty vulnerable with absolutely nothing nearby. The campground runs parallel to the highway, as well as very active train tracks, with a train coming through every half hour or so. I set up my tent, and rolled out my sleeping bag, with no use for a sleeping bag - it certainly was much too hot for that. I laid flat on my back, in my underwear, and attempted to sleep, but wound up laying wide awake for several hours. I finally fell asleep around 1:30 am. 

Sept 17 

Waking at 5:30, I packed up my tent, and drove over to the restrooms. It was still pitch black. I  stepped into the restroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. When I walked out, bits of twilight showing, I  realized I had no idea where my phone was. I figured I probably folded it into my tent, and I was right. As I was unfolding my tent behind my car, in the restroom parking lot, a park ranger drove by, stopped, and chatted with me a bit. He said the restrooms are often vandalized by “transients” who break into the coin showers and steal the money. I told him I am not, in fact, a transient, but that I was thankful that I did not know about that last night while I was trying to sleep, all by my lonesome. 

I  made it to the south end of the Salton Sea just after sunrise. I drove to a spot near Obsidian Butte, and Yellow-footed Gull was the very first bird I looked at after getting out of my car. 

I spent about twenty minutes watching three of them, and started the three hour drive to Los Angeles to meet my friend Corey at the Ruff that's been present in the same area for several summers now. 

Arriving to the parking lot, Corey was already on the bird. I walked over to meet him, and we enjoyed great looks at the Ruff feeding amongst other shorebirds. 

Alas, the big year calls, and after about ten minutes, it was time to move onward! 

I drove south to San Diego, where I met Mandy to try for Little Stint. I  had one of the most giant feelings of deja vu I've ever had in my life, as Mandy and I tried together not once, but twice, for presumably the same individual, at the same location last February. I arrived about five minutes before she did, and by the time she arrived, I  had found a bird that I wasn't yet 100% sure was it, but was actively chasing around the larger Western Sandpipers as had it has been described as doing over and over again. 

About twenty minutes after analyzing, and finally getting documentation videos digiscoped, we slowly became more and more confident about the ID until we reached 100%. Yay! Third time's a charm. In celebration, we drove nearby to Poke 123, where I had the best poke I'd tasted in my life. I  headed over to my campsite at Sweetwater Summit Regional Park, Campsite 13 - the same exact campsite I'd stayed at in February. 

My camping neighbors had brought a big screen TV camping, and were blaring a movie on it when I  attempted to go to bed around 9 pm. Finally, around 10:30, the seasick meds kicked in, and I fell asleep despite the surrounding noises. 

Year List: 674

Sept 18 

San Diego Pelagic today! I woke at 5 to be on the road by 5:30, arriving to the dock by 6:15. I  was excited to check off the last large group of birds for the year - most of which would be life birds! 

Not far offshore, we came across an adult Sabine's Gull, with its black head and sleek white triangle wings. Soon after, several Black Storm-Petrels, a Least Storm-Petrel, and Townsend's Storm-Petrel - which I wasn't able to get my bins on - though very thankfully, later on we had a Townsend's Storm-Petrel feeding in the slick, giving great looks for all. A young Nazca Booby buzzed the boat, followed by a fly-by adult Nazca Booby later on. 

A Red-footed Booby was called out, simply named, but not followed by directions to the bird. A few seconds of sheer panic ensued as I looked right and left and then right again for the bird. Suddenly, a huge booby outline overhead came completely into view - about ten feet over the top of the boat, very obviously identifiable naked eye. After a few temporary mis-ID'd jaegers, an actual Long-tailed Jaeger made an appearance while we were on our way back inshore. 

What an amazing day! I had not been counting on either of the boobies, or Townsend's Storm-Petrel, so those make +3 in bonus birds for the year! 

Year List: 681

Plans: Cancelled, Upcoming, Pending

Yeesh. 

I'm a bit Type A. 

Before a trip, everything gets mapped out, planned, input into Google maps, campsites located when possible (Orangetheory Fitness gyms pinned in there as well, in case there's time). 

I was supposed to be on a pelagic trip off of Bar Harbor, Maine last Saturday. The staff made the call on Thursday morning - it would not be going due to large swells from Hurricane Larry, who was looming well off the coast. Bummer. I'll need a new plan for Great Skua - perhaps Cape Hatteras in December. 

I'm now planning for a trip through South California, up through the San Francisco Bay Area, and then allll the way up to Westport, Washington. I have pelagic trips scheduled in San Diego, Half Moon Bay, Monterey, and Westport. 

I thought I was all set, until I found out last week that the boat I'm supposed to get on out of Half Moon Bay is currently missing a propeller, and they're not sure when it'll be fixed. Half Moon Bay has been the hottest spot in central California in recent years, and to miss this trip would be a definite hit. 

So now I'm waitlisted for September 25 & 26 out of Westport, WA September 25 out of Oregon, Oct 9 out of Westport, and contemplating finding a way to get on a Ventura, CA trip October 2nd, as all three of the rarer species of boobies (Red-footed, Blue-footed, and Nazca) were seen in that area on the five day Searcher trip last week. My brain hurts when I try to piece together the potential options for me to be removed from the waitlists of said trips, and rearranging my car travels to get myself to the right places at the right time, all spaced out along the entirety of the west coast, so I'm not even trying. I'm just doing what I can to get onto waitlists, and piecing the rest together step by step.

I'm still sitting at 671 species and hoping to add at least 20 of the following 26 birds (along with any other rarities that might pop up) to my year list in the coming three weeks! 

Spotted Dove 

Bar-tailed Godwit

Ruff

Wandering Tattler

South Polar Skua

Long-tailed Jaeger

Scripp's Murrelet

Craveri's Murrelet 

Cassin's Auklet 

Sabine's Gull 

Yellow-footed Gull  

Red-billed Tropicbird

Black-footed Albatross

Short-tailed Albatross 

Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel

Ashy Storm-Petrel

Black Storm-Petrel 

Least Storm-Petrel 

Buller's Shearwater 

Flesh-footed Shearwater 

Short-tailed Shearwater 

Rose-ringed Parakeet 

Island Scrub-Jay 

Red-footed Booby 

Blue-footed Booby 

Nazca Booby