Shearwater's Journeys

MAY 10, 2009: MONTEREY BAY PUTS ON A SHOW!

2009-05-12T19:00:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journeys' May 10th pelagic trip departing from Monterey Bay was nothing short of spectacular! Highlights included BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS (116), PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER (170), SOOTY SHEARWATER (545), BRANT (214), BLACK TURNSTONE (18), RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (1200), FRANKLIN'S GULL (1), SABINE'S GULL (1), ARCTIC TERN (3), COMMON MURRE (85), PIGEON GUILLEMOT (12), RHINOCEROS AUKLET (9), and five HUMPBACK WHALES who were vertically lunge-feeding on big fat sardines along with over 150 PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, and clouds of shearwaters, gulls, and albatrosses! It was an amazing day, with good sea conditions, as well. It was chilly in the fog, though— I even commented that I was colder than any day I spent in Antarctica!

On offer in August, we have trips departing from five different ports which offer the seabirder a great opportunity to observe the best variety of seabirds along the central coast of California. The Tufted Puffin trip has a 100% success rate at finding puffins. On our Fort Bragg trip, last year, we found three Hawaiian Petrels! This is the single best port in North America for searching for this hoped-for rarity. Past August trips from Bodega Bay have found Great-winged and Hawaiian Petrels, and Shy Albatross. Monterey is no slouch, with a late July record of North America's first photographed Bulwer's Petrel, and August records on Short-tailed Albatross. Its always fun to see what shows up!

Our summer schedule follows:

JUL 31, Monterey Bay: Summer Seabirds & Albatrosses

AUG 2, Farallon Islands: Tufted Puffins, departing from Emeryville

AUG 7, Monterey Bay: Summer Seabirds & Albatrosses

AUG 12, Bodega Canyon & Cordell Bank

AUG 14, Fort Bragg: Offshore for Megararities

AUG 16, Fort Bragg: Offshore for Megararities

AUG 21, Monterey Bay: Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses

AUG 28, Monterey Seavalley: Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses

AUG 31, Fall Seabird Classic & Albatrosses departing from Santa Cruz

We thank the folks who traveled with us on May 10th. The leaders were: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Debra Shearwater. Chumming and spotting were: Oscar Johnson and Adam Searcy.

The complete species list for MAY 10, 2009 MONTEREY BAY follows:

RED-THROATED LOON-1

PACIFIC LOON- 50

COMMON LOON- 7

WESTERN GREBE- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 116

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 170

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 545

BROWN PELICAN- 27

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 265 (only a handful of nests on the Coast Guard Breakwater!)

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 1

BRANT- 214

BLACK TURNSTONE- 18

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 1200

*FRANKLIN'S GULL- 1

BONAPARTE'S GULL- 47

HEERMANN'S GULL- 7

CALIFORNIA GULL- 28

HERRING GULL- 9

THAYER'S GULL- 1

WESTERN GULL- 950

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 3

WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 3

GLAUCOUS-WINGED/HERRING GULL- 1

SABINE'S GULL-1

COMMON TERN- 2

ARCTIC TERN- 3

FORSTER'S TERN- 2

CASPIAN TERN- 2

COMMON MURRE- 85

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 12

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 9

SEA OTTER- +

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- + (more than normal at this time of year)

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1

HARBOR SEAL- +

HUMPBACK WHALE- 5

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 150

SARDINES- GALORE! Let's hear for the sardine comeback!

Sardines forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

**Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

Only 3 cabins available! Act now!

STAFF: SHEARWATER CABIN 518

2009-04-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

NEWS FROM THE SOUTH ATLANTIC

Following is a brief recap of our recent days in the South Atlantic--

April 9: En route to Gough Island, the seabirding must be one of the
most spectacular in all of the world! Thousands and thousands of GREATER
SHEARWATERS and BROAD-BILLED PRIONS followed our vessel, along with
SPECTACLED PETRELS, SOOTY ALBATROSSES, ATLANTIC YELLOW-NOSED
ALBATROSSES, and WHITE-BELLIED STORM-PETRELS. It was a glorious day!

April 8: We arrived at Gough Island about noon in wonderful sunshine. We
made a great Zodiac cruise of about two and a half hours, as no landings
are permitted on Gough. We saw several thousand NORTHERN ROCKHOPPER
PENGUINS, finishing their end of season molts on the rocky shoreline.
Thousands and thousands of SUBANTARCTIC FUR SEALS, many of them pups,
were thrashing about in the surf. Without too much trouble at all we
spotted the GOUGH BUNTING and then, the GOUGH MOORHENS, with chicks.
Incredibly, one of our staff spotted a SOOTY ALBATROSS NEST on a cliff
with a downy youngster! Altogether, this was an excellent outing.

April 9: We arrived at Tristan da Cunha Island about 11 am. Customs and
immigration officials boarded our ship for clearance, in case that we
had the opportunity to land with local guides for hikes. This was not to
be. Extremely strong winds prevented us from being able to get to shore
with the Zodiacs. In fact, the winds reached 43.4 meters/second, or 85
knots, or 157km/hour, or 97mph!! Once again, those hurricane force winds
crept up on us. The ship tacked back and forth in the lee, keeping us as
comfortable as possible.

April 10: Our ship relocated to Inaccessible Island. The winds had died
down, but the swell had increased. Hence, we could not land on Tristan,
again. However, at Inaccessible Island, we were able to make a glorious
one hour Zodiac cruise! Beautiful waterfalls cascaded down the steep
slopes of the island. And, TRISTAN THRUSES, as well as INACCESSIBLE
BUNTINGS were flitting about. This was just delightful for the birders,
who were able to add at least two much sought after species to their
lists. Several HAMMERHEAD SHARKS appeared, scouting around our vessel.

April 11: Back at Tristan da Cunha again, we had high hopes of a landing
and hikes. But, this was not to be. Seas and swell were far too high,
and the harbor was officially closed by the harbormaster. So, we set off
for Cape Town, South Africa. The weather forecast did not look good at
all. Once again, the dreaded "triangles" were on the weather map. We
feared the worse with this low pressure system.

April 12: Easter Sunday: Wake up call by "Dobra Ootra" as I am now
called! The Easter Bunny delivered some giant sized chocolate eggs! The
captain is deftly avoiding the "triangles" and our ride is not at all
bad. Today, there was not much wildlife around-- only a very few birds
and no cetaceans of any sort.

We are still several days from our final destination in Cape Town. Our
on board lectures continue, along with many quizzes, and a Final Exam is
in preparation.

From,
Debra Shearwater in the South Atlantic
3734S/0327W

(No replies, please)

STAFF: SHEARWATER CABIN 518

2009-04-07T15:48:00.001-07:00

April 5, 6, & 7, 2009: CROSSING THE SOUTH ATLANTIC

Well, the good weather forecast did not hold up, and we encountered some
pretty stiff seas in a low pressure system, April 4- until early April 6
with large swells and a Beaufort 7-10. The night of April 5th was the
most difficult for sleeping, if not almost impossible.

However, the seas improved somewhat yesterday, and we awoke this morning
to very nice conditions, indeed. The BROAD-WINGED PRIONS are numbering
in the thousands, following round and round the ship, while we are in
awe of eye to eye contact with the greatest of the albatrosses:
wanderers at eye level from the bridge! Many of the birders have been
shooting photographs all day for the past two days. No wonder-- the
tubenose list for the past two days numbers 27!! Eight species of
albatrosses: SNOWY, TRISTAN, SOOTY, LIGHT-MANTELED SOOTY, ATLANTIC
YELLOW-NOSED, BLACK-BROWED, GRAY-HEADED, and "SHY". Petrels have
included: NORTHERN GIANT, SOUTHERN GIANT, KERGUELEN, GREAT-WINGED,
ATLANTIC, SOFT-PLUMAGED, GRAY, WHITE-CHINNED, and SPECTACLED. Prions
have included: BROAD-BILLED, ANTARCTIC, SLENDER-BILLED, and SALVIN'S
(presumed). Shearwaters have included: SOOTY, GREATER, and LITTLE. While
storm-petrels have included: WHITE-BELLIED, WILSON'S, and GRAY-BACKED.

This afternoon, Roger, one of the partcipants of the Bird Holidays group
noticed a bird that was hiding in one of the Zodiac boats on the stern
deck. It turned out to be a SOUTH GEORGIAN DIVING PETREL. I picked it
up, while Roger and Luke Cole shot photographs of its blue legs with a
black stripe down the back of the leg, and its blue feet, black on the
bottom! The little bird, which fit quite easily in the palm of my hand,
flew off-- and, we are hoping for the best for it.

If all goes well, tomorrow we will do a Zodiac cruise at Gough Island,
where we should be in the early morning. (Landing on Gough Island is not
permitted due to the abundance of seabirds). Cross fingers that we get a
chance to see the Northern Rockhopper Penguin, Gough Moorhen, and Gough
Bunting.

Debra Shearwater
4149S/1312W
(No replies, please)

STAFF: SHEARWATER CABIN 518

2009-04-04T07:13:00.001-07:00

NEWS FROM THE SOUTH ATLANTIC 5109S/3009W

Greetings, Adventurers,
It is hard to believe that so much can happen in a day-- and the days
just slip by so quickly. But, I will try to give an update on where we
have been and what we have seen.

March 28-March 30: We departed Antarctic Sound, headed for the South
Orkney Islands, intending to land at the Argentine station, Orcadas.
Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favor. We encountered gale
force winds, making landing conditions impossible. So, carried on at
sea, heading for the grandest of the sub-Antarctic wildlife islands,
South Georgia. So, we bid farewell to the huge tabular ice, although
plenty of icebergs and bergy bits were still around. Sea days were
filled with birding & searching for cetaceans. One morning began with 3
Southern Right Whales & the day ended with Hourglass Dolphins bowriding
for prolonged periods of time! One morning, we encountered 15 Orcas!

March 31-April 3: The jagged, snow-dusted peaks of South Georgia had all
of us on the bridge as we entered Cooper Bay. A Zodiac cruise was
undertaken, where we saw many Macaroni Penguins & the world's most
southerly passerine, South Georgia Pipit, feeding on the drifting kelp
along with newly fledged Wilson's Storm-Petrels! Imagine that! In the
afternoon, we landed at the stunning Gold Harbor, filled with many
thousands of King Penguins & their chicks in various life stages. Over
the next several days, we made landings at Salisbury Plain (another
large King rookery), Fortuna Bay, Grytiviken (where we held an Antarctic
Barbecue), and finally, at Prion Island in the Bay of Isles on the
afternoon of April 2. On one landing, we were able to find a young
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross in the nest! Prion Island is a special
landing site with special limitations due to the nesting Wandering
Albatrosses. Walking on the new boardwalk to the top, we were greeted by
at least a dozen albatrosses on their nests! In due time, we were able
to witness the most extensive display of gamming that I have seen since
2001 on Albatross Island (now closed to tourism). It was quite
spectacular to see and hear their displays with as many as six
individual birds getting into the act at once! What a view the
albatrosses have from this lofty height! Looking down at the nearshore,
one of our party spotted a slow moving Southern Right Whale. Now, we had
completed six out of our six scheduled landings at South Georgia-- a
record for me! In the evening our EL announced that the forecast for our
five day journey to Gough Island was so excellent, that we would make a
seventh landing on South Georgia at Stromness Harbor. This early morning
landing was quite beautiful, hiking the hillsides to waterfalls, -- and
finally, sunshine glistening on the ragged peaks. Many of us thought of
Sir Ernest Shackleton, and his heroic walk over these peaks, into the
whaling station at Stromness. In all, we saw all of the South Georgian
endemics.

April 4: We are now headed full speed toward Gough Island, still some 4
days away. Conditions are unbelievably excellent, with horizon to
horizon visibility and calm seas! A Gray Petrel just flew by, and I just
saw half a dozen Hourglass Dolphins. The ship is running at 13 knots due
to the very strong current. All is well, and we many on board are taking
advantage of our lecture program.

At sea,
Debra

STAFF: SHEARWATER CABIN 518

2009-03-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

ANTARCTIC CONTINENTAL LANDINGS!

MARCH 27 on board Professor Multinovskiy- We spent a lovely day,
cruising Antarctic Sound in sunshine, with icebergs, bergy bits, brash
ice, and the huge tabular ice all around. Huge numbers of Leopard Seals
were lying on the ice floes, while small packs of Gentoo Penguins
porpoised amongst the floes, and occasional Antarctic Minke Whale fins
broke the surface. Feeding Humpback Whales were still about. A single
ANTARCTIC PETREL was spotted sitting near an iceberg with a group of 3
Cape Petrels! And, I spotted the first SNOW PETREL of the trip in the
ice. We made a continental landing at the Argentinc station, Esperanza.
Guides gave us a tour of the area, including the Nordenskoljd hut. Tea
and some "retail therapy" were provided! On the nearby beach, two
Weddell's Seals were "singing"-- first time I have ever heard/seen this!
A wounded Crabeater Seal was lying nearby. Afterwards, we relocated the
ship to Brown Bluff for another continental landing. What a change 7
days has made--- as the entire area was now covered in snow, with long,
frozen icicles hanging from the cliffs. We Zodiac cruised the en route
to our landing site, in order to have closer views of the Leopard Seals.
And, indeed, we enjoyed some close ups-- including the interior of the
mouth of one! Many Gentoo Penguins & Antarctic Fur Seals were on the
beach. One single Adelie Penguin was still present. Darkness was
falling when the last Zodiac returned.

MARCH 28- Today, we are making our way to the South Orkney Islands,
where we hope to land tomorrow. More Snow Petrels, and Light-mantled
Sooty Albatrosses were spotted. Quite a few FIN WHALES, and one group of
SOUTHERN BOTTLENOSE WHALES were spotted. Cruising has been very easy,
with little swell or winds. Fog has set in this afternoon.

DEBRA SHEARWATER

Staff: Shearwater Cabin 518

2009-03-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

CROSSING THE DRAKE: MARCH 24 & 25, 2009

Professor Multinovskiy departed Ushuaia, Argentina about 6 pm,March 24,
sailing for the Weddell Sea. For the past two days, our crossing has
been one of the most blissful crossings that I have ever had of the
Drake Passage! Weather and viewing conditions have been superb, with
horizon to horizon visibility, and not a whitecap in sight!
Unimaginable, considering our last crossing. The lesson here is to let
one's imagination run wild, as anything is possible in this region. We
are the very last ship this season to visit the Antarcitc region.

Wildlife highlights have included: Southern Royal, Wandering (Snowy &
Antipodean), Black-browed, Gray Headed, & Light-mantled Sooty
Albatrosses; both giant petrels, Kerguelen Petrels in good numbers; one
White-headed Petrel, King, Chinstrap, & Macaroni Penguins swimming in
the water (not usual in the Drake!), and many of the usual bird species.
Marine mammals have included: Long-finned Pilot Whales, large numbers of
Hourglass Dolphins; Fin, Humpback, and Sei Whales. We are really off to
a great start!

This morning, we are now cruising the stunningly beautiful Bransfield
Strait, with snow on the mountains, and gorgeous tabular ice all around
us-- and calmness that is amazing!

All the best,
Debra Shearwater
(Please do not reply)

CUVERVILLE ISLAND & NEKO HARBOR

2009-03-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 2009: CUVERVILLE ISLAND & NEKO HARBOR

Wakeup call at 6:30 a.m. Inside the Gerlache Strait, but pretty much snowed in! Snow covered the bow of the ship, and was coming at blizzard force outside. Cuverville Island, a small rocky island, lies in the Errera Channel between Arctowski Peninsula and Ronge Island, just off the western coast of Graham Land. Gentoo Penguins, Southern Giant Petrels, Kelp Gulls, Antarctic Terns, Pale-faced Sheathbills, Brown Skuas, and South Polar Skuas are confirmed breeders. The Gentoo Penguin colony is the largest in the region, with a minimum breeding population of 4, 818 pairs in 1994.

A new plan was made to land on Cuverville Island, keeping the ship in the lee of the winds. This was our wettest and coldest Zodiac landing of the trip. Very wet snow pelted our eyes, and gusts of wind almost knocked us over on shore. Beautiful snow algae lined the snow cliffs. About 1000 Gentoo Penguins were about, along with a few downy chicks, who would soon become food for the Brown Skua fledglings. Molting adults frequently ate bits of snow. Circular piles of rocks, some containing a tail feather or two, or perhaps, a bone indicated the remains of this season's nest sites. A few giant petrels patrolled the shoreline, as well. Today, winter appears to be imminent.

Back on board by 11:30 a.m., we repositioned the ship to Neko Harbor. Plagued by fog, we were not able witness the spectacular scenery.

DEBRA SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831/637-8527

PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands: January 5-24, 2010

Exclusive charter with Debra Shearwater

Only 3 cabins available

DECEPTION ISLAND

2009-03-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2009: DECEPTION ISLAND

Wakeup call at 6:30 a.m, to watch the ship entering Neptune's Bellows, Deception Island. Deception Island is most noted for its geology, being the largest of three volcanic centers in the South Shetlands. Deception has erupted in 1800, 1812, 1842, 1871, 1912, 1956, 1967, 1969, and 1970. Neptune's Bellows is a narrow opening to the half-moon shaped bay. Unfortunately for us, we were socked in with fog which prevented us from enjoying this very scenic area. Nevertheless, we landed at Fumerole Bay in heavy mist. Both Argentine and Spanish research stations are on these shores, but not open to visitors. Very little wildlife was present at the landing site. So, I photographed the rocks, lichens, and mosses. One lonely adult Gentoo Penguin was in catastrophic molt on the beach. A flock of Kelp Gulls at the water's edge was constantly harassed by two skuas. A single WILSON'S STORM-PETREL flew out from the scree rocks, as I walked the beach. Presumably, they nest in this scree. I walked to an active fumerole, and could also see bubbles, like champagne, along the nearshore.The long hikers walked up the ridge to the top of the caldera rim, halfway down the outside and down to the CHINSTRAP PENGUIN colony. During the breeding season as many as 100,000 chinstraps are present, but this late in the season, only 2000 were present. Two SOUTHERN GIANT PETRELS, SUB-ANTARCTIC SKUAS, and six HUMPBACK WHALES which were feeding offshore!

During lunch, we repositioned to the Whaler's Bay area of Deception Island. Our good luck with the weather seems to be running short. As, now we were confronted with gale force winds of 20+ knots. Troels announced a "standby" for future announcements, pending our scheduled afternoon landing at Whaler's Bay. The hike to Bailey Head is already canceled, as we cannot get far away from the ship in bad weather. Some hearty souls landed at Whaler's Bay where they had views of some of the whaling artifacts. And, soon it was time to return to our home on board Professor Multanovskiy, and meet for recap in the bar. A delicious salmon dinner was enjoyed by all. During the night, we once again crossed the Bransfield Strait and then into the Gerlache Strait.

DEBRA SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831/637-8527

PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands: January 5-24, 2010

Exclusive charter with Debra Shearwater

Only 3 cabins available

KING GEORGE ISLAND

2009-03-24T06:14:00.001-07:00

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2009: KING GEORGE ISLAND

A 6:30 a.m. wake up call in calm, foggy seas, was followed by breakfast at 7 am, and our very first landing at 8 a.m. on King George Island in the South Shetland Island group. We were pretty excited, as this was a new island for Don and I, as well as the expedition staff. We landed on the Fildes Peninsula, near the Russian Research Station, Bellingshausen. We hiked over to the other side of the peninsula and some hiked even longer. Verdant valleys lit up by the cushion mosses spp. and crustose lichens Xanthoria, spp. made this the "greenest" landing that I have ever seen in the Antarctic region. On the landing beach, we were greeted by this year's fully grown GENTOO PENGUINS (300). BROWN SKUAS (30- some with leg bands: VCO, VH5) were patrolling the beaches and the research stations, while a few IMPERIAL SHAGS (4) landed on the inshore waters. The real thrill was finding 6 or 7 WEDDELLS' SEALS on the beaches. One had sustained an injury, possibly from a Leopard Seal, especially judging by the number of inside out penguin carcasses on the beach. We also saw a few SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS (11), and ANTARCTIC FUR SEALS (28). Quite a few SOUTHERN GIANT PETRELS (12) were about, and Don saw two WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS which popped off the scree slopes. A PALE-FACED SHEATHBILL landed on the lifeboat! KELP GULLS (6) were still around. The CHINSTRAP PENGUINS (100) put on quite a show, always boisterous, they seem to be the most pugnacious of all penguins! Some of these hatch year birds were so funny— picking up stones, and then seeming to look around, as if to say, "Now what do I do with this?" Bear in mind that this is the very end of the season, and nearly all of the wildlife has departed! The Antarctic season is best compared to the breeding season in the high Arctic, and not the temperate zones where most of us live. Once nesting is over, birds quickly depart.

Chinstrap Penguin image by Debra Shearwater

In the afternoon, we made a brief visit to the Chilean station for some "retail therapy" of which there is very little in this region. Also, a stop in the post office was made for stamping of passports.

Several countries have research stations on the Fildes Peninsula, including Russian, Chile, China, Uruguay, Argentina, Poland, Korea, Brasil, Peru, and Yugoslavia. We were told that each country is hoping to have a stake in the minerals that might some day be mined (!) in AntarcticaThe only airstrip in all the Antarctic Peninsula region capable of landing a large aircraft is located here. My personal opinion of this site is that is grossly misrepresents the "pristine" Antarctica, as trash is everywhere— littering all of the beaches. Save Our Shores needs to be hired to come in and clean the place up and teach these research stations a thing or two about trash! This was a raw introduction to the dark side of Antarctica.

We departed King George Island about 7 p.m. heading into the Bransfield Strait and Antarctic Sound, and on to Dundee Island.

DEBRA SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831/637-8527

PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands: January 5-24, 2010

Exclusive charter with Debra Shearwater

Only 3 cabins available

RAINY DAY IN USHUAIA

2009-03-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

This morning we awoke to a dusting of snow on the jagged peaks of the mountains, and steady rain throughout the day. Nevertheless, we managed to bird the entire day. Hundreds of BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSSES plied the Beagle Channel along with SOUTHERN GIANT PETRELS (20), CHILEAN SKUAS (100), SOUTH AMERICAN TERNS (100), ROCK, IMPERIAL and NEOTROPIC SHAGS. On the road, we saw GRAY-FLANKED CINCLODES (1) and DARK-FACED GROUND TYRANTS (2). The "old" dump has not existed for years, but driving along the road to the new dump, we were able to see CHIMANGO CARACARA (50), SOUTHERN CRESTED CARACARA (18), and the much sought after WHITE-THROATED CARACARA (6). In addition, about 800 KELP GULSS and a handful of DOLPHIN GULLS were at the dump. A bonus bird, perched in a tree near the road was a BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD EAGLE! This was the closest I have ever been to a buzzard eagle. After a quick breakfast in town, and a visit to our favorite natural history ```bookshop, a business meeting at Hotel Albatros, and pumping some air into a deflating tire, we headed to Tierra del Fuego National Park.

Birdlife was incredibly quiet inside the park. Maybe, it was the rain. Chimangos were everywhere, and I started to call them, Chickenmangos. Pishing finally brought on the THORN-TAILED RAYADITOS— at least 50 or more, all but landing on my head. They very much remind me of the little Bushtits in California, mobbing like crazy. Four of five, WHITE-THROATED TREERUNNERS were so agitated that they made their little cricket like sounds. Half a dozen AUSTRAL THRUSHES were feeding on some dark blue berries. Along the many lakes we found GREAT GREBES (6+ 2HY), YELLOW-BILLED PINTAILS (12), CHILOE WIDGEONS (4), FLYING STEAMER DUCKS (2), but missed the Spectacled Duck. Several UPLAND GEESE, along with 3 goslings were feeding along the roadside, ever so tame! We managed a couple of GRAY-HOODED SIERRA FINCHES, and several RUFOUS-COLLARED SPARROWS. Our big miss of the day was the Magellanic Woodpecker! We checked several places where we have seen them in past years with no luck. We stopped at a spot where we have previously seen Rufous-legged Owl at night— and, immediately heard the rayaditos mobbing an owl!! But, darned if we could see any owl in the thick, dark forest. It was a very long day, with a late dinner in town.

A few corrections on yesterday's log entry! Hey, I'm blaming it on jet lag! Seriously, there are a few identification snags that always get me in this area. The reported Ashy-headed Geese of yesterday, were in fact, Upland Geese. And, the steamer ducks always seem so difficult, but I think that we saw both Flying and Flightless Steamer Ducks, yesterday. Hey, I know the two that were at the lake today, were Flying Steamer Ducks, else how the heck did they get there! We do not have a spotting scope with us. And, the reported Silvery Grebe, was in reality a WHITE-TUFTED GREBE (no ID problem there, I was just brain dead).

Well, tomorrow, we hope to get up to the Martial Glacier to hunt for the White-bellied Seedsnipe, which I have never seen, but the weather forecast does not sound promising at all! Well, there you have it— a few hours of birding yesterday— when it was balmy, and we were casually sitting on the beach photographing the waterfowl, and a full day of birding today in rain, rain, rain.

At 4 pm tomorrow, we shall board Professor Multanovskiy and set off for the Drake Passage! For now, I hope that you will enjoy Don Doolittle's image of the raindrop covered BLACK-CHESTED BUZZARD EAGLE!

Til' tomorrow,

Debra

DEBRA SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831/637-8527

PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands: January 5-24, 2010

Exclusive charter with Debra Shearwater

Only 3.5 cabins available

FIN DEL MUNDO: USHUAIA, ARGENTINA

2009-03-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, Adventurers,

After 26 ± hours, Don and I have arrived in Ushuaia, Argentina— the town that calls itself, "Fin del Mundo," End of the World. Our travel here went remarkably well with no hitches with airlines or luggage! We departed San Francisco, California about noon yesterday for the 5 hour flight to Miami, Florida. Once, there, we connected to our eight hour American flight, non-stop to Buenos Aires, Argentina. We arrived on time, proceeded through immigration, which took about 40 minutes, and then claimed out bags, and made our way through customs. At the Aerolineas Argentina ticket counter, we learned that for $25 we could jump on an earlier flight, thereby avoiding a 5 hour wait for our scheduled flight! By the time we purchased the new ticket, the flight was boarding. Luckily, this was a non-stop flight, as often a stop is made at Rio Gallagos. Three and a half hours latter, we were on the ground at the small, but growing Ushuaia. The flight up the Beagle Channel was spectacular, with the jagged mountains all around.

On the ground, we wasted no time in renting a car, and began birding right at the airport ponds, and along other shorelines. Old friends, posed for our cameras: CHIMANGO (8) and SOUTHERN CRESTED CARACARA (9); KELP (350) and DOLPHIN GULLS (12); a couple ASHY-HEADED GEESE (3), many KELP GEESE (50) foraging on kelp; CRESTED DUCKS (200), CHILOE WIDGEONS (20), YELLOW-BILLED PINTAILS (30) FLYING STEAMER DUCKS (18); SOUTHERN LAPWING (4); NEOTROPICAL (12), IMPERIAL (30), and ROCK (3) SHAGS; MAGELLANIC (80) and BLACKISH (70) OYSTERCATCHERS; SOUTH AMERICAN TERNS (50); SILVERY GREBE (2); AMERICAN KESTREL (2), and GRAY-FLANKED CINCLODES.

After a couple of hours of birding, we checked in at Hostal Malvinas. Our friend and expedition leader, Troels, joined us for coffee. Dinner was at our favorite restaurant, Volver, which specializes in crab.

All flights on time, luggage delivered, a good start on birding, only a little bit of rain— we are off to a great start.

Debra Shearwater, Charter Master 2010

Don Doolittle, Expedition Photographer

DEBRA SHEARWATER

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

831/637-8527

PO Box 190, Hollister, CA 95024

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands: January 5-24, 2010

Exclusive charter with Debra Shearwater

Only 3 cabins available

SBT COUNTY: LONG-BILLED CURLEW DISPLAY

2009-03-07T22:56:00.001-08:00

Howdy, Birders,

On my mail run today, I made a few ramblings around San Benito County (SBT). The most significant find was 529 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS on Quien Sabe Road (N3648/W2115). They were using both sides of the road, circling flights of flocks as small as 33 birds, and as large as 380 birds, calling as they flew. They would settle down, feeding on the ground. I did count each bird. Apparently, this area is extremely important to them, as I have seen flocks of hundreds here in past years, too. This location is just beyond the intersection of Quien Sabe Road and Santa Anita Road— a wonderful grassland area, studded with oaks. At that intersection last June, I saw a badger. Bobcats are regularly seen there, too. After venturing just a short distance up Quien Sabe, I turned around and headed for Santa Anita, again. A Burrowing Owl has been hanging around the same area as the curlews, but I did not see it today.

As I made my way down the road, I noticed a commotion of Turkey Vultures, Ravens, Yellow-billed Magpies, and an adult BALD EAGLE. So, I stopped the car and turned the engine off since I was sure that they were all on some sort of kill. I did not want to disturb the feeding process. Eventually, I saw the eagle fly to an oak tree, where it perched, shredding some sort of guts. Magpies and ravens were jostling on nearby branches for bits and pieces.

Had a nice drive down Santa Anita Road, with no particularly unusual birds. A GREAT-HORNED OWL was sitting on a nest in a eucalyptus tree. This is a great road in the spring! California Poppies and lupines were in bloom along the roadside. In another 10 days, it will be hopping with migrant kingbirds, I suppose.

Speaking of kingbirds— quite a few CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS have been around in the county-- mostly on Santa Ana Valley Road. I saw one today at mm 4.42. This is not too far from the ranch where twelve years ago, Al de Martini, Dave Shuford and I confirmed nesting Cassin's and Western Kingbirds in the euc trees. A soaring COOPER'S HAWK was being dive-bombed by two BARN SWALLOWS in Santa Ana Valley. A few days ago I saw 600+ VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOWS soaring over the fields at the edge of the mountains. SAVANNAH SPARROWS dotted the fences.

On John Smith Road, at the newly created pond at Guerra Vineyards, a male MERLIN was perched in a small tree while a Coot swam in the pond.

Spring is coming--

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

**Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

Only 3.5 cabins available! Act now!

SBT COUNTY: PAICINES RESERVOIR

2009-02-19T21:45:00.001-08:00

Howdy, Birders,

Paicines Reservoir this morning was beautiful in the morning sunlight, after those rainy days. I birded from 8:30 am until 9:45 am. Highlights included: a possible RUFF on the northeast side of the edge of the water, quite a long distance when scoping from the pull out lot. I would love it, if someone else could confirm this ID.

PLEASE NOTE: There is a new sign on the gate on the dike at the pullout which says, "BIRDERS- Please enjoy our birds from the other side of this gate." So, please do not go through the gate, and walk on the dike.

In addition to the possible Ruff, two CASSIN'S KINGBIRDS were on the telephone wires at the north end of the pullout when I arrived. By the time I left, they were hunting from the single, leafless willow tree in the dried out part of the reservoir. One TREE SWALLOW was hawking over the water. A good variety of ducks/waterfowl was present: Common and Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Cinnamon and Green-winged Teal, Gadwall, Canvasbacks, Ruddy Ducks, American Widgeon, Clark's/Western Grebes, one White Pelican, and about 46 peeps.

On Quien Sabe Road, I found 2 FERRUGINOUS HAWKS, 18 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS, one BURROWING OWL, and one adult BALD EAGLE. A BOBCAT was hunting ground squirrels on the hillside. SNOW could still be seen covering the Diablo Mountains!

On Santa Ana Valley Road, a subadult GOLDEN EAGLE was hunting ground squirrels.

Hope to see you out there!

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

Start the year with Seabirds: January 17

2009-01-06T21:19:00.001-08:00

Hello, Seabirders,

Kick start your year with seabirds by joining Shearwater Journeys on our JANUARY 17TH pelagic trip, departing from Fishermans' Wharf in Monterey at 7 am, and returning about 3 pm. Last year's January trip included Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed and Short-tailed Shearwaters, nine species of gulls, including Black-legged Kittiwakes, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemot, Ancient Murrelets, Rhinoceros Auklets, and inshore birds: Red-throated, Pacific, and Common Loons, four species of grebes, Long-tailed and Harlequin Ducks in the harbor and Surfbirds on the jetty. Marine mammals included Gray Whales and Pacific White-sided Dolphins.

Please contact Debra, see below, for a reservation.

Reports from Monterey Bay indicate that it is quite "birdy" right now. This would be a great trip for photographers!

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SPARKLING NEW YEAR: 2009!

2009-01-04T14:01:00.001-08:00

Birders,

I would like to take this moment to wish you all the best in the coming year. May it be filled with many special birds and wildlife moments, endearing friends, and good health throughout your days! This image by Don Doolittle from our recent Panama trip, best portrays my wishes for you—

Thank you for reading this blog!

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

STELLER'S ALBATROSS: DECEMBER 29, 2008

2009-01-01T19:21:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, Seabirders!

It is my pleasure to relay an exciting report of an immature STELLER'S ALBATROSS (Short-tailed Albatross). It was reported to me by Vince Orsini who saw it on December 29, 2008 just north of the Cordell Banks in 1100 feet of water at 38 07.21 and 123 28.74. Vince reported that the albatross flew within 100 feet of his boat, Miss Anita, at least a dozen times. Vince, his partner, Ed, and four passengers were on board. One of the passengers may have obtained defining photographic images that should be forthcoming.

Many of Shearwater Journeys' participants will remember Vince well, as he first began trips with us as a deckhand in Monterey in 1985. Even in the 1980's Vince was an avid seabirder, who pointed out many lifers. He later joined us for many years on our trips departing from Bodega Bay where he was on board the one and only pelagic trip that traveled from Bodega Bay to Fort Bragg and back— discovering North America's first record of an adult White-capped Albatross! (Shy Albatross).

What a way to end the year!

Albatrosses forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

BIRDING PANAMA: CERRO AZUL & CERRO JEFE

2008-12-08T06:11:00.000-08:00

Good morning, Birders,

I'm sitting on the balcony of La Estancia B & B on Ancon Hill in Panama City, watching the BLUEGRAY TANAGERS and VARIABLE SEEDEATERS come and go from the feeders, while ORANGE-CHINNED PARAKEETS call across the canopy. I've been told that the monkeys will show up any minute. It's hot, but more than that, it's humid!

My travel companion, Don Doolittle, and I left San Francisco at midnight on December 2, arriving in Panama City about noon the next day, rented a 4 x 4, and began the search for what remains of Tocumen Wetlands. Major development is happening around the marsh, and the directions for finding it made it pretty sketchy for actually getting there. Later, we found out that we were, in fact, at the marsh. Since the roads became impassable with mud, even for a 4 x 4, we decided to head to the mountains. Best bird at the marsh was RED-BREASTED BLACKBIRD.

In the mountains of eastern Panama, we headquartered ourselves at the Hostal Casa de Campo Country Inn, (www.panamacasadecampo.com) where the very delightful proprietor, Ana Maria, made us feel quite at home. What a treat, falling asleep to the calling TROPICAL SCREECH OWL each night, and waking up to the incessant calls of a HOUSE WREN feeding its youngsters in the nest under the eaves of our balcony. It is very worthwhile to spend the nights in the mountains, rather than down in the city.

For the next four days, we headed off in different directions, and hiked different trails each day. The first day, we birded the "petite Darien, " as the region of Bayano is known. This was a very dripping wet, pouring rain, soaking us to the skin, day! It was well worth it, as the best bird of the day was a group of about 7 RUFOUS-WINGED ANT-WRENS at Monkey River! A female RUFOUS-CRESTED COQUETTE was just out of this world! I can't even image a male!

During the following days, we hiked some steep trails that were so mud-slicked, we could have been ice-skating! Trails hiked included: Vistamares, Calle Maipo, Rio Mono, Cerro Jefe. We also visited the feeders at Birder's View (www.birdersview.com) many times. This was an extremely busy area for birds, not only at the feeders, but also coming to the vegetation near the home. Don managed to capture images of many of the birds since we had clear, unobstructed views, with beautiful sunlight on the tanagers and euphonias while they feasted on the berries of various plants. Specialties here, and on the trails included: VIOLET-CAPPED HUMMINGBIRD, YELLOW-EARED TOUCANET, STRIPE-CHEEKED WOODPECKER, BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER, BLACK-and-YELLOW TANAGER, OLIVE TANAGER, WHITE-SHOULDERED TANAGER, CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGER, EMERALD TANAGER, SPECKLED TANAGER, BAY-HEADED TANAGER, GOLDEN-HOODED TANAGER, GREEN HONEYCREEPER, LONG-TAILED WOODCREEPER, PLAIN XENOPS, PIED PUFFBIRD, WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN, VIOLET-HEADED HUMMINBIRD, GREEN THORNTAIL, GARDEN EMERALD, RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, BRONZE-TAILED PLUMELETEER, VIOLACEOUS TROGON, BLACK-TAILED TROGON, RUFOUS MOTMOT, and BROAD-BILLED MOTMOT.

These mountains are a weekend home to many Panamanians who escape the heat of the city for the cooler and breezy climate just an hour from the city. It is also the home for ex-pats from the USA, England, Canada, and Germany. As we made our way from one part of the mountains to another, we would sometimes encounter a few birds in the developed area, but most of the "good" birding is within the national park, which borders the housing area. On our last day, we stopped to look at a hawk, and I noticed a driveway with bird feeders, many bird feeders! Feeling quite bold, we marched up to the front door to meet the owners, Bill & Claudia Ahrens, from the USA. They invited us to enjoy their feeders which we certainly did! Everything seems to eat bananas like crazy and Bill keeps a whole crate-full at the ready. We saw our lifer, BLACK-CHEEKED WOODPECKER here. Thank you, Bill & Claudia!

Finally, we made one more stop at Birder's View, a large house owned by the president of the Panama Audubon Society (www.panamaaudubon.org). The lovely owner told us about a trail with flowering helaconias just below the house. So, we hiked down a good trail to the "helaconia" forest—nearly 100 flowering plants— and saw several WHITE-TIPPED SICKEBILLS! These large, brown hummingbirds, with incredibly recurved bills, literally grasp on to the flowers like a bat, and hang there, feeding! What a treat!

In just a few minutes, we will be flying to Cana with ANCON Expeditions!

Tanagers forever,

Debra Shearwater

NOV 29, 2008: A GREAT DAY FOR SHEARWATERS

2008-12-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Hello, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journeys' last trip of the year took place on November 29th, departing from Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. It was a great day for shearwaters, with a constant flow of shearwaters in view throughout the entire day, except for a brief period when we went over a shallow shelf that was loaded with CASSIN'S AUKLETS and quite a few ANCIENT MURRELETS. In all, we tallied seven species of shearwaters! (The one day world record is eight species, which Shearwater Journeys holds from two different trips). Topping the list, was a GREATER SHEARWATER spotted and identified by leader Scott Terrill, simultaneously by leader Linda Terrill. The Great Shearwater was not that close to the boat, but most everyone on board managed to see it. I was in the cabin, along with leaders John Sterling and Clay Kempf. I ran out to the stern, and had brief, but great views of the shearwater as it flew away from us. It was a state and county bird for county listing czar, John Sterling. Amazingly, Brian Sullivan managed to get off some good shots with his awesome camera! This is the fifth or sixth Great Shearwater that I have seen in California. I believe that it is the first one that I've seen in November. Another surprise was a single BULLER'S SHEARWATER, somewhat late (latest date that I have seen one is December 1). A distant FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER, single SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER, plenty of PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS and many BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS were also found. Other early winter specialties, ANCIENT MURRELETS and BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES made a nice showing, along with BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES. Very few NORTHERN FULMARS were recorded. And, as is often the case, few cetaceans, save a handful of PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS near the end of the day, bow-riding. No phalaropes were found.

The morning started out auspiciously for me, waking to a dream of a running mountain lion, followed by a real earthquake, and then "pink sky in the morning" on my drive to Monterey. So, it was one of those days where I just "had a feeling." We went south from Point Pinos to the Big Sur Lighthouse, staying mostly 3-4 miles offshore the entire day. I haven't been that far south in a long time. The coastline was just magnificent. There was a northeast wind in the morning of about 10 knots, which laid down completely in the afternoon. Heading south was a great idea, as it turned out.

This trip completes our 2008 year of pelagic trips in California. We would like to thank all of the birders who came from near and far to see the splendors of our special marine life off the California central coast. We hope to see you in the coming year. The leaders on the November 29 trip were: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Clay Kempf, John Sterling, Jennifer Green, Brian Sullivan, and Debra Shearwater.

Start off the New Year with our January 17th pelagic trip from Monterey. Please note, Debra Shearwater will only be available by email during the month of December.

The complete species list for NOVEMBER 29, 2008 follows:

RED-THROATED LO0N-1

PACIFIC LOON- 225

COMMON LOON- 10

EARED GREBE- 15

WESTERN GREBE- 15

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 21

NORTHERN FULMAR- 5

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 125

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1

**GREATER SHEARWATER- 1

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 1

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 27

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 1

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 1250

BROWN PELICAN- +

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- +

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 3

SURF SCOTER- 140

RED-BREASTED MERGANSER- 3

BRANT- 9

BLACK TURNSTONE- 1

POMARINE JAEGER- 9

BONAPARTE'S GULL- 1

HEERMANN'S GULL- 200

MEW GULL- 4

CALIFORNIA GULL- 150

HERRING GULL- 4

THAYER'S GULL- 2

WESTERN GULL- 200

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 15

WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED- 3

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE- 26

COMMON MURRE- 20

ANCIENT MURRELET- 33

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 320

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 145

PEREGRINE FALCON- 1, on the radio tower on Cannery Row

SEA OTTER- 8

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 50

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 30

BLUE SHARK- 1

Wishing you a joyful holiday season,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

ANTARCTICA, SOUTH GEORGIA, FALKLAND ISLANDS, & WEDDELL SEA

2008-11-28T20:43:00.001-08:00

Hello, Adventurers,

I would like to invite you to join Shearwater Journeys, Inc. on a unique, chartered voyage on the Professor Multanovskiy to Antarctica, South Georgia, The Falkland Islands, and into the Weddell Sea to search for Emperor Penguins, January 5-24, 2010. What's unique about it?

For one thing, a brilliant assemblage of six Shearwater Journeys' leaders will be on board: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, John Sterling, Clay Kempf, Don Doolittle, and Debra Shearwater. Together we have over 100 years of ocean experience. We know seabirds and marine life! We've been involved in ocean trips for three decades. Each leader will be presenting lectures on such intriguing subjects as cutting edge knowledge of Adelie Penguins and climate change, Flora of the Falklands, Ice, history, geology, marine mammals —as well as fun things, such as Antarctic Jeopardy! (Who ever heard of that?)

Our small group size of 48 means that we offer one of the highest passenger/leader ratio of any voyage to the region— 6 SJ leaders, plus 2 Expedition staff, bringing you a richer experience.

Our itinerary focuses completely on wildlife, the stars of the voyage! We aim to make as many landings as possible for as long as possible, to give you an in-depth experience.

Our voyage is scheduled at the absolute peak time of the year for wildlife activity— the height of the austral summer when penguins are with chicks.

Traveling with like-minded passengers allows for a more cohesive group.

Observe up to TEN SPECIES OF PENGUINS! We will be venturing into the Weddell Sea, near Snow Hill Island to make a dedicated search for EMPEROR PENGUINS. We will be searching for the single ERECT-CRESTED PENGUIN in the Falkland Islands, as well. By including the Chile pre-trip, add HUMBOLDT PENGUIN and possibly PERUVIAN DIVING PETREL to complete your diving petrel world list!

The voyage begins and ends in Ushuaia, Argentina which makes for a better air fare rate, eliminating the need for an "open jaw" ticket.

Our voyage is one of the best values for travel to the Antarctic region because no commission-earning travel agents are involved. Debra Shearwater, herself, communicates with each and every person.

After thirtyfive years of ocean experience, and seventeen years of worldwide expedition experience, I have organized one of the best voyages to this region, ever. At this time, we have only 4.5 cabins available: 1 superior ($19895), and three Double Private ($16995), and one sharing female in a Double Private ($16995). If you are a single female, you will not need to find a cabin mate, as one is already available. Rates quoted are per person. Also at this time, we can offer a $1000 per cabin discount, or $500 per person, if booked by January 30, 2009. The night of January 5 at the Hotel Albatros in Ushuaia is included in the expedition fee. Detailed information can be found on the Shearwater Journeys' home page: www.shearwaterjourneys.com. To book your cabin, or for more information, please contact Debra Shearwater by email during the month of December. (I will be in Panama — there's more than seabirds in the world— and will have intermittent email).

This is going to be a great trip, nothing ordinary about it! Our expedition leader has just returned from Antarctica, where he recently found 20 Emperor Penguins near Snow Hill Island! We are going to rock, big time on this voyage! Be there!

Here's what Hadoram Shirihai has to say about this voyage:

"I checked Debra Shearwater's Antarctic Voyage plan and found it to be the most attractive program to these remote wild areas on the planet. Since I have spent some time with Debra at sea, I am confident that she is the best qualified to lead such expedition to the Antarctic waters. What makes Debra different is that she is simply among the best seabird and marine-mammal observers in the world, eager to observe and to learn more about sea-life. She is an excellent organizer, too. Surely, Debra Shearwater's Antarctic Voyage is the best that one could dream about... Highly recommended!"

—Hadoram Shirihai, author of the definitive A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife: The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean , A & C Black and Princeton University Press).

Penguins & Albatrosses forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

Lincoln's Sparrow

2008-11-11T21:30:00.001-08:00

I was delighted to see that a LINCOLN'S SPARROW returned to my backyard today, bathing in the dripper bath.

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

MONTEREY BAY: SEP 22, 2008: LATE REPORT

2008-11-01T21:30:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Seabirders,

This is a late report for the Shearwater Journey's pelagic trip September 22, 2008 from Monterey Bay. On rare occasions, a marine mammal sighting will eclipse any seabird sighting. This was the case on September 22.

The singular most exciting event was watching six KILLER WHALES, repeatedly tossing a COMMON DOLPHIN sky high some 30-50 feet in the air as they chased, and hunted it! On some of our previous trips, we had seen a mother/calf pair of common dolphins hanging around Cannery Row. They had been reported there for weeks. It is unusual in that common dolphins are usually very gregarious, traveling in herds of hundreds, if not thousands off southern California. Recently, we saw this pair off Point Joe, and away from the nearshore protection (?) of Cannery Row. I do not know if these dolphins were the specific individuals that the killer whales killed on this day. But, it was quite spectacular to see the little dolphin flying through the air, as well as the killer whales also flying sky high! In the end, the killer whales did kill the dolphin, although this was difficult to see. They continued to hang around Monterey Bay for many weeks, mostly near Moss Landing. The common dolphins have not been seen since this day.

I've seen Orcas hunt and kill many creatures— blue sharks, sea lions, rhinoceros auklets, and elephant seals. (For a look at an image that I shot of an orca tossing a young elephant seal in the air on a Shearwater Journey's trip to the Farallon Islands, see Hadoram Shirihai's A Field Guide to the Marine Mammals of the World, page 74). In fact, it was on a Shearwater Journey's May Monterey Bay trip in the 1980's when the very first hunting by killer whales of a young gray and its mother, was ever photographed. At my insistence, a hydrophone was dropped overboard to record the first sounds of killer whales in Monterey Bay! (These sounds can be heard on the DVD, Through the Seasons: An Introduction to the Seabirds and Marine Mammals of Monterey Bay). After nearly three hours of stalking the young, male gray whale, the killer whales finally drowned it. This later became popularized by National Geographic after they videotaped subsequent kills on Monterey Bay.

Killer whales have long been a subject of interest for me. So much so that, beginning in 1978, I collected images from the the photographers who ventured forth on Shearwater Journey's trips from Monterey, Bodega Bay and other ports off central California. Beginning in 1984, I encouraged the Monterey party boat skippers to collect images of killer whales, too. Shearwater Journeys donated hundreds of boat trips that provided a platform of opportunity for graduate students to obtain marine mammal sightings and photograph killer whales. Through these efforts, we were able to obtain images from more than forty people, spanning 19 years to be included in a photo catalogue of killer whales of California and western Mexico which was published in September 1997 by the U.S. Department of Comerce, NOAA. Thus, the many birders who participated in our trips contributed vastly to our current knowledge of killer whales.

You can see video footage shot by Manny Vara and hear the sounds of the participants on the September 22 trip at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WufTyNMZNgw.

Well, of course we did see birds, too! The complete species list follows. Many thanks to the folks who joined us on this very exciting trip. The leaders were: David Vander Pluym, David Wimpfheimer, Luke Cole, Don Doolittle, Oscar Johnson, and Debra Shearwater. Lauren Harter graciously chummed.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008 MONTEREY BAY:

PACIFIC LOON- 4

LOON sp.- 1

WESTERN GREBE- 1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 5

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 225

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 28

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 280

SOOTY/SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 2

WILSON'S STORM-PETREL- 4

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 300

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 15

BROWN PELICAN- 70

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 700

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 3

SURF SCOTER- 14

BLACK TURNSTONE- 8

SURFBIRD- 1

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 48

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 2

POMARINE JAEGER- 21

PARASITIC JAEGER- 5

JAEGER sp.- 1

HEERMANN'S GULL- 60

CALIFORNIA GULL- 30

WESTERN GULL- 100

ELEGANT TERN- 100

COMMON TERN- 1

COMMON/ARCTIC TERN- 1

FORSTER'S TERN- 1

COMMON MURRE- 110

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 1

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 80

SEA OTTER- 6

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- +

HARBOR SEAL- +

HUMPBACK WHALE- 10

KILLER WHALE- 6

COMMON DOLHIN- 1 or 2

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 17

OCEAN SUNFISH- 3

BLUE SHARK- 1

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

OCT 17 & 18, 2008 PELAGIC TRIP REPORTS

2008-10-21T15:50:00.001-07:00

Hello, Seabirders,

Shearwater Journey's pelagic trips on October 17 from BODEGA BAY and October 18 from MONTEREY BAY were the last trips of the fall season. Both trips were excellent, with good sea conditions, and many seabirds and marine mammals. Highlights of the October 17th trip included: flocks of more than a 100 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, and one Buller's Shearwater standing on wad of bull kelp; 3 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS; a small influx of NORTHERN FULMARS; possibly the last SOUTH POLAR SKUAS of the season; several MEW GULLS; and arriving BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES; a PALM WARBLER about 15 miles offshore in Sonoma County; and several STELLER'S SEA LIONS. County birders enjoyed adding many species to both their Sonoma and Marin County lists. Highlights of the October 18th trip from Monterey Bay included: a CACKLING GOOSE flying over the harbor; flocks of migrating PACIFIC LOONS; 2 or 3 SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATERS; 1 MANX SHEARWATER; 4 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS; a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER sitting on the water, providing knock out views and photo-ops; arriving BONAPARTE'S GULLS; good numbers of CASSIN'S AUKLETS; and half a dozen KILLER WHALES interacting with CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS and HUMPBACK WHALES. The heavy gale force winds from the northwest cooled the sea surface temperature down to about 55F and was probably part of the influx of fulmars, trickling of kittiwakes, and short-tailed shearwaters. A deep, red tide had formed inside and just outside of the Monterey harbor. Those folks who signed on for both trips accumulated quite a seabird/marine mammal species list!

Our next trips from Monterey with spaces available are NOVEMBER 29 with Clay Kempf, Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Jennifer Green, Luke Cole, and Debra Shearwater leading, and JANUARY 17, 2009. Please email Debra Shearwater for a reservation/information.

Many, many thanks to all of the participants who traveled from near and far to join us on our trips this year! We couldn't do it without you! The leaders for October 17th were: Lisa Hug, Jennifer Green, John Sterling, Alan Hopkins, David Vanderpluym, David Wimpfheimer, Steve Howell, and Debra Shearwater. The leaders for the October 18th trip were: Clay Kempf, Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, David Vander Pluym, And Debra Shearwater. Lauren Harter was chummer on both trips. Many thanks, Lauren!

The complete species list follows:

OCTOBER 17 BODEGA BAY/OCT 18 MONTEREY BAY 2008:

PACIFIC LOON- 3/40

COMMON LOON- 2/2

EARED GREBE- 5/25

WESTERN GREBE- 5/6

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 9/5

NORTHERN FULMAR- 13/12

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 171/220

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 3/2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER-920/0

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 41/75

SOOTY/SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 3/3

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 0/2 or 3

MANX SHEARWATER- 0/1

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 0/4

BROWN PELICAN- 25/125

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 50/325

PELAGIC CORMORANT- 3/0

SURF SCOTER- 2/0

CANADA GOOSE- 0/7

CACKLING GOOSE- 0/1

GREATER SCAUP- 4/0

BRANT- 2/0

NORTHERN PINTAIL- 0/3

BLACK TURNSTONE- 1/4

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 0/34

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 6/0

POMARINE JAEGER- 15/6

POMARINE/PARASITIC- 6/2

PARASITIC JAEGER- 0/1

BONAPARTE'S GULL- 0/8

HEERMANN'S GULL- 81/200

MEW GULL- 4/0

CALIFORNIA GULL- 380/180

HERRING GULL- 10/0

WESTERN GULL- 250/370

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 3/0

WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED- 10/0

BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE- 2/0

ELEGANT TERN- 0/27

COMMON MURRE- 250/120

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 5/0

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 33/60

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 35/225

*PALM WARBLER- 1/0, about 15 miles offshore in Sonoma County. It flew toward land.

PEREGRINE FALCON- 0/1, on the radio tower along Cannery Row.

SEA OTTER- 0/12

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 2/225

STELLER'S SEA LION- 7/0

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 1/2

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL- 1/1

HARBOR SEAL- +/5

HUMPBACK WHALE- 5/20

KILLER WHALE- 0/6

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 16/0

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 0/400

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 50/20

DALL'S PORPOISE- 16/6

OCEAN SUNFISH- 0/2

BLUE SHARK- 1/2

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

SHEARWATER JOURNEYS' TRIP REPORTS: OCT 9, 11, & 12, 2008

2008-10-14T22:06:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Seabirders,

This report covers Shearwater Journey's pelagic trips on October 9, 11, & 12, 2008. The October 9 trip which was set to depart from Bodega Bay was canceled due to a gale warning by NOAA on October 8th at 12:30 p.m. Everyone was refunded their full fare for this trip. Turns out it was a very wise decision. The October 11th trip departed from Monterey as planned since the forecast for Monterey Bay was much better that day. Being half-moon shaped, the bay is somewhat protected from the prevailing northwesterly winds. Highlights of this trip included one HARLEQUIN DUCK in the harbor, 35 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE (!), and a great show of 5 KILLER WHALES with HUMPBACK WHALES near Moss Landing. The October 12th trip departed from Santa Cruz on the north side of Monterey Bay. Highlights included great views of MARBLED MURRELETS just outside the harbor, 25 SURFBIRDS on the jetty, 1 or 2 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, and a great show of RISSO'S DOLPHINS.

We would like to thank all of the participants who traveled with us on these trips. The leaders were: October 11: Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, Gerry McChesney, & Ryan Terrill; October 12: Clay Kempf, Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, John Sterling, Don Doolittle, Jennifer Green, Jim Danzenbaker, & Debra Shearwater.

Our last two trips of the fall season are scheduled for October 17 from Bodega Bay with leaders John Sterling, Lisa Hug, Jennifer Green, Alan Hopkins, Steve Howell, David Vander Pluym, David Wimpfheimer, & Debra Shearwater, and Lauren Harter, chumming; and for October 18 from Monterey Bay with leaders Clay Kempf, Linda Terrill, Scott Terrill, David Vander Pluym, and chummer, Lauren Harter. Spaces are still available on both trips. Our next scheduled trips from Monterey are November 29 and January 17.

The complete species list follows:

OCTOBER 11 MONTEREY COUNTY/ OCTOBER 12 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY:

PACIFIC LOON- 5/3

COMMON LOON- 0/2

EARED GREBE- 0/20

WESTERN GREBE- 0/102

CLARK'S GREBE- 0/20

WESTERN/CLARK'S- 0/25

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 6/10

NORTHERN FULMAR- 7/6

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 165/180

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 1/1or 2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 38/85

SOOTY SHEARWATER- 105/29

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 2/0

BROWN PELICAN- 225/125

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 250/75

PELAGIC CORMORANT-2/2

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT-0/1

HARLEQUIN DUCK-1/0

SURF SCOTER- 85/20

WHITE-FRONTED GEESE- 35/0

CANADA GOOSE- 0/6

SNOW GOOSE- 0/1

RUDDY TURNSTONE- 0/1

BLACK TURNSTONE- 6/3

SURFBIRD- 0/25

WILLET- 0/3

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 15/8

RED PHALAROPE- 1/ 2

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 0/7

POMARINE JAEGER- 0/3

POMARINE/PARASITIC- 0/2

BONAPARTE'S GULL- 1/5

HEERMANN'S GULL- 155/85

CALIFORNIA GULL- 150/120

HERRING GULL- 0/2

WESTERN GULL- 155/250

GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL- 2/0

WESTERN/GLAUCOUS-WINGED- 10/0

ELEGANT TERN- 6/3

ARCTIC TERN- 1/0

COMMON MURRE- 53/850

PIGEON GUILLEMOT- 1/1

MARBLED MURRELET- 0/10

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 45/16

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 60/77

SEA OTTER- 6/27

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 140/+

NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL- 1/1

HARBOR SEAL-3/20

HUMPBACK WHALE- 20/18

KILLER WHALE- 5/0

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 0/7

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 12/18

Shearwaters forever,

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

BODEGA BAY OCT 9 PELAGIC TRIP CANCELED: IMPORTANT NOTICE: GALE WARNING

2008-10-08T13:44:00.001-07:00

HELLO, SEABIRDERS

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The Shearwater Journey's OCTOBER 9TH PELAGIC TRIP DEPARTING FROM BODEGA BAY TOMORROW, IS CANCELED DUE TO A GALE WARNING. Please contact anyone that you know who might be signed on for this trip, and post on additional lists.

As much as we would love to show you seabirds, it will not be possible with the weather conditions that are predicted, and will almost certainly materialize. This includes canceling for the WFO, Western Field Ornithologists group on board the boat. We are very sorry to have to make this decision and will be contacting everyone that we can possibly reach at this time. A full refund will be sent to all passengers within 30 days. Thank you for your continued support of the Shearwater Journeys' pelagic trips.

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

The NOAA weather report is as follows:

POINT ARENA TO PIGEON POINT 20 TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-

824 AM PDT WED OCT 8 2008

GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON

TODAY

NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING 25 TO 35 KT BY MID-MORNING.

WIND WAVES 4 TO 7 FT. NW SWELL 8 TO 10 FT AT 10 SECONDS AND S 2

FT AT 15 SECONDS.

TONIGHT

NW WINDS 30 TO 40 KT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 15 FT

DOMINANT PERIOD 10 SECONDS.

THU

N WINDS 30 TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 16 FT DOMINANT

PERIOD 10 SECONDS.

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter

OCTOBER 3, 4, 5, 2008 MONTEREY PELAGIC TRIP REPORT

2008-10-06T23:27:00.001-07:00

Howdy, Seabirders,

Three days of seabirding on Monterey Bay with Shearwater Journeys produced quite an array of seabirds. This report covers trips on October 3, 4, and offshore on Oct 5 to the albacore fishing grounds. All trips departed from Fishermans' Wharf in Monterey. Highlights included: 2 PIGEON GUILLEMOTS on October 3 (most guillemots have departed for their wintering area, Queen Charlotte Island), 5 species of shearwaters on October 4, including 325 PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 2 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATERS, 25 BULLER'S SHEARWATERS, and 10 BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATERS with participants having excellent views of all shearwaters, sitting on the water. Another highlight of the October 4th trip was our first rainfall since March 15th! Living in a Mediterranean climate, we rarely see rain at this time of year. Even so, it did not amount to much, or impact the birding at all. Capping off the three days of seabirding on October 5 the highlights included all of the following in SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: 6 XANTUS' MURRELETS scrippsi, 5 XANTUS MURRELETS hypoleucus that breeds on islands off Baja California, 1800 ASHY STORM-PETRELS, 15 BLACK STORM-PETRELS, and 4 LEAST STORM-PETRELS, 8 SOUTH POLAR SKUAS, 13 POMARINE JAEGERS, 9 PARASITIC JAEGERS, and 3 SABINE'S GULLS. Everyone on board had excellent views of the murrelets, while the Baja murrelets gave their distinctive calls! County birders were having a field day! All of these birds were out at the albacore grounds, some 35 miles off Monterey. Fish were jumping! Lots of bait fish and bonita were around. The sea surface temperature was a balmy 64.7F and the water was the deep aqua blue, clear water that both the albacore and murrelets prefer. Murrelets are one of the target species of the albacore trips. The least storm-petrels were a great bonus! It was a great set of trips!

Where the heck did that massive storm-petrel flock of 10,000 birds on September 14th go?? After searching for them on many trips since that date, even on some very calm seas, with zero luck — I believe the mystery has been solved! It has been reported to me from birders who took a cruise ship from Vancouver to Los Angeles that they ran into the storm-petrels far away from where we last saw them! It would seem that it has been confirmed that the storm-petrel flocks are not within reaching distance of Monterey trips.

We would like to thank all of our participants who took part in these three trips. The leaders were as follows:

October 3= Clay Kempf, Jennifer Green, & Debra Shearwater

October 4= Clay Kempf, Brian Sullivan, Oscar Johnson, Adam Searcy, & Debra Shearwater

October 5= Scott Terrill, Linda Terrill, David Vander Pluym, Oscar Johnson, Adam Searcy, Ryan Terrill, & Debra Shearwater.

Spaces are still available on the following trips from Monterey: October 11, 18, November 29, January 17; from Bodega Bay: October 9 & 17.

The complete species lists follow:

OCT 3/ OCT 4, 2008

PACIFIC LOON- 1/0

COMMON LOON- 0/5

WESTERN GREBE- 3/0

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 11/10

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 150/325

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 0/2

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 157/285

SOOTY/SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER- 1/1

BLACK-VENTED SHEARWATER- 0/10

BROWN PELICAN- 80/150

BRANDT'S CORMORANT- 300/55

HARLEQUIN DUCK- 0/1, in the harbor

MARBLED GODWIT- 2/0

BLACK TURNSTONE- 0/5

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 9/33

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 1/3

POMARINE JAEGER- 8/23

POMARINE/PARASITIC- 6/4

PARASITIC JAEGER- 2/14

PARASITIC/LONG-TAILED- 0/1

HEERMANNS' GULL- 350/175

CALIFORNIA GULL- 40/500

WESTERN GULL- 120/500

SABINE'S GULL- 0/1

ELEGANT TERN- 38/45

COMMON MURRE- 420/250

PIGEON GUILLEMOT-2/0

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 21/31

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 270/87

PEREGRINE FALCON- 0/1, on the radio tower on Cannery Row

SEA OTTER- 3/5

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 100/++

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 0/6

HUMPBACK WHALE- 14/24

NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHIN- 0/20

RISSO'S DOLPHIN- 0/15

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 80/85

DALL'S PORPOISE- 12/6

OCEAN SUNFISH- 7/10

BLUE SHARK- 3/0

OCTOBER 5, 2008

MTY/SCZ/COUNTIES

PACIFIC LOON- 0/1

BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS- 4/7

PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER- 75/22

BULLER'S SHEARWATER- 17/2

ASHY STORM-PETREL- 0/1800

BLACK STORM-PETREL- 0/15

LEAST STORM-PETREL-0/4

WEIRD STORM-PETREL-1, with a white belly. Presumed to be an Ashy, unless photos prove otherwise.

BROWN PELICAN- 35/2

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE- 16/1

RED PHALAROPE- 7/0

SOUTH POLAR SKUA- 3/8

POMARINE JAEGER- 9/13

POMARINE/PARASITIC- 0/1

PARASITIC JAEGER- 2/9

PARASITIC/LONG-TAILED- 0/1

HEERMANN'S GULL- 275/8

WESTERN GULL- 475/15

SABINE'S GULL- 12/3

COMMON MURRE- 40/0

XANTUS' MURRELET (scrippsi)- 0/6

XANTUS' MURRELET (hypoleucus)- 0/5

XANTUS'/CRAVERI'S MURRELET- 0/3

CASSIN'S AUKLET- 36/3

RHINOCEROS AUKLET- 120/4

HUMMINGBIRD SP.- 1/0

CALIFORNIA SEA LION- 60

NORTHERN FUR SEAL- 10

HUMPBACK WHALE- 12

PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHIN- 25

OCEAN SUNFISH- 2

BLUE SHARK- 2

Shearwaters forever,

Debra

Debra Shearwater

Shearwater Journeys, Inc.

PO Box 190

Hollister, CA 95024

831.637.8527

debi@shearwaterjourneys.com

www.shearwaterjourneys.com

*Antarctica, South Georgia, & The Falkland Islands, January 5-24, 2010*

Shearwater Journeys' Exclusive Charter