Birds II

Birds II

In Mcartney Passage I saw the first Horned Puffin of the trip.

 We continue to see lots of Tufted Puffins close to shore.

 On the crossing to Kodiak we saw about 10 Black-footed Albatrosses and about 50 Northern Fulmars. The new bird was Fork-tailed Storm-petrels.

I am pretty sure I saw a Mottled Petrel but failed to get a picture so I will leave it off the list.

Close to shore near Kodiak we saw a large group of Sooty Shearwaters sitting on the water.

Kodiak Harbour was full of Oystercatchers and Surfbirds and Black Turnstones. Nasty picture attached.

Later across the bay, near Suki’s parent’s house we saw loads of TUPU. I suspect there were about a thousand in the area. As we hoisted anchor and headed to sea I ignored what I thought was a line of about 250 Surf Scoters. In fact they were all Tufted Puffins and I missed a great photo opportunity.

While we were there we also spotted what I thought were the first eiders of the trip. I noticed the white backs as they flew away and little else.

Heading further South on Kodiak Island we saw thousands of Sooty Shearwaters mostly sitting on the water. As we rounded the Southern tip we saw thousands more heading in long lines out to sea. Of course there are probably other species of Shearwater mixed up with them but as yet I haven’t been able to nail anything down.

Pelagic Bird Identification

On the high seas with the boat rolling and tossing about, I find it next to impossible to identify new species. For birds that I have become familiar with, it is not a problem. If I see anything that looks unfamiliar, I reach for the Canon with the long lens, I wedge myself somewhere and start shooting. Later from looking at the screen on the camera or later on the computer I can usually make a definitive identification.  If all fails I can consult with a savvy, pelagic birder, when I return in two and a half months.

Enthusiasm for pelagic birding seems to be inversely proportional to the height and nastiness of the seas.

Oh yeah, while I am apologizing for the poor birding effort, I may as well apologize for the poor pictures. I am torn between birding, photographing, navigating, sailing and keeping the boat shipshape. I fear I am not doing a good job of either.