Pelagic Lite
Last weekend Jacob and I joined Oregon Pelagic Tours for a short 6-hour pelagic trip out of Newport. A private group hoping for albatross had set this trip up and some birders like us also crashed the party. I knew it would probably be too short for rarities but Jacob had never been on a pelagic and I loved that we could do it without needing a dog-sitter.
Yaquina Bay sunrise
We lucked out with fantastic weather and calm seas and zero puking that I saw. Quite a change from the last pelagic I went on which was apparently four years ago. While we waited to board the boat the sunrise continued to impress.
All week there had been reports of big numbers of Rhinoceros Auklets in Yaquina Bay and we got to see quite a few on our way out.
There were also Red-necked Grebes, Common Loons, and this Common Murre quite close to the boat.
Outside the bay but while still close-ish to shore we spotted a couple of Marbled Murrelets.
A humpback whale was blowing and diving nearby.
Northern Fulmars we…
Yaquina Bay sunrise
We lucked out with fantastic weather and calm seas and zero puking that I saw. Quite a change from the last pelagic I went on which was apparently four years ago. While we waited to board the boat the sunrise continued to impress.
All week there had been reports of big numbers of Rhinoceros Auklets in Yaquina Bay and we got to see quite a few on our way out.
There were also Red-necked Grebes, Common Loons, and this Common Murre quite close to the boat.
Outside the bay but while still close-ish to shore we spotted a couple of Marbled Murrelets.
A humpback whale was blowing and diving nearby.
Northern Fulmars we…
