Date: 4/27/25 9:21 am From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Noyo Pelagics trip report, April 26th.
Greetings Mendobirders,
Eighteen birders, marine mammal, and ocean enthusiasts went out of Noyo
Harbor, Fort Bragg, on 4/26, on the Kraken with Captain Richard Thornton
of Anchor Charters (https://anchorcharterboats.com/), for a half-day
trip. As many of us crossed the Noyo River bridge at 7 am, we happily
and eagerly looked out onto glassy seas and low swell, which we enjoyed
on the way out..., for about 15 minutes. First the ripple, then the
chop, then the whitecaps, and before we knew it we were heading straight
into 15-20 knot winds. What's more, the sea surface temperature was in
the high 40s (F) due to lots of upwelling of late, so it was cold, and
most of us huddled in the lee on the back deck. But immediately out of
the gate it was 'birdy,' with lots of loons, gulls, murres, and, very
quickly, a stream of Sooty Shearwaters with some Pink-foots moving
south, and albatross on the horizon.
We bumped into a small pod of 15-20 Risso's Dolphins and all had
excellent close-up views and photo-ops, as we and them slowly cruised
along the surface. We will add our photos to the Risso's catalogue for
future tracking of individuals. After slogging into the tempest for a
bit we saw some fishing boats on the horizon, along with a trawler
working the edge of Noyo Canyon. Gulls and albatross were sitting around
the fishing boats so we headed over and decided to toss out some
popcorn. Birds were hungry today, as immediately 100s of gulls and
albatrosses got off the water and headed in a broad front to see what we
were offering. Before we knew it we counted 240 Black-footed Albatrosses
sitting around our stern, a bit disappointed that all we had to offer
was popcorn. A Laysan Albatross joined, and quickly thereafter a
Short-tailed Albatross snuck in undetected, as it was suddenly sitting
there, hiding among the Black-foots, a first-year bird looking very
similar except for a bill nearly twice the size and bright neon pink.
This species was thought extinct in the 1930-40s, after plume-hunters
decimated the single breeding colony on Torishima Island off Japan,
mostly for their small feathers to make pillow down. Every last one on
the island :(. For 15 years none were seen, but when a weather station
was set up on the island in 1951, the meteorologists spotted 10-15 doing
their courtship dancing and preparing to breed. These were young birds
that had escaped the Armageddon by being at sea for their for first 6-8
years of life, as we now know they do, before coming in to first breed
at age 8-10. Thankfully a young biologist named Hiroshi Hasegawa
convinced the Japanese government to protect the species and support
him, such that he could dedicate his life to studying them and bringing
them back. The population now numbers over 7,000. All on board were
ecstatic and it was a long-sought life bird for many. I looked up the
record of this species and this is the 8th record for Mendocino waters,
with no less than five of these being in the exact same spot, upper Noyo
Canyon, between March 31 and May 15 (from 2009 to earlier this year). So
it looks like this may be the place to go see this species in spring!
The rest of the day was more of the same. We only made it out about 10
miles due to the weather, laying a slick at the "Dog Leg," where a 100
or more albatrosses came in for our halibut and salmon chum. But this
was plenty far enough offshore for a half-day trip, and heading back in
with, as opposed to against, the seas was a joy for all. A highlight for
many of us was, simply, having dozens of Black-footed Albatross in view
at all times. We revisited the trawler and counted up to 350 as it
pulled in its nets and we estimate 600-1000 Black-foots for the day,
including 3-4 that followed us in well within a mile of shore. On the
way home we also found and enjoyed close looks at a couple of Gray
Whales, and a surprise finale was a Scripp's Murrelet inside of the
red-and-white buoy that marks the harbor entrance.
Our Noyo Pelagics website (https://noyopelagics.com/) is now ready for
sign-ups on future trips, of which we plan a full slate, including
full-day, half-day, and two-hour "science at sea" trips, led by Noyo
Center for Marine Science biologists, for locals and families to learn
about the incredible marine ecosystem just off our shores. We have three
trips planned for May 9-12, which we are now billing as Short-tailed
Albatross soirees! Please join us.
