Date: 8/31/25 8:33 am From: Cara Borre via Tweeters <tweeters...> Subject: [Tweeters] Westport Seabirds Trip Report August 27, 2025
We began our August 27th trip in the dark at 6:00am, a reminder that the
last days of summer are upon us. A shifting, distant fog stayed with us
much of the day, adding to that seasonal feeling. Once we cleared the Grays
Harbor bar, sea conditions proved favorable.
Our participants included many repeat guests, with several seasoned
veterans on board, among them author and photographer Kirk Zufelt, whose
book Oceanic Birds of the World (coauthored with Steve Howell) is a
must-have for traveling and local seabirders alike.
Passing through the inshore zone, we noted the expected Common Murres,
including a few fathers with chicks in tow. Early on, numbers of Sooty
Shearwaters were relatively low compared with past trips, though everyone
had good opportunities to study them. Pink-footed Shearwater outnumbered
Sooty by day’s end, with totals of 1016 for Pink-footed to 955 for Sooty.
On our way to a shrimper, we picked up a Short-tailed Shearwater, a species
that gave us superb views throughout the day both on the water and in
flight. We ended with 87 Short-taileds, our season high to date.
At a shrimp boat, we added three Black-footed Albatross, had nice looks at
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel, as well as a single Northern Fulmar, and a pair
of Buller’s Shearwaters. Buller’s turned out to be the star of the trip,
with a total of 10 birds, many offering excellent, prolonged looks. A
highlight came when one Buller’s, first spotted preening on the water,
squared off against a Pink-footed Shearwater in a spirited skirmish. The
smaller Buller’s held its ground impressively.
Moving into deeper waters, we tallied Sabine’s Gull, Arctic Tern, South
Polar Skua, Pomarine Jaeger, Cassin’s Auklet, and Leach’s Storm-Petrel
before stopping to chum. We were able to study and photograph the
tubenoses at close range during our chum stop and added a couple of distant
passing Long-tailed Jaegers.
On the return route, Captain Phil plotted a course past two more shrimpers,
giving us an opportunity to scan nearly a thousand birds in hopes of
finding something new for the day, the proverbial “needle in a haystack”.
After about half an hour, the “needle” was spotted, a voice rang out from
starboard, “Flesh-footed Shearwater!” The bird lifted from the water,
crossing to the port side surrounded by Pink-footed Shearwaters. Most
participants got at least a glimpse of this exciting visitor from the
southern hemisphere.
Mammal highlights included several Humpback Whale encounters, Dall’s
Porpoise, and a Guadalupe Fur Seal. Blue Shark and Ocean Sunfish were
cataloged in the fish category to round out a fantastic day full of marine
wildlife sightings.
As always, Captain Phil Anderson and First Mate Chris Anderson provided
excellent seamanship and service. Spotters Scott Mills, Gene Revelas, and
I worked to ensure everyone saw the birds and understood the key field
marks. Thanks to all who joined us and please upload your photos to our
eBird checklists so others can share the adventure!
