See below for more details. Hope you can join us on this or a future trip!
Peter
On 6/2/2026 10:09 AM, Peter Pyle wrote: > Thanks Tim! > > I will add that on the 29th there were Humpback blows from horizon to > horizon off Cabrillo Light Station, and a group of Risso's Dolphins > were just off Belinda Pt a few days before this. With calm seas we'll > very likely find these and more. We will have time to go down to the > Casper Highspot and then up to Noyo Canyon (or vice versa), both > places of rich marine diversity lately. Hope you can join us! > > Peter > > On 6/2/2026 9:40 AM, Tim Bray via groups.io wrote: >> >> We have the Kraken booked for a half-day trip Monday June 8, >> departing at 7:30 AM and returning around 12:30. Cost will be $125 >> per person, payable by cash or check only; make checks to "Anchor >> Charter Boats." >> >> Marine forecast looks GREAT, so it should be good viewing for marine >> mammals as well as birds. Last Saturday we spotted several Humpback >> Whales and a few Pacific White-sided Dolphins cruised by, but we >> couldn't go fast enough to hold their attention. (At "Dolphin Speed" >> of 10+ knots they will often ride the bow wave and play with the >> boat.) The birding was fantastic, and we can hope to encounter a >> Booby (two species have been seen here recently) or Storm-petrels, >> among others. >> >> This trip will be a collaboration with the Noyo Center for Marine >> Science and Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, so we will be interested >> in just about everything we encounter out there. Calm spells in >> spring can be really fun with a lot of action on the water. We have >> had plenty of wind recently, driving upwelling and marine >> productivity is high here. That is attracting a lot of marine life: >> everything from plankton to whales. Don't miss this opportunity - we >> don't get many calm spells at this time of year! >> >> Sign up at https://noyopelagics.com/ and we'll see you at the dock! >> >> -- >> Cheers, >> Tim >> “I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the >> albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912 >> mendocinocoastaudubon.org >> kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour >> kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn >> >
Date: 6/2/26 9:47 am From: Tim Bray via groups.io <tbray...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Half-day pelagic Monday June 8
Marine weather is taking a break next Monday, the forecast shows calm
winds and seas of around 4 feet, uncommon here in spring! So we have
booked the Kraken for a short-notice offshore trip, departing at 7:30 AM
and returning around 12:30. Cost is $125 per person, payable in cash or
check to Anchor Charter Boats.
Two different species of Booby have been seen here recently, so we are
hoping to encounter at least one of those again. On Saturday we had
Laysan Albatross and Murphy's Petrel just a few miles out, before we
even reached Noyo Canyon, so this half-day trip could be exciting. We
also saw several Humpback Whales and some Pacific White-sided Dolphins,
despite the rough seas, so on a calmer day we can expect some good
marine mammal views as well.
--
Cheers,
Tim
“I now belong to a higher cult of mortals for I have seen the
albatross.” Robert Cushman Murphy, 1912
mendocinocoastaudubon.org
kzyx.org/show/ecology-hour
kzyx.org/show/oak-and-thorn
Date: 6/1/26 12:57 pm From: Roger Adamson via groups.io <radamson...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Cocos Booby at Mendocino Headlands
Chris Lamoureux reports that today, Monday, June 1, he watched a Cocos
Booby for about 45 min resting/preening on the water not far offshore
from the southwest parking area of Mendocino Headlands. It was with a
large number of the usual (murres, cormorants, etc.) just beyond the
offshore rocks west of the parking area. It had a white head, so was an
adult male. It had flown off by about 9:45.
Roger Adamson for Chris L.
Date: 5/30/26 6:53 pm From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Noyo Pelagics 5/30: good trip
A quick summary of today's highlights:
Wind was 15-25 from the NNW but swell was low and we took it slow for a
relatively comfortable ride given conditions, making it out about 15
miles from shore, outside of Noyo Canyon. Birds were the highlights:
About 30 Murphy's Petrels including 15 at one slick.
One Hawaiian Petrel for sure and one other probably.
An almost-adult Nazca Booby.
A Least Tern heading north 15 miles out to who knows where.
3+ Black Storm-Petrels, very early.
3-4 Laysan Albatrosses
Manx Shearwater, South Polar Skua, Ashy and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels,
Sabine's Gulls, Elegant Terns, and more.
Our full trip report with photos will be up in a few days.
Our next scheduled trip is for June 14th and we are contemplating a
half-day trip on June 8th or the first good weather day that week, so
stay tuned!
On 5/23/2026 6:09 AM, Peter Pyle wrote:
> Greetings Mendo and Bay Area birders (and sorry for the cross-posts):
>
> Just a quick note that on a fishing trip yesterday there were two
> Hawaiian Petrels and 4-5 Murphy's Petrels along with 35+ Black-footed
> and two Laysan Albatrosses, 100s of shearwaters, Sabine's Gulls,
> Tufted Puffin, etc. just 2.6-2.7 miles from shore off the Cabrillo
> Light Station:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S344059540 >
> There's something unique about the waters off Noyo Harbor that brings
> pelagic species close to shore.
>
> We still have 2-3 spaces remaining for our full-day pelagic trip on
> May 30th. There are also 1-2 scholarship slots available for students
> to go for free (contact Tim Bray - cc'd above - if interested in one
> of these) and we have a campsite available at MacKerricher State Park.
>
> To sign up: https://noyopelagics.com/ >
> If the above can be seen in three hours out there, imagine what can be
> encountered in eight hours!
>
> Cheers, Peter
>
>
Date: 5/28/26 3:00 pm From: Peter Headland via groups.io <stonecurlew...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] ID help
Looks like a Green Heron. It's notoriously hard to estimate size.
On 2026-05-28 13:03, darliss60 via groups.io wrote:
> Our oldest son manages a large ranch in Mendocino Country east of
> Willits and sent this poor quality image in hopes that we could
> identify it. He says it is smaller than a crow with a rusty colored
> head snd yellow legs. Any ideas?
> F&D Sanderson
> Brooktrails
>
>
>
Date: 5/28/26 1:03 pm From: darliss60 via groups.io <darliss60...> Subject: [Mendobirds] ID help
Our oldest son manages a large ranch in Mendocino Country east of Willits and sent this poor quality image in hopes that we could identify it. He says it is smaller than a crow with a rusty colored head snd yellow legs. Any ideas?F&D Sanderson Brooktrails
Date: 5/23/26 6:10 am From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Noyo Pelagics: Pterodroma close to shore now
Greetings Mendo and Bay Area birders (and sorry for the cross-posts):
Just a quick note that on a fishing trip yesterday there were two
Hawaiian Petrels and 4-5 Murphy's Petrels along with 35+ Black-footed
and two Laysan Albatrosses, 100s of shearwaters, Sabine's Gulls, Tufted
Puffin, etc. just 2.6-2.7 miles from shore off the Cabrillo Light Station:
There's something unique about the waters off Noyo Harbor that brings
pelagic species close to shore.
We still have 2-3 spaces remaining for our full-day pelagic trip on May
30th. There are also 1-2 scholarship slots available for students to go
for free (contact Tim Bray - cc'd above - if interested in one of these)
and we have a campsite available at MacKerricher State Park.
Date: 5/20/26 4:54 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Red-eyed Vireo, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
On 2026-05-20 3:56 pm, Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via
groups.io wrote:
> This morning on the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society's Early Bird Walk,
> we had a Red-eyed Vireo in the vegetable garden. I wish I had known; my
> photos of the bird are horrible. I will be adding them to the eBird
> list soon. I had errands and things to do before I could get back and
> work on the remaining photos. Almost done! Wanted to share :) It's a
> Life Bird for me and puts me at #406, a rather modest number,
> considering.
>
>
> Lisa Walker, Fort Bragg/Cleone
>
>
Date: 5/20/26 4:00 pm From: Rain Tenaqiya 4001 Parducci Rd Ukiah, CA 95482 via groups.io <raincascadia...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Update on shorebirds at Ukiah WWTP
Yesterday, the 19th, I visited the Ukiah Wastewater Treatment Plant and observed that the shorebird migration has largely passed. However, I did see a beautiful male and female pair of red-necked phalaropes swimming in one of the central ponds. There are still several American avocets, including two chicks, out of the original four. Four black-necked stilts remain, along with several spotted sandpipers and lots of killdeer. All of this is dependent on the management of the ponds, which no longer offer much shallow water as the main shallow ponds either dried up or were refilled.
Date: 5/20/26 3:56 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Red-eyed Vireo, Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens
This morning on the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society's Early Bird Walk,
we had a Red-eyed Vireo in the vegetable garden. I wish I had known; my
photos of the bird are horrible. I will be adding them to the eBird list
soon. I had errands and things to do before I could get back and work on
the remaining photos. Almost done! Wanted to share :) It's a Life Bird
for me and puts me at #406, a rather modest number, considering.
It included at least 8 Murphy's Petrels, some Laysan Albatrosses,
thousands of shearwaters and other pelagic birds, Humpback Whales, and a
large group of Pacific White-sided and Northern Right Whale dolphins
doing acrobatics and providing excellent photo ops (see photos in the
report). NW winds for that trip were moderate to healthy but this did
not prevent all from having a great time as our captain Richard of the
Kraken is very skilled at negotiating the boat to prevent mal de mer
under such conditions (luckily they were not like they were this past
weekend!).
We may have 1-2 student scholarships still available for this trip (to
go for free), sponsored by the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society; if
interested, contact Tim Bray <tbray...>. We also have a camp site
available for up to eight for the 29th, also compliments of MCAS; let me
or Roger Adamson <radamson...> know if you'd like to reserve a spot.
Cost for 10 hours at sea is $185 and you can sign up for the trip here:
Date: 5/17/26 12:55 pm From: Dave Bengston via groups.io <davebengston...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Black Swifts at Lake Pillsbury on 5/13 & Bald Eagles
Sorry for the late post. On Wednesday morning I saw 2 Black Swifts at the northwest corner of Lake Pillsbury. Very apparent; they were large black slow swifts with no white and they were clearly larger than the surrounding Tree Swallows. fyi - there is no cell phone service up there, and I did not have any until late on the 14th when I got back to Upper Lake. I looked at the bar charts and saw that they had been reported a few years ago in May.
I am pretty sure I also saw 7 Bald Eagles. There is a pair of adults at the north end of the lake with 3 immatures all staying together. And, I saw another pair of adults over 4 miles away on a nest. I would like to hear from anyone who keeps track of the eagles at Pillsbury.
Date: 5/17/26 11:00 am From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Hudsonian Godwit, Inglenook Creek
Peter Pyle reports a Hudsonian Godwit (same as the one reported at the
mouth of the Ten Mile River by Greg Lambeth on May 11th? Likely!)
at Inglenook Creek on Ten Mile Beach this morning.
Date: 5/14/26 3:32 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
On 2026-05-14 2:36 pm, Peter Pyle via groups.io wrote:
> Hopefully the fisherman was using non-stainless-steel hooks (as may be
> required?). If so, the hook can dissolve and fall out rather quickly in
> such cases, and the bird can be fine (I've tracked gulls through this
> process). Peter
Date: 5/14/26 2:36 pm From: Peter Pyle via groups.io <ppyle...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
Hopefully the fisherman was using non-stainless-steel hooks (as may be
required?). If so, the hook can dissolve and fall out rather quickly in
such cases, and the bird can be fine (I've tracked gulls through this
process). Peter
On 5/14/2026 1:05 PM, Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via
groups.io wrote:
> On 2026-05-14 12:21 pm, Michael Coustier via groups.io wrote:
>> Not sure if there is anything to be done here to help this merganser
>> with fishing line ?
>> I had taken a few photos of the bird over a minute - the line was
>> omnipresent.
>>
>> _._,_._,_
> Sadly, if the bird can fly, there is little that can be done.
>
>
>
>
>
Date: 5/14/26 1:05 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
On 2026-05-14 12:21 pm, Michael Coustier via groups.io wrote:
> Not sure if there is anything to be done here to help this merganser
> with fishing line ?
> I had taken a few photos of the bird over a minute - the line was
> omnipresent.
>
> _._,_._,_
Sadly, if the bird can fly, there is little that can be done.
Date: 5/14/26 12:40 pm From: Diane Hichwa via groups.io <dhichwa...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 12:36 PM
To: "<mcoustier...>" <mcoustier...>, "<Mendobirds...>" <Mendobirds...>
Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
I assume it still can fly/swim/dive. Unlikely to be able to capture it.
Where was it when you took photo?
Diane
From: <Mendobirds...> on behalf of "Michael Coustier via groups.io" <mcoustier...>
Reply-To: <mcoustier...>
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 12:21 PM
To: <Mendobirds...>
Subject: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
Not sure if there is anything to be done here to help this merganser with fishing line ?
I had taken a few photos of the bird over a minute - the line was omnipresent.
Date: 5/14/26 12:21 pm From: Michael Coustier via groups.io <mcoustier...> Subject: [Mendobirds] Fishing line on Merganser - Gualala
Not sure if there is anything to be done here to help this merganser with fishing line ?
I had taken a few photos of the bird over a minute - the line was omnipresent.
