On October 15 we met again at One Degree North for our monthly pelagic survey. These trips have really been like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.
Well it turns out the numbers were not anywhere near as high as the September trip, but we still did get to see many of the birds we wanted and hoped to see. Just less than ten Swinhoe’s Storm Petrels …
About a half dozen Aleutian Terns …
Over seventy Bridled Terns heading East, apparently still on migration. And, several dozen Swift Terns …
… and a handful of Lesser Crested Terns …
Stopping at our favorite buoy we observed the terns perched there, and naturally our presence flushed the terns; and as has happened on two prior occasions a skua came out of nowhere to investigate whether the terns had some food worth stealing. This time two skuas came, our first trip with a twosome. A bit tough to identify, but eventually resolved as Long-tailed Skuas.
Although the skuas where quickly disappointed with the terns and suddently left, they were to be the highlight of the trip, unless you count the unfortunate demise of a water buffalo floating in the sea, the closest we could get to a sea cow. Or the large metal fish, a submarine we saw on our return journey.
Here is where we saw the skuas …
We got back to the ICA checkpoint a bit early, so we ventured into the Southern Islands and picked up a Great-billed Heron and a Pacific Reef Egret (white morph) and an active heronry. And here is the sunburnt crew upon our return.
