Date: 5/4/26 2:00 pm From: Christopher Hayward via groups.io <p_t_nymph...> Subject: [SFBirds] Alvaro's Adventures Pelagic Trip, May 3, preliminary report.
Hello All,
The pelagic trip yesterday on the New Captain Pete that was rescheduled due to weather from Saturday was a truly special boat.
The wind laid down Sunday morning allowing us to get off shore quite quickly. Once out of Pillar Point Harbor we were treated to a great show of migrating birds, hundreds of Pacific Loons, some high flying groups of Brant and large numbers of Red-necked Phalaropes and farther out lines of Sabine's Gulls.
While still not too far out we encountered a pair of Scripp's Murrelet and a bit later two Tufted Puffins close to the boat providing great looks.
Two Common Terns were seen on floating debris along with good numbers of Rhinoceros Auklet.
It soon became apparent that we were getting offshore at a good pace, once we got to the Pioneer Canyon we decided to just keep going to get as deep as possible in search of deep water species.
On the journey out we started to see more Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwater, then Red Phalaropes, Northern Fulmars, good numbers of Black-footed Albatross and then the first of 3 or 4 Laysan Albatross. Later we encountered several Pomarine Jaegers.
We managed to get about 40 nautical miles out where we stopped and put out a chum block and slick.
Literally inside a minute we hit the jackpot as a MURPHY'S PETREL came in right along side the boat, about twenty minutes later what we believe to be a different Murphy's came in to the chum block giving great looks, we need to check photos to confirm two different birds.
Truly a special moment and the first time on one of Alvaro's boats out of Pillar Point Harbor to encounter this species.
The Petrels were both seen in San Francisco County.
We are still putting eBird lists together but a lot of the species mentioned were in both San Mateo and San Francisco County's.
Big thanks to all my fellow spotters, Caitlin Chock, Eli Gross, Dorian Anderson, Liam Murphy and John Tsortos.
Alvaro's Adventures has a boat scheduled for Sunday May 10 with spaces still available I believe for those interested at www.alvarosadventures.com ( http://www.alvarosadventures.com )
