Washington Birding: Westport Pelagic

 A busy Labor Day weekend kicked off that Friday afternoon when I boarded a flight at DFW and headed to Seattle. My journey was only halfway done when I landed, as I had an over 3 hour drive to the southwest corner of the state. My excitement was off the charts, I was going on my first pelagic, or offshore birding trip. This is a good time for a disclaimer about pictures: I took pictures of birds from long distances on a rocking boat, 

A pelagic trip is a peak birding experience. You're on the boat and leaving the dock before the sun comes up, and you'll spend all day on the open ocean looking for birds that spend most of their non-breeding lives at sea. I was very nervous, no matter how much you study you can't really be prepared to identify them, especially when you're on rolling ocean and having to make quick IDs between the swells. And seasickness is a potential issue for a landlubber like me. The only ways to prevent it are a good night's sleep (which I would not be getting due to travel) and a hearty dinner (probably not the McDonald's that I had on my way).

Sunrise on the Pacific Ocean

I woke up at 4:30 AM to get to the boat, quickly packing up my tent to make it to the 6 AM departure. I camped at Twin Harbors State Park, a stone's throw from the beach. I wish I got to see more of it, but I arrived and left while the sun was down. The birding was a little slow early, which of course is to be expected while the sun isn't up, but we did see a Gray Whale, Harbor Seals, Western Gulls, and Common Murres. As common as they are I never get sick of seeing either, these aren't annual birds for me. 

The show started once we got offshore. Sooty Shearwaters first appeared on the horizon, which are extremely common on the Pacific Coast, but I went nuts because it was a lifer for me. We would see thousands of them throughout the trip, but it didn't matter to me. They're amazing birds, and much bigger than I anticipated. Their wingspan is gigantic and watching them soar over the water was a sight to see. After that the activity picked up. The stunning sunrise over the ocean lit up the sky and the birds seemed to appear out of the water. As we got out of sight from shore Pink-footed Shearwaters with their white bellies started to mix in with the flock of Sootys. Flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes were sometimes seen as well. I truly can't believe these birds survive on the ocean, they're so tiny and actually spend their summers in marshes, like the ones Anthony and I saw at Potter Marsh in Anchorage last summer.

Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwaters. There are 2 Sootys in the top middle, but the Pink-footeds have the white bellies. True to its name, the Sooty does look dark and sooty.

All of a sudden a dark form flew along the horizon, it reminded me of a gull except bigger and it had a presence that would make me not want to be a smaller bird. Jaeger! Pomarine or Parasitic, I didn't know. Fortunately the spotters knew, and by the way the bird flew it was an obvious Pomarine. Considering that was the first jaeger of any kind I'd seen I wouldn't know, although I would learn later. Auklets were also plentiful at this point. Lifer Cassin's Auklets were the most abundant, but we also had the amazing Rhinoceros Auklets, which do look like a Rhino in avian form. The notch on their bill is a dead giveaway.

By this point I had to go to the bathroom, and it ended up being almost disastrous. In the less than 2 minutes I was in there I missed 2 lifers: Fork-tailed Storm-petrel and Sabine's Gull. I was dying to get Sabine's Gull and I missed it, who knows if I would get another chance. The seas were unusually calm, I've seen days at White Rock Lake that were way worse than the Pacific that day. As I returned to my spot, frustrated at the misses, I got something even better. This bird was a giant, and it was potentially a jaeger. It turned and flashed the telltale white stripes on the wings that even I could identify. SOUTH POLAR SKUA! This was the bird I wanted most on the trip and I got it. These can literally be seen at the south pole, and they migrate as far north as the Aleutians. This is pelagic birding.

South Polar Skua, you can kind of see the white on the edge of the wings

In the excitement I almost missed another life and a shot at redemption. A small Fork-tailed Storm-petrel flew into view. I did not plan on seeing any storm-petrels, and I didn't realize how common they were. At this point I decided to venture to the bow, with seas being so calm it wouldn't be an issue, plus I'd get first looks at new birds. Let's just say this was a fateful decision that would end up making a great day even better.

The first new bird was a pretty easy ID, and it added another lifer to my count: Northern Fulmar. The stout body and oddly shaped bill was almost effortless, and it gave me a great opportunity to soak this bird in. I owe a lot to the Northern Fulmar, when I was looking at places to go I looked into Olympic and birding Cape Flattery as well, as you could see fulmars from the shore. The idea of seabirds, specifically fulmars got me hyped, and even though my trip plans changed (Cape Flattery at time of booking was closed due to Covid) I was still able to get out and see one, and a lot closer of a view as well!

Northern Fulmar

Sabine's Gull had been #2 on the birds I wanted to see, and it's also an easy ID compared to other seabirds. The fork tail has a black outline, and the wing pattern is unmistakeable, with a black outline and gray triangle along the back. You can't miss it. One of my dream birding destinations is Utqiagvik, Alaska, the northernmost point of the US. Whenever I go look at what birds are seen I always find myself staring longingly at Sabine's Gull. Something about it just epitomizes the Arctic frontier to me, and it helps that they are rarely seen in Texas (at writing there is one in Abilene). Down in Houston I always wanted to chase one, and in perfect timing I would catch them migrating down to their Central American wintering grounds.

Of course, as I get to the bow one flies in to view. The stunning bird, not completely risen sun, and empty gray ocean created an image that will never leave me. It was a total birding high, and it was not over yet. While on the bow we were in the middle of shearwaters, phalaropes, and few of the gray Fork-tailed Storm-petrels when a darker petrel flew within feet of the bow. It was black with a white rump and we all saw it at once. Obviously a lifer, but I hadn't studied any bird like this. The boat nearly exploded with excitement. Wilson's Storm-petrel. I was confused, I thought they were more east coast birds, but I didn't realize how rare they are. This was the 5th state record of Wilson's Storm-petrel!

Sabine's Gull

It was almost over before it began. A Parasitic Jaeger (another lifer) swooped down in pursuit of the Wilson's Storm-petrel, and it almost caught it! The Wilson's got away unscathed, don't worry. What a show, I never thought I would lose my interest in a new lifer because it was trying to eat another one. On the bright side, I did get to see up close how different the flight styles are of Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers. Shortly afterwards we would see Buller's Shearwaters, which look very similar to Pink-footed, except they have a starker contrast between their white belly and black wings. Pink-footeds have a blend where the black and white meet.

One big seabird was left as we floated on Gray's Canyon, and it was one I had been dying to see. We stopped to throw chum in the water, and we stopped for a while to let the birds come to us. From a distance we saw the star, Black-footed Albatross, and as they picked up the scent of the chum they glided over. I have never seen a wingspan like this before. An albatross would dominate the NBA with that length. Eventually the birds picked up the scent of the chum and we saw birds in massive numbers, with one new member, Long-tailed Jaeger! A Jaeger sweep! 

Black-footed Albatross

We saw all of the same birds on the way back, but with the sun out and no clouds in sight we got to see a different side of the ocean. It's weird how something seemingly so empty can be so scenic. Birds weren't the only company we had. Guadalupe Fur Seals, Blue Sharks, Ocean Sunfish, Dall's Porpoises, and even a few Humpback Whales were all spotted! Although we didn't see any, Orcas have also been seen. 

We had one spot left late in the day, and it was along the shore. The rocky shore was perfect habitat for a host of shorebirds, most importantly Wandering Tattler. Surfbird and Black Turnstone were also likely, which although not lifers they are a real treat for an eastern birder. Heermann's Gulls guided us to the shore and Surf Scoters hustled out of our way. Scanning the rocks was brutal on the eyes because you're looking for gray birds against gray rocks. Surfbird came first, then a few Wandering Tattlers strode into view! The eye strain was immediately worth it, and we would also get Black Turnstone. Gulls were abundant, including California, Western, and a Herring Gull. We came upon a massive flock of Marbled Godwits as we pulled in the dock, and there was one last surprise in store. We got eyes on 2 Whimbrel for a final lifer on the day!

Whimbrel (L) with Marbled Godwits

Overall I can't recommend a pelagic enough. Once you get offshore every bird is a life bird for most birders. The views can't be beat and you'll see a side of the world most people won't get to experience. It's one of those hardcore birding experiences that people will roll their eyes at until they see pictures or experience it themselves. I'd love to get out to Cape Hatteras and do an East Coast pelagic soon, but Texas has a few great ones as well! This was a great intro to Washington birding, and it was time to head to part 2!

Sooty Shearwaters at sunrise