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Best Bird of the Weekend (Second of July 2020)

10,000 Birds

He missed Brown Pelicans , a Brown Booby , and dozens of Great Shearwaters. A Saturday morning seawatch netted Corey a Cory’s Shearwater , a nice year bird, but he couldn’t get good enough looks at the two Great Shearwaters that went past for him to count them as a new species for his Queens list. How about you?

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Sixth Annual Queens County Bird Club Big Sit An Amazing Success!

10,000 Birds

As always, I was the first to the platform and in the light northwest wind and under a full moon I sipped my coffee and willed birds to make some noise so I could start checking off species. Eventually, an Eastern Towhee che-winked and I had my first species for the day. The moon was impressive as it sank down to the horizon.

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Isla Isabel – Mexico’s Galapagos

10,000 Birds

Northern Humpback Whales visit the waters surrounding Isla Isabel every year to mate and its not unusual to see dozens of these cetaceans breaching and whacking their tales on the ocean surface. Swimming with a whale shark on the boat-trip to Isla Isabel. A Brown Booby, one of three booby species to be found on the island.

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An Amazing Boat Ride from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura Harbor

10,000 Birds

It took me awhile, but I managed to get on quite a few, especially when the boat slowed down to go check out some Humpback Whales and a huge number of Common Dolphins. Sooty Shearwaters and a Western Gull fly back the aftermath of a Humpback Whale breaching. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae. It was amazing.

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Shearwaters from Shore

10,000 Birds

According to eBird, there have been approximately 270 species seen at the hotspot that includes the harbor. There were also countless Brown Pelicans, Western Gulls, and Heermann’s Gulls, creating quite the cacophony. Sequoia Audubon Society has an excellent overview of the hotspot.) The video provides some sense of the moment.

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Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast–A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast is designed to be a quick, handy resource for use on whale watching and one-day pelagic trips. But, I did take many photos, and used the book, in spurts during the trip and more closely afterward, to identify three seabird species, two expected (Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters) and one a surprise.

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Life Birds at Point Reyes National Seashore

10,000 Birds

We were woefully under-prepared in terms of planning – which almost kept us from meeting our friends – but we were also surprised and thrilled to learn that not only were Gray Whales migrating past the lighthouse, but Elephant Seals were lounging on a nearby beach! Migrating Gray Whales. Point Reyes is a magical place.

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