[Tweeters] An amazing day on a pelagic cruise!

[byers345 at comcast.net]

Hello Tweeters,

            Yesterday early Bill and I boarded the Monte Carlo for a day out
on the bounding main.  This was one of numerous cruises that Westport
Seabirds offers during the year.  They are so popular that, when I went to
sign up in the winter sometime, this one on July 26th was the only the only
one that had any spaces left.  So we left port about 6 am and headed out
toward the continental shelf under blue skies and only a light breeze.  So,
following on Bruce Labar's excellent report on Tweeters today (July 27), we
motored out to where there were shrimp trawlers and we got our first views
of Black-footed Albatross.  

            I had already mentioned to Bill Shelmerdine that, although
unlikely, I would love to see a Short-tailed Albatross.  He apparently made
the arrangements, because as we continued to visit the shrimp trawlers, Bill
shouted out that he could see a Short-tailed Albatross.  My pulse quickened,
I saw the bird in question, took some photos, and was barely recovering from
this incredible experience when Bruce LaBar shouted that he also saw a
Laysan Albatross in the group!

            At this point  my birding fuses pretty much all blew!  I saw
this bird too and took some picture as it flew by right next to our boat.  

            Some people got a picture of all 3 albatrosses at once.  I was
not one of those people, but my husband Bill was.  I made a small album on
Flickr showing all 3 birds together, then a few of the Short-tailed and
Laysan Albatrosses.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29258421@N07/albums/72177720310076462 

 

            The bird spotters, Scott Mills, Bill Shelmerdine, and Bruce
Labar hadn't recovered from this, dare I say, unprecedented occurrence even
when we arrived in port.  I am still recovering!  If you are interested in
verifying my outrageous claim, you can visit the Flickr page I created to
show off these 3 birds!

Charlotte Byers, Edmonds

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