"Largely silent at sea"

As promised, here are a few recordings of Laysan Albatross calls, recorded near Cordell Bank on 9 September 2015.

First, a couple of pictures so you can visualize the albatross.  The birds were sitting on the water when we heard them calling.  

 

It appeared that the calls were "territorial" — that is, they were given when other individuals were close by or in response to another bird calling.  In the picture below, a Black-footed Albatross is approaching from behind.  (The Laysan is calling.)

 

I've included three audio clips below.  The National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America says that albatross are "largely silent at sea."  This day was an exception!

Sometimes two calls are given one-right-after-the-other — that's likely a second bird calling in response to the first.

[If you can't see the audio files in an e-mail, click on the title of the post above to go directly to the website.]

 
 
 

A way to cool off

I have more pictures to share from the pelagic trip on Sunday.  However, I can't help showing a few taken from land today.

In the early evening, the setting sun was lighting up whale spouts — so many it was hard to count!

 

I don't know if these Humpback Whales will stay around, but it will be worth checking during the next few days.  

 

Some of the spouts were far offshore, but many were within a half mile (and some even closer) to shore.

 

If you're looking for a way to cool off during the current heat wave, a trip to the coast to watch for whales might not be a bad option!

All photos taken from Bodega Head on 8 September 2015.

 

Three years at sea

Last night's post was a preview to a few more albatross photos.  Several juvenile Laysan Albatross spent a long time following the boat yesterday, providing wonderful views.  (I think there were at least three individuals, perhaps more.  Steve Howell et al. had five behind their boat at one time ~2 weeks ago.)


The approach:

 

6.5-foot wingspan:

 

Underwing patterns:

 

 

  

From above:

 

 

Two of these Laysan Albatross landed behind the boat, joining some Black-footed Albatross.  When the boat engine shut down, we could hear the birds calling.  I'll try to post a recording soon.

Juvenile Laysan Albatross like these will spend three years at sea before returning to their natal sites.

P.S.  For a brief introduction to Laysan Albatross, review the post from 2 September 2012.

 

Aloha!

 

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis), near Cordell Bank, 6 September 2015

Wuffled

 

Strong northwest winds — 25-30 mph (20-25 knots) — made it feel like spring today. 

 

And the water temperature responded, dipping to 55.6°F (13.1°C). 

Sometimes it's hard to come up with a good title for a post.  I asked Eric for help with this one, and he came up with "Wuffled."  That made me laugh — and I still laugh when I think of it or try to say it (you should try it, too!).  I knew exactly what he meant — a combination of wind, waves, and ruffled — but it's a term I hadn't thought of.  ;)

Down to earth

 

Sometimes it's just fun to see things from a different perspective!

Northern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea), sunning in the grass on Bodega Head, 3 September 2015.

Streaming

Just a quick picture to note that thousands of Sooty Shearwaters are still streaming by Bodega Head.  Tonight, on 2 September 2015, they were flying north in the late afternoon.

They were pretty far out — at least 0.5 mile offshore — but this picture will serve as a record.

 

Ocean temperatures have been fluctuating quite a bit.  From over 20°C (68°F) during the weekend, down to 13.2°C (55.8°F) yesterday (after some strong northwest winds), and back up to 16°C (61°F) today.  A small craft advisory is in effect tomorrow — those winds will probably cause another temperature drop.

If you're interested in the relationship between seabirds and sea water temperatures, you can read this recent description posted by Debi Shearwater.

And if you'd like to track how the sea water temperatures this year compare to the long-term average, check out this web page showing offshore temperatures (click on the "Seawater Temp" tab).