Isthmus
River Civilization
 
 

 

 
 

Someone on the deck shouts out "Albatross, ten o-clock!"  And twenty binoculars move across the bow of the charter boat.  A magnificent bird - wingspan seven feet - curves into the wind above a distant wave.  The tip of his wing glides an inch above the water.  I have heard that seeing an albatross for the first time has an intense effect on people, putting them out of breath or inspiring them in profound ways.  Today I just saw my first Black-footed Albatross, and instantly I understand the special place sailors and poets have for these birds.

Oregon's birders head to the state's deserts, mountains, marshes, coastal estuaries, canyons and forests in pursuit of sightings of the state's birds.  If you open a field guide to birds, however, you may notice that dozens of Oregon's birds live miles offshore. Many of these species rarely come within view of the coast at all.  

Species which may have been seen off the coast of California or Washington have yet to be seen off the coast of Oregon.  It's not that they don't exist out there, but that they have yet to be seen.  Deep ocean Oregon is simply the most inaccessible place in the state to look for birds.   

Some say the last great frontier for Oregon birding is far out at sea, in these deep water, or 'pelagic' zones.  Greg Gillson's pelagic birding tours, which leave from Newport Harbor between 6-8 times a year, are the main event in Oregon pelagic birding.  It is also one of the primary means to break new pelagic birding records.  In 1997, for example, one of Gillson's trips recorded the second North American sighting of a shy albatross.  In 1998, a Brown Booby, rarely seen straying from Mexico north to Southern California, was spotted.  In August 2008, his group spotted a Greater Shearwater and a Wandering Albatross.  Both were first sightings for Oregon.

 
 

Next

12345

 

 
     
ArrowBlack-footed albatross


 

 



 
Enter your email and subscribe to notes from the road:
 
 
Facebook Twitter Google Bookmarks Digg Linked In Reddit Technorati StumbleUpon Subscribe

Regions:
Desert Southwest
Isthmus
Great Basin
Pacific Northwest
Iberian Peninsula
West Indies
Great Plains
Desert Mexico
Northern Seas
Sierra Range
Atlantic
Gaul
About the Site:
About Home
Birds
Fishes
Mammals
Reptiles & Amphibians
Butterflies
Seashore Creatures
Dragonflies & Damselflies

Roam:
Roam Blog
Moleskine Notes
Organize
Maps
Photos
Science and Travel

 

More:
Guana Cay Blog
facebook
twitter
RSs feed
Donate via Paypal
©2010 Erik Gauger.
All text, photographs, illustrations and
web design created by the author.