12-October-2008

October 20, 2008

Today was a boat day, meaning that we were transferring people and supplies from a boat to the island. The transfer was made easier because yesterday a helicopter ferrying the crew working on the roof back to the mainland, brought out all of our food. That left just people and gear to move back and forth. Four of our crew left and three new biologists came on. The winds lightened up even more today and we saw more new arrivals. Highlights include: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Merlin, Western Kingbird, Wilson’s Warbler, Clay-colored Sparrow and Pine Siskin. A shark attack was seen off of Great Arch. The full bird list is below.

Location: Southeast Farallon Island
Observation date: 10/12/08
Number of species: 56

Surf Scoter 1
Common Loon 2
Eared Grebe 30
Pink-footed Shearwater 30
Buller’s Shearwater 20
Sooty Shearwater 2
Ashy Storm-Petrel X
Brown Pelican 580
Brandt’s Cormorant X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Pelagic Cormorant X
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Merlin 1
Peregrine Falcon 2
Killdeer 1
Black Oystercatcher 6
Wandering Tattler 2
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Whimbrel 4
Black Turnstone 14
Sabine’s Gull 2
Heermann’s Gull 2
Western Gull X
California Gull 453
Herring Gull 2
Thayer’s Gull 1
Common Murre X
Cassin’s Auklet X
Mourning Dove 1
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
Black Phoebe 4
Say’s Phoebe 2
Western Kingbird 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 8
Rock Wren 1
House Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
Hermit Thrush 3
Orange-crowned Warbler 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 4
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 6
Palm Warbler (Western) 1
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Clay-colored Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 3
White-throated Sparrow 1
White-crowned Sparrow 3
Golden-crowned Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) 1
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Western Meadowlark 4
Brewer’s Blackbird 2
Pine Siskin 1
Lesser Goldfinch 1