It was an exciting day on the waters off the coast of Kona. 15 birders from Texas, O'ahu, and the Big Island covered approx. 70.25 miles and were treated to a nice diversity of seabirds (13 sp.) and marine mammals (three sp.).
Weather and ocean conditions were relatively good. The bird of the day was the LONG-TAILED JAEGER, a rarely seen predatory seabird species migrating through Hawaiian waters on its way to tundra breeding grounds in the Arctic. It's the smallest of the three jaeger species and the one that migrates furthest offshore and south of the Arctic. We had front row seats to the incredible action when we observed the first LTJA in hot pursuit of a Bulwer's Petrel. Two jaeger species on any pelagic trip in the Hawaiian Islands is a superb day.
Lance Tanino
Lance.Tanino@gmail.com
Group Leader and Coordinator
Mottled Petrel (2) - passing migrant
Hawaiian Petrel (3); endangered endemic
Bulwer's Petrel (52)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater (159)
Sooty Shearwater (44)
Cookilaria petrel sp. (1)
Procellariid sp. (2)
Leach's Storm-Petrel (2); passing migrant
Brown Booby (2; subadult and adult)
Pomarine Jaeger (1); passing migrant
LONG-TAILED JAEGER (2); rare passing migrant
Brown Noddy (2)
Black Noddy (21)
Black/Brown Noddy (3)
Sooty Tern (13)
Arctic Tern (1); passing migrant
Spinner Dolphins
Spotted Dolphins (large pods)
Short-finned Pilot Whales (large pod)