ARCHIVED TRIP REPORTS:

PORT O'CONNOR PELAGIC August 23, 1997
Aboard the Chip XI

Subject: Aug, 23 POC Pelagic Results
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 1997 22:02:52
From: Greg Lasley
Hi Folks:
Just back in from the Port O'Connor pelagic today. This post is from Brush Freeman, Petra Hockey and Mark Elwonger, the leaders on the trip. Though not spectacular with real rarities like the July 26 trip, we had a good number of birds and some interesting observations. Things of interest included several waterspouts...sort of mini-tornadoes that were amazing to see. Also a full ad. Pomarine Jaeger was harassing a small flock of Audubon's Shearwaters. The jaeger actually rode on the back of a swimming shearwater... submerging the shearwater until it regurgitated a meal for the jaeger ...talk about rude behavior at the dinner table! Also of interest was a Cory's Shearwater catching Flying Fish.

Totals seen for the day include:

Masked Booby - 4
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel - 23
Leach's Storm-Petrel - 1
Unidentified storm-petrels - 2
Magnificent Frigatebird - 8
Audubon's Shearwater - 18
Cory's Shearwater - 6
Bridled Tern - 11
Sooty Tern - 74
Unidentified terns (Sooty or Bridled ) - 26
Pomarine Jaeger - 2

Sincerely,
Greg Lasley
Secretary, Texas Bird Records Committee
Editor, Texas Region, Audubon Field Notes
Austin, TX

OCEANOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS for August 23, 1997