ML609772839

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

*MEGA (40.6903027, -124.5765395) FIRST COUNTY RECORD and only FOURTH STATE RECORD. First spotted by Emmett Iverson and Tony Kurz and seen by everyone on boat. Hopefully others will add their own details about this perfect--but yet brief--experience that was the kind of experience everyone hopes for whenever you set foot on a boat to head to the pelagic zone for a day of seabirding. Photos to be uploaded, details to be added, and documentation to be submitted to the CBRC. Max and I began photographing a shearwater that was approaching unusually close to the boat, assuming that it was a Pink-footed that had been part of the raft that we had just flushed off of the water. I noticed, offhand, that this bird seemed to be unusually large and burly, with especially slow, steady flight. I disregarded that, but as it got closer and other people got on it, Emmett yelled "CORY'S SHEARWATER". I turned my attention to the bright yellow bill and continued holding down my shutter button as the bird passed right by the boat - one of the closest birds of the day, remarkably. Many hugs, high-fives, and fist bumps followed as the entire boat celebrated. I think that a fisherman could hear our cheers from the North Spit jetty. An insane, unforgettable experience for a Humboldt pelagic, and surely a surprise for a foggy day.

Technical information

Model

NIKON D7200

Lens

200.0-500.0 mm f/5.6

ISO

640

Focal length

270 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/6400 sec

Dimensions

3379 pixels x 2253 pixels

Original file size

4.78 MB