A blog that follows the life story of the Gambill family birding dynasty. Three generations of birders, each to see over 500 species of birds for ABA area. My father Charles "Buddy" Gambill, my grandparents Charles "Red" & Louise Gambill, and I, Charles "Brad" Gambill. This blogs journals my birding adventures. My job is to catch up with them at their ABA life lists. Thus, Retracing the Steps, of birding with the Gambills
Hello everybody!! This late post is from my summer trip to California. It was all based around doing a west coast pelagic trip in hopes of getting enough new life birds to put me over the 600 mark, and I did just that. I decided that if I was going to make this trip, I wanted to do it with my birding friends and go on the best pelagic trip in the business. Ms. Debie Shearwater of Shearwater Journeys. http://www.shearwaterjourneys.com/
So with everything set, and the gang all here, we meet at 7am at the dock at Half Moon Bay marina.
We ended up with 29 birders, 6 guides and 2 crew members, so it was a full boat. After the welcome and safety instructions, we where off. We took about an hour birding around the marina and rock jetties, we saw several birds up close. American Brown Pelicans, Heerman's Gulls, Elegant Terns, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbirds, Black Turnstones
The Ohio people
Debbie in Aqua
The puke bucket!!
Harbor departure
Jetty birding
How about some videos!!!
Common Murres, by the 1000s
The boat headed north from Half Moon bay up to Pacifica along the coast, then up to Devils Rock. I was surprised how many Californians where enjoying the water sports early on a Saturday. In the marinia, there where several boats loaded with people for whale watching and salmon fishing.
GPS
Surfers
Once we got to Pacifia, there where 50 surfers, paddle boarders, solo fisherman kayak's, big boats with fisherman, Humpback Whales feeding, birds. It was crazy busy. Everyone just out enjoying the ocean on a Saturday.
Devils Rock w Sam
Deep water
Looking for BIRDS!!
Look, Buller's Shearwater
Then we made the turn west, and headed out to the Continental shelf. We were around 400 ft depth in the morning, but by afternoon, when we got to the shelf, it dropped to 1200 ft depth, and that's when the birds showed up!!
Inside the cabin
Puker!!!
Stellar's Sea Lion
Happy Brad, +9 lifers
And with that, by 4pm, we where back in the harbor, ready to dock. The sea sickness was not bad. I took Dramamine and ate snacks/water all day on the boat, so that really helped. I good Mexican dinner and off to bed early, I was tired.
Next up: Viva Las Vegas!!!! Fall birding in Nevada.
