Sept 30, 1995; Port O’Connor; TRIP REPORT
Aboard the Chip XI
Report Transcribed from 1996 Texas Deepwater Pelagic Trips Newsletter
Copyrighted By: Dwight Peake and Mark Elwonger
1996 Pelagic Season Finishes with a Splash
The third and final trip of the pelagic season was staged from Port O’Connor on September 30. Many birders were turned away from this trip because they waited too late to sign up. We shattered the record for the most Audubon’s Shearwaters seen in Texas waters in one day (200), and saw six other pelagic species, including Cory’s Shearwaters, Leach’s Storm-Petrels, Masked Boobies, Pomarine Jaegers, and Bridled and Sooty Terns. We also saw three species of marine mammals and four whale sharks! Pelagic trips have become established in Texas, and Port O’Connor is the birding frontier.
FINAL TRIP LIST :
TOTAL PELAGIC SPECIES – 7
Cory’s Shearwater – 1
Audubon’s Shearwater – 200+
Leach’s Storm-Petrel – 1
Masked Booby
Bridled Tern – 25
Sooty Tern – 36
Pomarine Jaeger
LANDBIRD MIGRANTS:
Barn Swallow – 1
FISH Sp.
Whale Sharks – 4
Here is a map of the trip track as recorded by my GPS.
OCEANOGRAPHIC AND WEATHER CONDITIONS:
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