Farallon Islands, summer pelagic

August 4, 2023 · Farallon Islands, California · Overcast, 56°F at departure, moderate swell building · Fujifilm X-T5, 150-600mm

Left Half Moon Bay at 6:30 a.m. on a half-day charter. First hour was just murres and cormorants near shore, but once we cleared the shelf the shearwaters started stacking up in the slick. Pink-footed and sooty in big numbers, and a couple of Buller’s shearwaters late in the morning, which was the whole reason I booked the trip.

Settings were tough. The light never really came up through the overcast and the deck was pitching enough that I stayed on 1/2000 or faster all day. Missed a lot of frames to focus-hunting on the chum slick. Still, enough keepers to call it a good morning.

Common murres rafted on the water — First big raft we passed, maybe twenty birds. Common Murre 500mm, 1/2000s, f/7.1, ISO 1250

Pink-footed shearwater banking low over the wake — Bird number three in the slick. They came in fast. Pink-footed Shearwater 600mm, 1/1600s, f/9, ISO 1600

Dark shearwater against gray swell — Sooty, stiff wings, classic shape. Sooty Shearwater 500mm, 1/1600s, f/10, ISO 1250

Buller's shearwater showing the M pattern — The bird I came for. Held it for maybe four seconds. Buller's Shearwater 600mm, 1/1600s, f/10, ISO 2000

Black-footed albatross drifting past the stern — Dropped in around 9:15 and stayed with us most of the slick. Black-footed Albatross 600mm, 1/1600s, f/10, ISO 2500

Pigeon guillemot with bright red feet — Takeoff run next to a kelp patty. Pigeon Guillemot 300mm, 1/2000s, f/8, ISO 1000

Rhinoceros auklet riding a swell — Small bill horn just visible in full size. Rhinoceros Auklet 150mm, 1/1000s, f/5.6, ISO 640

Brandt's cormorant in breeding throat-blue — Throat pouch still pretty blue. Brandt's Cormorant 300mm, 1/1250s, f/6.3, ISO 400

Cassin's auklet flushing from the water — These usually dove before I could get on them. Cassin's Auklet 400mm, 1/2000s, f/6.3, ISO 400

Murre chick being fed on the water — Parent and chick; chick was still mostly down. Common Murre chick 300mm, 1/1000s, f/8, ISO 400