As of 8 AM this morning (Feb. 15) herring were tight up against the rocks of
the South Jetty (Newport) from just west of the bridge all the way out to about
the beach line (well beyond the cable blocking the road. Looked like ther was
activity along the North Jetty too
I counted 9 species of gulls, and estimated at least 1200 individuals:
in decreasing order of abundance:
Western Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Herring Gull
Mew Gull
Thayer's Gull
California Gull
Ring-billed Gull - at least 3
Black-legged Kittiwake 2 adults
Glaucous Gull 1 first-cycle
Also present and feeding:
50-100 California Sea Lions
Common Loons
Brandt's Cormorants
Pelagic Cormorants
Brown Pelicans
The action was more spread out this year than I saw the past 2 years.
I spent more than an hour early on the jetty beyond the cable. Sea Lions would
cruise under water right along the rocks, and the herring would jump out of the
water above them, and occasionally get stranded on the rocks, to the delight of
the gulls. Later, near noon, herring were over the low "reef" of jetty rock
that angles out across the clamming flats just west of the bridge, and gulls
were catching them.
Large concentrations of ducks were also in that area, including all three
scoters, Buffleheads, Greater Scaup, and goldeneyes.
Wayne
