Now our intrepid Wildlife Weekend-ers have an unseasonal rain storm to contend with! They spent the night at a calm anchorage at San Clemente Island and are going to check for island wildlife before heading back out on the stormy seas. Wish them luck as the cetaceans (whales and dolphins) have eluded them so far. The forecast for later today and tomorrow calls for much improvement…here’s hoping that allows them to work.
Chef Charles is at it again!
Memorial Day Wildlife Weekend Trip
Saturday:
Carrot Ginger Soup w/ Shrimp Salad (lunch) RECIPE BELOW
Grilled Swordfish w/ Pineapple Mango Salsa, Baby Squash & Celery Root Puree (dinner)
Sunday:
Eggs Bacon w/ Hash Browns & Wheat Toast (breakfast)
Boeuf Bourguignon over Egg Noodles w/ Fresh Bread (lunch)
Chicken w/ Mole Sauce, Sauteed Peppers & Power Rice & Salad w/ Avocado Vinaigrette (dinner)
Monday:
Pancakes w/ Berry Compote & Bacon (breakfast)
Carrot-Ginger Soup
2 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 small red potatoes
11⁄2 lb. carrots
1 T fresh ginger
1 tsp garlic
pinch nutmeg
pinch allspice
pinch cayenne
3 pieces star anise
1⁄2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper (to taste)
Peel and chop potatoes and carrots. Peel and mince ginger and garlic. Saute onions, celery and carrots in vegetable oil until onions turn trans- parent. Add garlic and ginger and cook until vegetables begin to stick to pan. Deglaze with white wine. Add nutmeg, allspice, cayenne, chicken stock, potatoes and star anise. Simmer for 1 hour. Discard anise, then puree. Strain, add cream, and season with salt and
pepper to taste. —Chef Charles
We’ll be posting some mid-day reports today, as the boat and 26 passengers head out to offshore waters in search of whales and seabird. We already heard a good sighting for the birders–a brown booby in San Diego County waters!
There are windy conditions in the forecast as the weekend progresses, so wish them luck!
The NOAA web site reports 253 gray whale cow/calf pairs and 389 adults/juveniles have passed by the census station in central California. They will count for one more week which makes the season census dates March 28-May 28, 2011.
We are getting ready for the Wildlife Weekend this Memorial Day weekend. Check back to this blog for the wildlife news!
We are hosting an exciting pelagic trip to Guadalupe Island, Mexico in search of the Ainley’s Storm-petrel. In the late fall and winter, the islands surrounding Guadalupe are the home of “Ainley’s” Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa.cheimomnestes). “Ainley’s” is currently considered a subspecies of Leach’s Storm-petrel, but a growing body of evidence, including vocal and genetic differences suggest full species status is warranted.
Join top-notch leaders Steve Howell and Todd McGrath on this prime-time Nov 30-Dec 4, 2011 trip. Many other seabirds are on the target list as well. Click below for details:
http://www.bajawhale.com/pelagic/guadalupe-island-mexico-seabirding-expedition/
So far 118 pairs of gray whale moms and calves have passed by the census station in central California, and NOAA scientists will continue the count until the end of May. The 2010 season only counted 71 pairs. Full report here, including the historical records of the census work with gray whales and other marine life spotted during the annual census:
http://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=211&id=16464
Our ninth annual 5-day deep-water pelagic birding trip will take place from Monday September 5 to Friday September 9, 2011.
September trips from 2003-2009 have amassed an amazing list of species. We find rarities and mega-rarities in deep water along the edge of the continental shelf on nearly every trip. The diverse array of birds seen is a result of a diverse itinerary – from near-shore to inter-islands to the edge of the Continental Shelf.
Click here for sightings lists on previous trips: http://www.bajawhale.com/wildlife-tours/pelagic-birding-tours/
NEW PRE-TRIP EXTENSION: Guests who sign up for the 2011 pelagic trip may participate in a special field trip to the Salton Sea led by Todd McGrath (one of your Searcher trip leaders) and sponsored by the Buena Vista Audubon Society on Sunday, September 4, the day before you board Searcher. Learn more here: http://www.socalbirding.com/upcomingtrips/saltonseasep42011.html
AND THERE’S MORE: Participants who come to San Diego in advance of the pelagic trip may join us for a presentation by Todd McGrath at the Ramada Limited Motel. He will share photos, review possible sightings and offer insights for getting most out of your trip. Free to all! Sunday, September 4 at 7 p.m.
We love the story about the amazing gray whales of Laguna San Igancio published today in UK’s Daily Mail today, but an “old trout?!”
And best of all, scroll down to the video at the bottom–that was taken by Searcher passenger Matt Dillon on the early March, 2011 tour! Capt Aaron and his passengers are featured in it. Well, really the whales are the stars…
Spring is shaping for a great offshore whalewatching and seabird season. Regular sightings of fin and humpback whales have been fantastic and we expect the migration to be in full swing for blue whales and seabirds. Surround yourself with wildlife for a weekend!
We have a dozen spaces open, so book yourself today. May 28-30, 2011 (over the holiday weekend). We’ll have Terry Hunefeld as your seabird guide and Dr Tom Jefferson as your marine mammal guide, plus our fabulous Searcher crew!
