Monterey harbor seabirds

The day after Thanksgiving we sped up North for a chance to get on a famous Monterey Bay Whale watch.  Although its not prime whale season, or prime pelagic bird season, it was still a great chance to explore the incredible offshore eco-system there.  Here is what we were able to see, I had a really great time.

Red Phalarope  (407)
Rhinoceros Auklet
Cassin's Auklet (my favorite)
Black-Footed Albatross
Wandering Tattler (on the breakwater, pointed out to me by another friendly birder)
Pigeon Guillemot (412) 
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Red Throated Loon (in the harbor, great looks)
Horned Grebe
Eared Grebe
Northern Fulmar
Black-Vented Shearwater
Brown Pelican
(dave)Brandt's Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Surf Scoter
Heerman's Gull
California Gull
Western Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Common Murre

One of the crew member's saw a Tufted Puffin - I got a nano-second look at it, but nothing more than just a blob of gray.  After thinking about it the last couple days, I don't want to include the Puffin.  It wasn't a confirmed sighting, and I just didn't see it well enough.

The woman who runs the whale watch let us bring Poppy on the boat:   She kept barking at the Pelicans as they sailed smoothly past our clipper.