About sea birds

We have a great advantage identifying the birds because we can photograph them with the long lens and compare the photo to the book.  Even so, the petrels are usually far away and impossible for us to identify.

Leo & Angie wanted to know about the habits of the birds we saw and here is my answer:
I wondered the same thing about the birds. I did a brief look at my books as we were sailing & they nest on N Hawaiian and tropical Pacific Islands then spend months at sea feeding. I think the albatross don't land but we saw the boobies and shearwaters dive & also rest on the water. I think they fly back and forth to their nesting island each year and the rest of the time they are just out looking for fish. I use Pratt's "The Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific" and Harrison's "Seabirds of the World". When you find out would you let us know, please?

I started reading Buckley's engrossing book but it will have to wait; I have too many books to read for essential learning - like what birds do all day, how do squid get on deck, where are we going and how do we get there. Next I am going to read a book about alternators so that I will have something to say when Barry talks to me about them.

I have a bigger bird book w more info: Seabirds An Identification Guide by same Peter Harrison. It says of the Order Procellariiformes (albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, storm-petrels, diving-petrels): most return to land only to breed, and are thus seabirds in the true pelagic sense. Of most: Pelagic distribution poorly known.  Of albatrosses: Both birds incubate and feed the chick, on a rich oily substance regurgitated from the stomach. The ability of the parents to convert food and store it in this way, without fear of deterioration, is a tremendous advantage and gives them an immense foraging range. Some parent birds have been found 3200 km from  their chicks, who can take up to 4 lb of regurgitated oil in one sitting.

We have a great advantage identifying the birds because we can photograph them with the long lens and compare the photo to the book.  Even so, the petrels are usually far away and impossible for us to identify.