After several storm-related delays, the overnight pelagic sailed on September 3. It was a great success as Rick Heil's report shows:
3-4 SEPTEMBER 2009:
BROOKLINE BIRD CLUB's "EXTREME PELAGIC" from HYANNIS, MA to HYDROGRAPHER, VEATCH & EAST ATLANTIS CANYONS and vicinity, via NANTUCKET SHOALS
Richard S. Heil
Roughly 40 participants plus leaders Rick Heil, Jeremiah Trimble, Mark Flaherty, and Ian Davies, along with trip organizer Ida Giriunas, joined Captain Joe Huckameyer and the able crew of the 100 foot 'Helen H' for our first overnight trip of the 'Extreme Pelagic" series. To say it was merely a success would be a dramatic understatement! We either tied, slashed or surpased the state records for White-faced Storm-Petrel, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, Bridled Tern, and Long-tailed Jaeger! Indeed, we are rapidly learning that these 'warmer water seabirds' are regular and expected in New England waters around the offshore canyons and shelf break, and beyond, and that these Massachusetts offshore waters are probably the best anywhere for finding White-faced Storm-Petrels on this side of the North Atlantic.
Course:
Thursday, 3 Sep.: Hyannis (depart c. 0530) across Nantucket Shoals to Hydrographer Canyon, then east and south of the canyon (off the shelf to water 6800 feet deep, 79.5 F water temp) before working west to anchor after dark in Veatch Canyon. While traversing the shoals we encountered an amazing concentration of birds in one area, including hundreds of shearwaters, thousands of terns, and numerous jaegers. One mixed flock of seven jaegers first seen on the water (Long-tailed and Parasitic together) initially caused confusion among the leaders until photos could later be sorted and critically analyzed. What is a pelagic without a good jaeger conundrum?
Friday, 4 Sep.: Veatch Canyon south and then east to East Atlantis Canyon and beyond (all in water 77-78 F, to 5400 feet deep), then north to Muskeget Channel and return to Hyannis (arriving c. 1715).
Weather: Thurs. 9/3: Mostly cloudy to overcast, E winds 8-15 mph, 70's; Fri., 9/4: mostly overcast, showers, NNE winds 10-20 mph, 70's; seas both days 2-4 foot, at times even 1-2 foot.
Visibility: Very good to excellent for most of the trip, except fair to good in showers and occ. light fog generally in cooler waters.
Common Eider (3): 3 females - Muskeget Channel -9/4.
White-winged Scoter (1): 1 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Common Loon (9): 8 - Nantucket Shoal - 9/3 ; 1 - S. of Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Cory's Shearwater (408): 395 - Nantucket Shoals, 4 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 4 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons, 5 - S. of Muskeget Channel - 9/4: Many Cory's throughout the trip were scrutinized for possible 'Scoploli's Shearwater (C. d. diomedea), but all viewed critically appeared to be borealis.
Greater Shearwater (1377): 1320 - Nantucket Shoals, 12 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 39 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic., 6 - S. of Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Sooty Shearwater (15) - All from Nantucket Shoals.
Manx Shearwater (20) - All from Nantucket Shoals.
Audubon's Shearwater (28): 25 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3 ( *** New State High Count, cf., 19 - W. Atlantis/Atlantis Canyons - 7/18/09); 3 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic. - 9/4.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (563): 137 - - Nantucket Shoals, 111 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 290 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic., 25 - S. of Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL (6): 3 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3 (all roughly vicinity of 40 02.9 N, 69 02.0 W in 67.2 F water); 3 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic. (1 - 39 50.2 N, 69 44.1 W; 1 - 39 50.0 N, 69 45.7 W; 1 - 39 50.2 N, 69 48.9 W; all of these on 9/4 in water 77-78 F.) - 9/4. ***Three each day both tie the prior single day high count for Massachusetts, but six detected in two days in a narrow cruise track in adjacent but different waters (along with other numerous records in the past) indicates the routine, albeit low density presence of this species here in the August-September window.
Image: Paul Cozza
Leach's Storm-Petrel (50): 46 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 4 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic.- 9/4.
BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL (8): 4 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 4 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic.- 9/4 ; ***Four each day both tie the prior single day high count for Massachusetts.
Northern Gannet (5 sub-adults) - Nantucket Shoals.
Double-crested Cormorant (20+) - Muskeget Channel.
Whimbrel (3) : 2 migrating S - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3; 1 migrating S at dawn- Veatch Canyon - 9/4.
HUDSONIAN GODWIT (62): A remarkable and amazing observation!!!; a single flock observed migrating south low over the water beyond the shelf edge nearly 100 miles SE of Nantucket on 9/4! Next stop South America in a couple of days of non-stop flight? See Photo from Jeremiah Trimble
Calidris sp. (2) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3
Red-necked Phalarope (16) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
phalarope sp. (2) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Laughing Gull (365): 5 - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3 ; 360(overwhelming majority juvs.) - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Herring Gull (47): 40 - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3 ; 7 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Great Black-backed Gull (21): 15 - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3 ; 6 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
BRIDLED TERN (5; 2 adults, 3 imms.): *** New state high count; All roughly 2-3 miles SW of East Atlantis Canyon on 9/4 in an area of 77 F water and abundant Sargassum Weed near 39 55.9 N, 69 59.1 W. Spectacular close views were had of an adult sitting on a floating board (from hich perch he reached under the board and snagged a fish!), then 3 immatures (1S/juvs) at one point flying together, then a second adult-like bird later.
Image: Paul Cozza
Least Tern (2): 1 - Hyannis - 9/3; 1 juv. - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Black Tern (94): 93 - Nantucket Sound to Nantucket Shoals - 9/3; 1 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Roseate Tern (15+): - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Common Tern (2385+): 2300+ - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3. ; 85 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Forster's Tern (1) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Sterna sp. (560+) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Pomarine Jaeger (7): 5 - Nantucket Shoals; 1 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3 ; 1 - S. of Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Parasitic Jaeger (5+): 3+ - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3 ; 2 - Muskeget Channel - 9/4.
Long-tailed Jaeger (7+): 6+(1 juv., 5 sub-ads.) - Nantucket Shoals (1 juv.) - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3.
jaeger sp. (14+): 11+ - - Nantucket Shoals, 3 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3.
Mammals and other marine life:
Fin Whale (1) - Nantucket Shoals on 9/3.
Humpback Whale (1) - Nantucket Shoals on 9/3.
possible Sperm Whale (1) - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3
bottlenosed whale sp./possible Cuvier's (1) - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3
Gray Grampus/Risso's Dolphin (40+) - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3
Offshore Bottlenosed Dolphin (150+): 30 - Hydrographer Canyon vic. - 9/3 ; 120 - Veatch/East Atlantis Canyons vic.- 9/4.
Short-beaked Common Dolphin (80+) - Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Harbor Porpoise (7+) Nantucket Shoals - 9/3.
Ocean Sunfish (3)
Blue Shark (2)
manta ray sp. (1)
numerous flying fish
Yellowfin Tuna (1) - Caught by crew in Veatch Canyon.
Skipjack (1) - Caught by crew in Veatch Canyon.
Trip photos here:
Jeremiah Trimble day 1 and day 2
Ian Davies
John Hoye
Paul Cozza
Thanks to Ida Giriunas for organizing these trips and to the many birders whose participation gets us out there to find new discoveries!
Labels: pelagic
