New York (and beyond) birders. We are 4 people short of being able to sail. If you are on the fence please consider signing up.
Looking at offshore water temps today there is an 8-10 degree temperature break inside the shelf edge across the mouth of the Hudson Canyon. This scenario is exactly what we hope for when heading offshore as these areas tend to concentrate baitfish and all the predatory species that create chum the natural way! I've copied the original email to the list below. Hope to see you aboard! The long sought after Paulagics overnight pelagic trip out of Brooklyn is now just a couple of weeks away, and there are still spots available on the boat. The plan for the trip is to leave the dock at 8 PM on Sunday, May 31, aboard the 110' Brooklyn VI, and be at the Hudson Canyon, laying down a chum slick, well before the sun rises. At 22 hours, this trip is 4 hours longer than some of the similar mid-Atlantic pelagic trips running this year, in order to give us time to more thoroughly explore these interesting and seldom-birded far off shore areas. This is classically one of the most desirable times of the year for pelagic trips in the region, especially deep water ones, and in addition to more expected species like Cory's, Great, Manx, and Sooty Shearwaters, Red & Red-necked Phalaropes, and all 3 species of Jaegers (often adults in great plumage at this time of year!), it is a great window for SOUTH POLAR SKUA (probably the best time of year in the area for this species), LEACH'S STORM-PETREL, and ARCTIC TERN, and things like Northern Fulmar, Bridled Tern, and even a late deepwater alcid or two are legitimate possibilities. However, there is also the "Home Run" factor that is always there in late spring in deep water. The majority of records of YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS records in the Northeast are from this time window (including the first New York record, a scene which we are all dearly hoping to re-enact!), BLACK-CAPPED PETREL is on the table, and it is the time of year that the pelagic trips off Cape Hatteras, to the south, get some of their most outlandishly rare species, including FEA'S PETREL, TRINDADE PETREL, and some of the scarcer Storm-Petrels. With seabird migration in full throttle, almost anything can show up. There will be food on board (a nice selection of freshly made human food, and plenty of chum for the birds as well), and there will be several experienced leaders to help people see and identify whatever we come across. It is also a great time of year for cetaceans, and there is a very good chance to run into at least some of Fin, Humpback, Minke, and Pilot Whales, as well as Risso's, Common and Offshore Bottlenose Dolphin The trip returns to the dock the evening of Monday, June 1. If you have any questions or would like to reserve a spot please contact us. *You can register/reserve space for the trip by E-Mail or phone: E-Mail: i...@paulagics.com Call Paulagics at 215-234-6805. *Full information on registering with the always helpful and friendly Paul or Anita Guris here: http://paulagics.com/?page_id=41 The inaugural Paulagics trip with the Brooklyn VI in April yielded an excellent experience with the captain and crew of this boat. The boat is a fast, stable platform. It is 110' long, 26' wide, has a cruising speed of 18 knots, and is licensed for 132 passengers. A full overnight trip for us is about 42 people so there will be room for people to sleep. Hope to see you aboard!! Doug Gochfeld. Brooklyn, NY. -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
