This past Sunday & Monday, ~ 40 intrepid birders sailed to "glory", out of
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, aboard the Brooklyn VI, a vessel that proved to
be quite seaworthy ! This trip came to fruition, under the banner of See
Life Paulagics, led by Paul Guris, Doug Gochfeld and Sean Sime.
We left the dock at ~ 8:30 P.M., after a real downpour, which started about
6:30 and continued to be with us as we headed toward The Hudson Canyon, a
distance of ~ 100 nautical miles (110 land miles).The storm made the ride
out (at least up to mid-night) rough, but, which made only one person
seasick. At about 5 A.M., while I was sleeping , I heard someone yell
"Leach's Storm Petrel", and since this was one of my target birds, jumped
up and being fully clothed, raced outside, only to find the bird had moved
on. My reaction to this was one of despair...I had just missed the only
L/S/P we would come in contact with today - all gloom & doom, to the 10th
power ! Well, was I wrong with this specie, and although I don't have the
exact figure for the day, we must have seen at least 8...a very good # for
this storm petrel ! In contrast to the only other storm petrel we saw on
the trip, the Wilson's (common on pelagic trips, and sometimes viewed from
shore) which, again not knowing the official count, was probably in the
hundreds.
>From that point on, most on board continued to bird, and reluctantly
stopped for a quick breakfast, 2, or 3 hours later, while some of us did
both simultaneously, ie, I had a peanut butter & jelly hero, in addition to
a tasty, albeit, ground-up oatmeal-rasin mix, that had started out as
cookies, but was in a bag that I had used as a pillow during the night.
An almost "perfect storm" ensued. The rain stopped, the sun was out &
strong, the chum slick ("heavy on the oil") was constant, the birds
responded and the birders reaped the benefits...and the joy of beating the
elements, while following a strategy designed to get to warm water ! In
fact, adhering to this principle, we even traveled out another 20 nautical
miles to keep the action going !
The species seen, some spectacularly, were:Cory's Shearwater; Greater
S'water; Manx S'water; Audubon's S'water; Sooty S'water; Wilson's
Storm-Petrel; Leach's S-P*, Long-tailed Yaeger*; Pomarine Y'ger; South
Polar Skua; Arctic Tern, and finally, a single, determined, but seemingly
obtuse, Barn Swallow. I say this due to the swallow's not landing on the
boat, after he so valiantly over-took the boat, while battling a fierce
head wind ~ 100 ft. to the rear of the boat. How it got to this spot is
unknowable, but he was in trouble and the most viable way out was to become
a "stowaway " !
I believe high numbers were recorded for Manx & Audubon's S'waters, Leach's
S-P, and South Polar Skua, with the latter specie, in my mind, putting on
the most
exciting show of the avian species assembled ! Seen singularly, in pairs,
and in groups of 3's and 4's separately, flying near, and then in, the chum
slick, as well as circling the boat, at close distances. This proximity
made for glorious views of their plumage's, huge bodies and powerful bills.
Other exciting wildlife seen included Risso's Dolphins, Giant Sun Fish,
Portuguese Man of War (Jelly Fish), and, for me, the most notable
experience of the trip (including the 2 life birds I saw, was the
*breaching* Basking Shark, which was just sensational ! While it can grow
to 20-26 ft., it is not the largest fish in the world, as I erroneously
told some nearby folks ! That distinction falls to the Whale Shark, with
the largest specimen measuring 41.5 ft.
The return leg of the trip was fairly birdy, at least until we entered the
rainy zone, causing most of the birders to seek shelter in the
cabin...however, there were a few diehards who.......
Cheers,
Bob
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