Took the Novastar Ferry from Yarmouth, NS to Portland on 9/26. I stood on the stern of the boat (9th level) the entire 10-hour trip except for a 15-minute break midday, making exact counts by hour. Conditions were superb - low winds starting 10-15 mph out of the north and ending almost calm, seas 2-3 ft dropping to 1-2 ft at most, warm temps, and nice warming sun. The only challenge was that the winds dropped so much in the latter half of the day that most shearwaters were on the water and not flying.
Highlight was a Great Skua in Nova Scotia waters - sure would have loved to have gotten one in ME! Over 800 shearwaters of 4 species were nice as well. As were 3 species of raptors. Here are my totals - first in NS then in ME.
Common Loon - 1, 3
Fulmar - 0, 19
Great Shearwater - 10, 470
Cory's Shearwater - 2, 12
Manx Shearwater - 0, 2
Sooty Shearwater - 0, 7
Shearwater, sp. - 0, 320 (birds in flocks on the water in the distance - likely mostly Greats)
Gannet - 115, 344 (despite the high numbers, almost no birds in the middle of the ride)
DC Cormorant - 0, 53
Osprey - 0, 1
Harrier - 2, 0
Red Phalarope - 0, 1
Phalarope, sp. - 2, 1
Pomarine Jaeger - 0, 1 (adult, almost the last bird seen)
Jaeger, sp. - 0, 4 (immatures too distant to ID)
Great Skua - 1, 0 (seen chasing after a Great Shearwater, reasonably good looks)
Black Guillemot - 1, 0 (near Yarmouth)
Kittiwake - 2, 0
Herring Gull - 4, 14 (birds in Yarmouth and Portland harbors not counted)
Great Black-backed Gull - 4, 44 (birds in Yarmouth and Portland Harbors not counted)
Flicker - 0, 1
Peregrine - 1, 1
Mike Resch
Pepperell, MA
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