NH Audubon sponsored an all day pelagic bird trip today aboard the
"Granite State" out of Rye Harbor, NH. The weather was excellent with
clear skies, north winds 5 to 10 knots at most and seas 1 to 2 feet. We
traveled east to the Isles of Shoals where we wandered around the
islands looking for odds & ends and enjoying the beauty of the islands.
We then continued off-shore straddling the NH/ME state line and heading
out to Jeffrey's Ledge. From here we crisscrossed a bit over the ledge
before eventually heading back home. Birds were scattered, with Cory's
Shearwater being the most common pelagic species with scattered small
groups spread out across the area from past the Isles of Shoals to
Jeffrey's Ledge. Random sightings of small numbers of other pelagic
species gave us excellent trip list. The highlighted (by far) was a
spectacular performance by a SOUTH POLAR SKUA, which should provide the
first well documented record for the State of NH.
Some photo pages to keep an eye out for images from Leo Mckillop and
Chris Mcpherson and a couple by me of the skua only:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemirick/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/28422494@N02/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127251358@N05/
Thanks to Jon Woolf for organizing this trip and to Captain Pete
Reynolds for working the birds for the benefit of all on the boat.
Numbers below are my conservative estimates and include a few sightings
by others and may not be a complete list. eBird checklists to be
submitted for birds seen offshore in NH and Maine.
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
Common Eider
Common Loon - 1 sitting (oddly) on Little Seavey Island and another
offshore.
Cory's Shearwater - 221 in many scattered small flocks of 5 to 10 birds
and one big flock of 34 recorded in both Maine and NH! In view for much
of the trip.
Great Shearwater - 13 is all I have recorded. Not many out there.
Manx Shearwater - 1 nice views of bird mixed in with group of Cory's on
the water.
Wilson's Storm-Petrel - One nice flock of 50 on the water, but mostly
scarce with scattered individuals otherwise.
Northern Gannet - Very few offshore, but a fair number around the Isles
of Shoals including 5 adults SITTING ON SQUARE ROCK!
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Cormorant - 3 immatures on Little Seavey Island. One adult on
Square Rock.
Merlin - 1 over Smuttynose Island.
Black-bellied Plover - 1 on Smuttynose.
Semipalmated Plover - 1 on Seavey Island.
Whimbrel - 1 on Lunging Island
Ruddy Turnstone - 1 on Little Seavey Island.
Sanderling - 1 flyby
Red-necked Phalarope - 23 including a nice flock of 20 giving great views.
Bonaparte's Gull - 2 inside Isles of Shoals.
Herring Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Common Tern - 2 near White Island only
SOUTH POLAR SKUA - 1. Spectacular display of an adult (?) or subadult
(?) bird. Great views as it posed for us and allowed nice close profile
photos. Then seen chasing after gulls and Cory's Shearwaters!!
Although there are historic records of Skuas in New Hampshire, there are
remarkably few (if any ?) in the last 35 years. And past reports of
South Polar Skua have not been accepted by the NHRBC to the species
level. So this bird, if accepted, would represent a (overdue) first
documented State record.
POMARINE JAEGER - 5. Not positive on number. At least a group of 2 and
a group of 3. Most subadults. One apparent adult with nice spoons, but
not well seen. One spectacular display of a Pomarine Jaeger diving on
top of a Great Shearwater over and over again!
PURPLE FINCH - 1. Normally not considered a highlight on a species
list, but this individual deserves full bold and was certainly a
highlight of the trip. A single juvenile Purple Finch landed on the
boat well offshore, and stayed on the boat for the whole day! It hopped
from person to person, landing on heads, shoulders, optics, etc. A
couple of times, it left the boat, but fortunately it returned because
eventually people started feeding it, and it ate!!! As the day went on
the bird gorged itself on fruit. By my estimations, it sampled 7
different types of fruit!!! (strawberry, grape, apple, banana, peach,
watermelon, cranberry) By the end of the trip, it became very
comfortable on the boat, but eventually it left the boat as we came up
to the dock in Rye harbor! :-)
American Goldfinch - 1 offshore
Whales
-----------
Remarkably poor showing of whales. Not totally unexpected as the
majority of whales have been visiting inshore locations and we purposely
did not go for them. Whales were very scarce on Jeffrey's Ledge.
Fin Whale - 3 including "Comet" a unique individual identified by its
unusual tail movements.
Minke Whale - 2 or 3
Harbor Porpose - 3
Harbor Seal - 2
Fish
------
Bluefin Tuna - A few small individuals chasing bait fish including one
seen fully breaching at least 2 times!
Blue Shark - Perhaps 3 or 4
Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola) - Excellent views of one, plus at least 2 or 3
others.
Insects
----------
Common Green Darner - 1 offshore
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