NH Audubon sponsored an all day pelagic bird trip yesterday aboard the
"Granite State" out of Rye Harbor, NH. We traveled east to the Isles
of Shoals where we wandered around the islands hoping for some easement
from the 4 foot seas offshore. The seas remained difficult through the
morning and afternoon, but the chop eased slowly in the afternoon.
Several birders had to resort to "premature chumming", but most of them
perked up in the later afternoon. Trip map below:
https://flic.kr/p/2mzU1fZ
Birds were very scarce again offshore with mostly only a gull or Gannet
here and there on Jeffrey's Ledge. This seems to have been the story of
the summer from boat trip reports. Remarkably the only shearwater for
the day was a single Great Shearwater and only three Northern Fulmar
were counted. No storm-petrels, phalaropes or jaegers were seen.
Interestingly, however, the trip recorded a high total of 4 species of
alcids including cooperative Razorbills and an extremelly cooperative
Common Murre. And also a not so cooperative Puffin.
Thanks to Jon Woolf for organizing the trip and to Captain Pete Reynolds
for skillfully helping to find and keep up with the birds and whales.
And thanks to Zeke Cornell and Becky Suomala who tallied species totals
for the afternoon. I'm using mostly their numbers for the list below
and for eBird checklists to be submitted.
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
Trip total for birds outside of Rye harbor including a few photos by Jim
Sparrell
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Eider 214 around Isles of Shoals
White-winged Scoter 2
AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER 1 on rocks in "Gut" near Appledore Island.
Seemingly a bit late for this species which now nests on the Isles of
Shoals.
COMMON MURRE 1 Extremely cooperative individual and a first ever for
this October trip. Seen just south and east of the Isles of Shoals.
https://flic.kr/p/2mzPXBG
Razorbill 2 adults on Jeffrey's Ledge in Maine
https://flic.kr/p/2mzSuB8
Black Guillemot 2 One juvenile near Lunging. A 2nd adult reported
near Appledore.
ATLANTIC PUFFIN 1 uncooperative adult seen in flight only on
Jeffrey's Ledge.
https://flic.kr/p/2mzKFnw
Alcid sp. 2 in flight only including one more possible puffin.
Black-legged Kittiwake 2 Both juveniles I think.
Bonaparte's Gull 1
Herring Gull 75
Great Black-backed Gull 144
Common Loon 3
NORTHERN FULMAR 3 Only one cooperated for decent views.
https://flic.kr/p/2mzSv45
Great Shearwater 1
Northern Gannet 117
https://flic.kr/p/2mzXcFi
https://flic.kr/p/2mzXdmb
Great Cormorant 8 Scattered over Square Rock and Seavey Islands.
Double-crested Cormorant 16
Great Blue Heron 1 One sitting on Lunging Island.
Peregrine Falcon 2 One over Seavey Island and one over Smuttynose
Island.
Other Marine Wildlife
-----------------------------
Humpback Whale - 10+ including 7 identified as "Valley", "Nile",
"Spoon", "Sword", "Frost", "Striation", "Quill", and 3 unidentified. We
also had distant breaches from an unknown whale. Fin Whales were not
around and have apparently been absent for most of the summer offshore.
Mola mola - Two total with nice views of one.
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