[Maine-birds] New Hampshire Pelagic Trip - 9/5/23

The Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon sponsored an all day pelagic trip
aboard the "Granite State" yesterday out of Rye Harbor, NH. We started
with a tour of the Isles of Shoals where we were able to locate several
Great Cormorants on Square Rock as well as an adult Gannet. We were also
able to get views of 3 American Oystercatchers on Lunging Island. This
species is now nesting regularly on the islands. Just past the islands
there were large numbers of Common Eiders and a couple of flocks of
Black Gullemots. After this, we cruised offshore toward "Old Scantum"
and "New Scantum" and "Jeffrey's Ledge" working in a counterclockwise
loop and working the outer edge of Jeffrey's Ledge before heading home.

With the exception of a decent number of Wilson's Storm-Petrels for the
date, pelagic birds were very scarce offshore as has been the norm
recently. There was an interesting assortment of passerines offshore,
however, considering the weather pattern and unfavorable migration
conditions. The highlight for most on board was the absolutely
spectacular performance of a young calf of the Humpback Whale
Shuffleboard. This baby alternated flipper flapping and breaching over
and over. The interns counted 43 breaches from the baby!!!
https://flic.kr/p/2p1f7fd

Thanks to Holly Bauer for organizing this trip through Seacoast Audubon
and to Captain Pete Reynolds and crew for helping to spot whales and birds!

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunny, warm, and humid. Some light haze but excellent visibility
Northerly winds 0-10 mph. Seas about 3' to 4' in long swells created by
former hurricane Idalia.

Thanks to Becky Suomala keeping numbers for the day and creating eBird
checklists.  A trip report with totals and some photos can be seen at:

https://ebird.org/nh/tripreport/155840

Common Eider    803
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)    15
American Oystercatcher    3
Semipalmated Plover    15
Ruddy Turnstone    16
Sanderling    1
Spotted Sandpiper    1
Greater Yellowlegs    1
Willet    1
Lesser Yellowlegs    1
Parasitic Jaeger    1
Black Guillemot    14
Bonaparte's Gull    2
Laughing Gull    2
Ring-billed Gull    3
Herring Gull    72
Lesser Black-backed Gull    1
Great Black-backed Gull    106
Common Tern    4
Common Loon    1
Wilson's Storm-Petrel    152
Great Shearwater    1
Manx Shearwater    1
Northern Gannet    16
Great Cormorant    5
Double-crested Cormorant    54
Great Blue Heron    1
Great Egret    12
Snowy Egret    2
Bald Eagle    1
Belted Kingfisher    1
Northern Flicker    1
crow sp.    2
Tree Swallow    400
European Starling    1
Cedar Waxwing    1
Baltimore Oriole    1
Yellow Warbler    1
passerine sp.    5

Marine Mammals and other wildlife
-----------------------------------------
Humpback Whale - 8 including Shuffleboard and calf, Valley and calf,
Woodwind, Tusk, Othello, Mogul, and one unidentified.
Fin Whale - 1
Minke Whale - 2 or more
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin - A few small groups
Gray and Harbor Seals
Eastern Red Bay - One seen flying over Smuttynose Island:
https://flic.kr/p/2p1n9oo

Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) - 1
Shark sp. - 1

Red Admiral butterfly - 1
Clouded Sulphur butterfly - 1
Wandering Glider dragonfly - 1

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