Sunday May 27, 2012

We left the dock at 0540 with eager participants after a day ashore yesterday and the conditions were better than expected as we left Hatteras Inlet.  Around 0645 a commotion in the stern caused Brian to throttle back and a curious, young Red-billed Tropicbird flew right in, just 8 miles from the inlet!  This is the closest to shore we have ever seen one here!  The bird flew around the boat giving all aboard incredible views before taking off...we continued offshore.  At 0945, over an hour after slowing down, a White-tailed Tropicbird flew in, also making close passes for all to see and putting this trip on the very small list of those that have encountered both species in one day!  While numbers were low, the diversity we encountered was exceptional.  A notable appearance of some Gervais' Beaked Whales caused excitement before noon, our first for the season.  Otherwise, we had excellent views of Black-capped Petrels, Cory's, Audubon's, & Sooty Shearwaters, Wilson's, Band-rumped, and Leach's Storm-Petrels, plus Long-tailed & Pomarine Jaegers.  This afternoon on the way in, a South Polar Skua was spotted and seen well, though distantly.  We had great looks at the species we saw & we'll see what tomorrow brings!

Black-capped Petrel   12
Cory's Shearwater   30
Sooty Shearwater   6
Audubon's Shearwater   18
Wilson's Storm-Petrel   80-90
Leach's Storm-Petrel   4
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel   5
White-tailed Tropicbird   1
Red-billed Tropicbird   1
South Polar Skua   1
Pomarine Jaeger   3
Long-tailed Jaeger   1

Bottlenose Dolphin   6
Gervais' Beaked Whale   2


Cory's Shearwater (Bob Fogg)

White-tailed Tropicbird (Nate Dias)

Red-billed Tropicbird (Bob Fogg)

Red-billed Tropicbird

Long-tailed Jaeger (three photos)

Saturday May 26, 2012

We wanted to post a retrospective for the day from ten years past, May 26, 2002, but time did not permit.  We did run trips from Hatteras & Oregon Inlets and saw a total of four Trindade Petrels!  Swell from our subtropical storm, Beryl, conspired with strong easterly winds today to keep us at the dock.  Hopefully tomorrow will prove to be calmer in Hatteras Inlet, and offshore...

Friday May 25, 2012

Wind was in the forecast for today and we did find a bit of it offshore!  East winds were expected, but we had southeasterly wind until midday, when it shifted to the east and picked up a few notches.  Birds were flying, and we had nice, aerial views of Audubon's Shearwaters way up in the sky as they flew by at high rates of speed;  Cory's Shearwaters were following suit.  The highlights of the day for many aboard were the Black-capped Petrels and Band-rumped Storm-Petrels.  Black-cappeds made some very close passes, and everyone had time to study naked-eye Band-rumpeds in addition to observing them at a distance in the slick as we travelled.  Leach's Storm-Petrels made a few brief appearances which were much appreciated, but decent views were challenging in the larger seas.  Pomarine Jaegers were seen not only on the way out in the morning, but also in the slick feeding close to the stern, and again on the way in this afternoon.  Wilson's Storm-Petrels were very cooperative (as usual when fed) and followed us arcing high in the air all day.  Photos today courtesy of leader Bob Fogg, thanks!

Black-capped Petrel   19
Cory's Shearwater   22
Sooty Shearwater   1
Audubon's Shearwater   17
Wilson's Storm-Petrel   300-315
Leach's Storm-Petrel   4
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel   11
Pomarine Jaeger   5

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin   9+
Bottlenose Dolphin   2


Black-capped Petrel

 Cory's Shearwater

 Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Thursday May 24, 2012

What a difference a day makes!  Light winds and clear skies greeted us as we passed through Hatteras Inlet and headed offshore.  Cory's Shearwaters and a couple of Wilson's Storm-Petrels were seen on the way out and a spectacular full rainbow greeted us in the Gulf Stream as we slowed down (unfortunately, though we could see the end, no pot of gadfly petrels...) and the first Black-capped Petrel of the day passed closely soon after.  As the day progressed, with winds shifting a bit to the east, birds began piling back in.  We spent most of our time skirting the edges of rain where the conditions were excellent for getting birds in the air and into our slick.  Black-capped Petrels were around most of the day, Band-rumped Storm-Petrels made some close passes in the slick, and we had a Leach's Storm-Petrel dart by.  Pomarine Jaegers came closer to shore with the winds and we had some behind the boat with us for most of the afternoon, including one young dark morph.  A Parasitic Jaeger came in and fed behind the boat with the Poms following us for a short distance, which is uncommon to see, they are typically encountered inshore on these trips.  A little after 1330 a Fea's Petrel made a very brief appearance some distance back in the slick.  Typical gadfly behavior found it gone in seconds so not everyone aboard had a look, but a few people in the right place at the right time had satisfactory, though fleeting, views.

Fea's Petrel   1
Black-capped Petrel   42-43
Cory's Shearwater   22-23
Great Shearwater   1
Sooty Shearwater   2
Audubon's Shearwater   2
Wilson's Storm-Petrel   202-212
Leach's Storm-Petrel   1-2
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel   4-5
Red-necked Phalarope   7
Pomarine Jaeger   4
Parasitic Jaeger   1-2

to begin the day...

Sooty Shearwater

Wilson's Storm-Petrels in the slick

 first summer Pomarine Jaeger

 Pomarine Jaeger

 dark morph Pomarine Jaeger

 Parasitic Jaeger ~ photo courtesy of Bob Fogg

Wednesday May 23, 2012

Lightning filled squalls delayed our departure from the dock this morning, so we did not make it offshore until about the time morning activity usually begins to wane.  Nonetheless we saw the usual suspects and had great looks at them, though the individual numbers were low.  The squalls early in the day pushed many of the birds we've been seeing the past few days farther out to sea, so hopefully tomorrow the Gulf Stream will have something new to offer!  We did see a nice Long-tailed Jaeger on the way out this morning with scattered Cory's Shearwaters and a handful of Wilson's Storm-Petrels.  Black-capped Petrels made close passes in the slick and we had a couple of cooperative Audubon's Shearwaters, a bird we did not see well yesterday.  Great Shearwaters have been with us both days so far in the slick, but today we could only turn up one cooperative individual.  On the way in we also picked up a Bridled Tern (in the glare), four Red-necked Phalaropes, and a Sooty Shearwater near the inlet.

Black-capped Petrel   13
Cory's Shearwater   15
Great Shearwater   1
Sooty Shearwater   1
Audubon's Shearwater   3-4
Wilson's Storm-Petrel   105-115
Red-necked Phalarope   4
Bridled Tern   1
Long-tailed Jaeger   1

Bottlenose Dolphin   8-10 (Offshore)

Cory's Shearwater

 Great Shearwater

 photogenic Audubon's Shearwater!

 Portuguese Man of War (or relative) in some sargassum where we found the phalaropes

weather buoy offshore of Diamond Shoals that we passed on the way in...it has been out of order for months!