Spring 2018 Wrap Up by Brian Patteson

This was our 12th Spring Blitz aboard the Stormy Petrel II and for the first time in many years we did not miss any trips because of weather!  We ran a kick-off trip on May 19 and then began daily trips on May 23, ending on June 9!  This run of 18 consecutive day trips was second only to the 19 straight days we ran in 2009!  Going every day gives one a good perspective on how the ocean is constantly changing.  Subtle differences in local wind direction and current flow from one day to the next have a bearing on what we find.  It's also complicated by other factors well to the south and east of Hatteras.  Prior to the "Blitz" we had an extended period of southerly winds with fewer shifts to the north than we get during this period some years.  Although we did not get the strong westerly flow that prevailed last spring, we didn't get much easterly flow either, so overall the weather had a negative impact on diversity.  Easterly flow is key for seeing lots of South Polar Skuas and all three jaegers.  It is also good for Trindade Petrels and Arctic Terns.  We had a few of the latter early on, but I think most of that flight was out around Bermuda this spring.

The conditions did not seem to affect the more expected species as much, however.  We had a good showing of Black-capped Petrels, and our lowest counts of 11 and 22 were a far cry from the single digit counts we've had a few times when the Gulf Stream took a queer turn.  The Gulf Stream has done just that a few times this winter and spring, and on some days the water out in the deep was greener than usual.  The Leach's Storm-Petrels didn't seem to mind this green water, however, and we saw a total of 142 on ten trips in May with a hight count of 55 on May 30.  We also had some rainy weather in late May and that did not deter the Leach's Storm-Petrels either.  Band-rumped Storm-Petrels were found in modest numbers, and the majority that we saw were molting winter breeders.  We also saw some sharp looking Band-rumps that we surmised were summer breeders.  As far as the AOU or ABA checklist is concerned these are all the same, but more likely these are cryptic species that will remain a challenge to identify at sea.  Scopoli's Shearwater seems to be a more likely split here in the near future and we spent quite a bit of time looking closely at the Cory's type shearwaters feeding in our chum slicks.  From late May onward, a steady procession of Great Shearwaters were nice to have around for sorting out the Cory's.  Cory's Shearwaters (the Atlantic breeders) are larger (but not heavier) than Great Shearwaters, while Scopoli's Shearwaters, which nest in the Mediterranean, are smaller than Great Shearwaters.  Sexual size variation complicates the Cory's/Scopoli's ID a bit though and the parameters for ID by plumage are still being worked out.  One thing we've noticed though is that Scopoli's are pretty consistent boat followers when we are chumming.  They also seem to predominate in the deeper waters.  Audubon's Shearwaters made a better than usual showing this year and I think this is because we had so many days with southerly winds and also because Sargassum - their main foraging habitat - was abundant most days.  Wilson's Storm-Petrels, on the other hand were in lower than usual numbers.  This was about the 3rd year in a row with only about 100 or so Wilson's per trip average.  Last year, I figured numbers were off because of westerlies.  This year, and perhaps also in 2016, it was because of southerly flow.  We tend to see more Wilson's Storm-Petrels when the wind is against the current and both southerly and westerly wind is with the current.  Nevertheless, Wilson's Storm-Petrel was the most numerous species on all but two trips, which were days with good counts of Audubon's Shearwaters.

Rare tubenoses in spring 2018 were just that - rare.  We had Trindade Petrels on just a couple of trips, both in May.  We did not see a "Fea's" Petrel until June and we only had a couple that showed well close to the boat.  The bird we saw on June 2 was a small one and we wonder if perhaps it was of Cape Verde origin.  The bill looked too thick at the tip for Zino's, but too fine for perhaps even a female Desertas Petrel.  Tracking data suggests Cape Verde Petrels don't come here that much, but researchers have only followed adult birds.  Desertas Petrel and Cape Verde Petrel are another pair the AOU and ABA has yet to deal with.  Some authorities have split them as cryptic species.

Tropicbirds are not cryptic but we did a double take when two tropicbirds appeared overhead during the morning of May 26.  Our first impression was there was a big one and a small one and sure enough we had a short-tailed immature Red-billed Tropicbird and a long-tailed White-tailed Tropicbird appear at the same time.  This is only the second time we have seen this in 25 years of spring trips here!  Red-billed is usually the spring tropicbird, but this year we also found a White-tailed Tropicbird on May 19 - very early for this species!

I was hoping daily coverage in early June might net us another Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel but it was not to be.  Of four that we have seen off Hatteras, three have been found in the first ten days of June.  We did get a European Storm-Petrel on June 1.  European Storm-Petrel is looking like another future split.  Formerly know as British Storm-Petrel, it was renamed because of the population that breeds in the Mediterranean.  Now it looks as though they are distinct.  Presumably the birds we are seeing once or twice most years are the more wide ranging British Storm-Petrel.  We did not see a Bermuda Petrel this spring, but we did luck out with another rare petrel.

On May 29, we had just gotten out of some heavy rain and were in the process of attracting birds to a new slick when Peter Flood spotted a different looking petrel he initially called in as a light Trindade Petrel.  He soon recognized it as something different, but it took a few minutes to figure it out as the bird left the slick about as quickly as it had come in.  Conventional logic had us thinking Atlantic Petrel, which would have been a first for the western North Atlantic and way out of range.  But the straight wings and size and shape of the bill made us realize we had seen a TAHITI PETREL, which was even less expected here.  As far as we know Tahiti Petrel had not yet been recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, and it was definitely not on our radar.  None of our crew had seen one before but the big bill and overall structure was familiar to us from books, and we got some good photos of our bird.  In size it was similar to a nearby Black-capped Petrel so that eliminates the even more remote possibility of the smaller, but similar Beck's Petrel.  Beck's is about the size of a Fea's Petrel and very rare, until recently presumed extinct.  Tahiti Petrel is a common species that ranges as close as Panama.  Interestingly we saw the Tahiti Petrel not long after a tropical cyclone had left the Gulf of Mexico.  We've seen some great vagrants over the years but I think the Tahiti Petrel is the least expected of them all and, as such, our biggest MEGA to date.  I think it's also our 20th species of tubenose for the boat!  That's 20 species by AOU/ABA taxonomy, so it doesn't include Scopoli's Shearwater!

We did not find as many marine mammals this spring as some years but we did see Bottlenose Dolphins out in the deep on several trips and there were good numbers of Pilot Whales in early June.  A pod of Cuvier's Beaked Whales popped up beside the boat on May 19, but in contrast to most years, we never found any Gervais' Beaked Whales this spring.  Other charismatic megafauna included Loggerhead and Leatherback Turtles, Blue Marlin, and a couple of leaping devil rays.  We rummaged through the Sargassum on several trips and looked at what Audubon's Shearwaters and other seabirds feed on there.

As usual we had a good crew aboard and would like to thank everyone who made it possible to carry out this epic run of trips.  Our spotters / leaders this spring included: Steve NG Howell, Nate Dias, Chris Sloan, Seabird McKeon, Jeff Lemons, Peter Flood, Ed Corey, Sage Church, Andrew Dreelin, and Liam Waters.
-Brian Patteson

Our spring trip lists are compiled here, and I have put together some additional photos from the spring below!  Thank you to everyone who worked hard and contributed photos for the blog over the eighteen days stretch - it was much appreciated so that I could get everything posted each evening in a timely fashion and still get a little sleep!  Thank you also to our Spring Gallery contributors...there may be more if I receive some additional images!  -Kate Sutherland

First of all, here is another photo of the Tahiti Petrel by Peter Flood followed by a couple of photos taken as Brian was examining images on the backs of cameras and discussing the size of the bill (by Kate Sutherland)

Maili Waters (MA) was one of our participants for three trips near the end of the Blitz and she captured some nice images of the Stormy Petrel II and her seabirders!  I love these!  And an image of one new species for me, the Devil Rays that came right in under the pulpit!

Nate Dias (SC) was back helping us as a leader after a few years hiatus and he captured these images over the five trips he was on this spring!

The young Black-capped Petrel from June 8:

Great Shearwater with what looked to be some food in its mouth!

 Scopoli's Shearwater

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Grant's type)

 Wilson's Storm-Petrel

Some nice images of the Pilot Whales we saw on June 7th

& a nice shot of one of the many Sargassum Midgets we saw this spring!

Peter Flood (MA) sent me a few more images for the gallery!  He and Steve Howell contributed most of the photos this spring...

 A nice white faced Black-capped Petrel

We had some incredibly close passes this spring by Leach's Storm-Petrels!  Their bill is much larger than a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel and they have a much grayer head, as you can see here.

South Polar Skua from early in the Blitz

A gorgeous image of one of the dark Pomarine Jaegers we saw this spring

I also captured a few images...well a lot actually!  But here are a few more for the gallery from me, Kate Sutherland.

A few Black-cappeds

 The juvie Black-capped with a Great Shearwater

Audubon's were around in good numbers this spring and we had some nice photo ops!

Great Shearwater tossing back a piece of chum

 Scopoli's and Great Shearwaters behind the boat

Our "smudgy-rumped" Leach's from May 28

A Band-rumped posture we don't always get to see! (Grant's type)

A couple images of one of the Arctic Terns we saw this spring...in the rain!

One of the Long-tailed Jaegers that came in well to the boat

& we did have at least one Portuguese Man-of-War this spring!

I have so many more...but will leave it at that for this year!  If I get my Flickr album together soon I will put a link here!  Thanks again everyone for coming offshore with us!  -Kate

A Morning with The Devil (by Brian Patteson)

The Devil, you ask?  Well, several months ago we were contacted by Adam Brown and Aaron Straight who are narrator and producer/director, respectively, of a film in the works called "Save The Devil".  The "devil" in their film is the "Diablotin" which most birders know as the Black-capped Petrel.  Black-caps get the name from the scary sounds they make at night around their nesting sites.  Many of these sites are in Haiti, and the degradation of the natural environment with its catastrophic consequences for the people there and the Black-capped Petrel will be addressed in the film.  Because the "Diablotin" actually spends most of its life on the open ocean, Adam and Aaron have been keen to get some quality at sea footage of Black-capped Petrels in the Gulf Stream.  I suggested a fall trip because we would have better looking birds that had completed wing molt.  Also, the odds of getting some northeasterly winds for front-lit morning birds, I figured would be best in September or early October.  Well, various circumstances prevented going then, so for the last few weeks, we have been waiting for the perfect morning to do the shoot.  Fortunately, we have a highly skilled and enthusiastic film maker, Nic McLean, living just up the beach in Kitty Hawk.

Nic and I have been in touch for weeks, looking for the ideal conditions and when he would be available to drive down and jump on the boat.  Finally it looked as though Saturday November 8th would be just right.  It was windy on Friday from the northwest, which is a good direction for Black-caps in waters south of Hatteras, but too rough to shoot the footage.  Saturday, it seemed, would be sunny with just a light north wind going to the east and just enough swell for the birds to fly on if the wind fell out altogether.  And...the weather forecast was right on!!

So we left Hatteras at the crack of dawn and we were looking at our first Black-capped Petrel before 8:30am.  It took a while to get a number of them to the chum, but for over two hours, we were surrounded by a modest number of sharp-looking Diablotins that made many close passes to our trusty little vessel, the Skua.  We opted to take the smaller boat because - day in and day out - we get closer looks at the more skittish seabirds from a lower profile boat.  And when it comes to videography, close birds are definitely a necessity.

I must admit, during the time between our first sighting and the first close "shootable" Black-cap, I was a bit worried that I had made a mistake by going out following a bright moonlit night.  But as soon as we got the first feeding Black-capped, a Pomarine Jaeger, a few Wilson's Storm-Petrels, and a few gulls, it was good steady action in the slick, drawing Black-caps from all around.  We were lucky to have some shark liver provided by the fishermen on the Little Clam just a few days ago, and that, along with our fish oil and frozen chum, was just the right recipe for the birds.

Then show was over by 1100 and we worked back in closer to the shelf break, but there was not much to see bird-wise.  We did see a single Audubon's Shearwater, but no Cory's.  There are usually a number of Cory's around in November, so this was a little surprising.  Since we had done what we set out to do, there was no need to stay out all day, so we headed back to shore.  There were good numbers of gannets around the inlet, which is a reminder that the winter seabirds should be on their way soon.  We have several trips planned for Winter 2015 (please click for a link to our website page with the dates!).

We have also been talking about doing some "extra" winter trips on the smaller boat when the conditions are right for it.  We call these "make-up" trips because the plan is to make up a group with people from a pool of interested parties when the weather is good to go.  These trips are an especially good fit for birders who want to photograph the birds extensively.

I have been photographing seabirds for many, many years and what used to be a very difficult, frustrating and expensive endeavor is now much more rewarding because of the vast improvements in the equipment over the last couple of decades.  The advent of high quality digital SLRs has changed everything and now you can blaze away and shoot many thousands of photos for a one time investment.  During the winter, we have lots of big birds close to the boat, so a super-telephoto lens is not necessary for great results.  And other wildlife, such as dolphins, sea turtles, and Manta Rays also make interesting subjects.

Most days I don't take very many photos, but I love to do it when the light is good and the birds are close.  I was pleased to get some nice images of Black-caps and the Pomarine Jaeger on Saturday.  I was using a Canon 7D and a 400/4.0 lens, which is new to me.  In the past we have had very good success with the Canon 400/5.6 prime and the 300/4.0.  The key to good flight shots, of course, is accurate focus and a high shutter speed.  Back in the film days, 1/1000 was my minimum but I think 1/2000 is a better standard these days with the digital "crop bodies".  Image stabilization cannot freeze the motion of the subject, so a high shutter speed is needed if you want to stop action.  Of course, with seabirds it is helpful to see the bird in motion, so now that has us thinking about what we need to get good video of all the birds we see, especially after having Nic on the boat, shooting Diablotins - in slow motion!  We'll see what happens.

Following are photos that Brian took Saturday of Black-capped Petrels and our attentive Pomarine Jaeger!