Survey of birds encountered during UNH research trip aboard UNH Research Vessel Gulf Challenger. Boat did not stop or steer toward birds. Jane and I were guests on boat collecting and testing water samples at various depths in the ocean. The boat took a different route this time as compared the usual route with added stops outside Portsmouth Harbor and between the mainland and the Isles of Shoals before proceeding to CO2 buoy and then directly out to Wilkinson's Basin. This is a count of birds encountered past Whaleback Lighthouse at entrance of harbor only. Birds inside Portsmouth harbor not counted. Good weather allowed for count from bow on outbound and return. Visibility on the way back was incredible as seas died down and wind became calm.
While the overall number of birds was low for September, the diversity was nice. Most of the birds were either very brief or distant sightings. Three Manx Shearwaters and only 2 Great Shearwaters offshore, but 6 Northern Fulmar were nice for September. Cory's Shearwaters continue to be an interesting mystery with roughly 20 seen near or inside the Isles of Shoals, but NONE SEEN FURTHER OFFSHORE. They've been particularly numerous from Star Island and the mainland in the last week or two so I was expecting to see them here and was actually expecting a higher count. Could be that they are starting to pull out of the area. We barely managed to get 3 Phalaropes, but one appeared to be the less common Red Phalarope and Jaegers were conspicuous locally well offshore but pretty far for photos. No alcids yet, but a juvenile Puffin was reported from Leo McKillop on a nearby fishing boat. There were a small number of migrants including small groups of all 3 Scoters moving south. The mostly notable migrant was a poor little Ruby-crowned Kinglet that landed on the boat at Wilkinson's Basin (40 miles offshore!). I caught it when it flew into the wheel house and we carried it all the way back to the mainland.
Weather - Morning wind out of the NE causing chop and bow spray, but died down nicely and afternoon was like glass. Partly sunny with glare a problem as usual on south side of boat. Winds NE at 10 knots in the morning becoming calm in afternoon. Seas - About 3' in long rollers causing birds on surface to disappear. Time - 9:21 AM to 5:00 PM Â eBird checklists submitted and eBird trip list with documentation photos at this link:
Total list with pelagic birds capitalized ------------------------------------------------- Common Eider 1 migrating Surf Scoter 5 migrating White-winged Scoter 19 migrating Black Scoter 2 migrating RED PHALAROPE 1 not far offshore beyond Isles of Shoals. RED-NECKED PHALAROPE 2 peep sp. 6 PARASITIC JAEGER 1 appeared to be a Parasitic chasing a Herring Gull POMARINE JAEGER 5 with 3 together on water. All at outer Jeffrey's or Wilkinson's. Bonaparte's Gull 2 Laughing Gull 1 - Adult Ring-billed Gull 5 Herring Gull 69 Great Black-backed Gull 35 Lesser Black-backed Gull 2. One adult and one juvenile. Common Tern 9 Common Loon 5 NORTHERN FULMAR 6 All but one were dark morph(!). CORY'S SHEARWATER 21. All near or inside of Isles of Shoals. GREAT SHEARWATER 2. Low. MANX SHEARWATER 3 Northern Gannet 12 Double-crested Cormorant 9 Great Blue Heron 3. High flying migrants inside of Isles of Shoals. Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1. Landed on boat at Wilkinson's Basin 40 miles offshore! We ended up bring it all the way back to shore! passerine sp. 1
Other Offshore wildlife encountered ------------------------------------------------ Minke Whale - 1 at Wilkinson's Basin. No other large whales despite excellent viewing conditions. Dolphin sp. - A couple of small pods of unidentified dolphins Harbor Seal - One or two well offshore.
Shark sp. - About 4 likely Blue Sharks on the way out. Also a possible Basking Shark on the way back in. Ocean Sunfish - About 3 or 4 Bait Fish - Several balls of bait fish being driven to surface by a predator (tuna?) just outside of Isles of Shoals, but no birds foraging over them.
Monarch - 1 well offshore Non Monarch butterfly - 2 way offshore
