Date: 9/3/26 7:28 am From: Alan Meijer (via carolinabirds Mailing List) <carolinabirds...> Subject: Re: The best NC pelagic trip of all time -- August 22, 2026
This was the first year where I thought that I'd want to do a pelagic trip.
However, I didn't make PLANS, so my pelagic life count remains at ZERO
(other than puffins, and some birds seen from piers, etc.).
Alan
On Mon, Aug 24, 2026 at 11:00 AM Harry LeGrand <carolinabirds...>
wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I know many of you are already aware of the results of Brian Patteson's
> Seabirding Inc, pelagic trip out of Oregon Inlet on August 22. I am
> surprised that no one on the boat has posted the trip with commentary here,
> so I will summarize. I was NOT on the boat, so the 19 participants had a
> day/year to remember. I just posted these comments to Facebook ABA Rare
> Bird Alert, which I am copying here:
> ------------------
> The results of a pelagic trip off Oregon Inlet, NC, on August 22, 2026,
> have apparently not been posted here; but there were several Megas reported
> -- WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER and CAPE VERDE SHEARWATER. Semi-Megas were
> another White-faced Storm-Petrel and two more Trindade Petrels, and three
> Brown Boobies thrown in as well! This is the best pelagic trip EVER for NC,
> with the first two being second state records, and of course these two are
> extremely rare on East Coast pelagic trips. Numerous photos are on these
> two eBird lists: [eBird Checklist - 22 Aug 2026 - Oregon Inlet Pelagic --
> Offshore / Gulf Stream - 21 species (+4 other taxa)]
> (https://ebird.org/checklist/S386230280 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S386230280?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFGQW9GekUzcTJnc0phSUpoc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr2W6P-DZmlRPNwgWipUd3lu8Zh4NhGjXuuuaKXMW_pRMNeqPIBUbVpe2azE_aem_j5Hc73zheWVhESCTyfMAqQ> > )
> and [eBird Checklist - 22 Aug 2026 - Oregon Inlet Pelagic -- On the Shelf
> (Inshore of the Shelf Break) - 10 species (+1 other taxa)]
> (https://ebird.org/checklist/S386229717 > <https://ebird.org/checklist/S386229717?fbclid=IwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFGQW9GekUzcTJnc0phSUpoc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpbaKwbqPdD6Rz8mC94VCyoHD62ETq-MrQ_NBmu0o5BVbVEDUntOkpXIjoUf_aem_ERwVKz4aHXqbWnBhhJrgnQ> > )
> ---------------
> Thankfully, the two eBird lists provide a ton of comments on the weather,
> plus sightings of other animals (fishes, etc.).
>
> Harry LeGrand
> Raleigh
> author/editor of the Birds of North Carolina website
>
> PS -- The results were not posted to eBird a day later, and so when many
> of us checked the CBC Sightings list at the end of August 22, these
> rarities were not showing. The reason for the delay is usually to gather
> folks' photos to populate the list, at least for the rarities. When I first
> saw the lists early on August 23, there were about 2-3 photos each for the
> two rare shearwaters, but over the hours other folks have added their
> photos to the eBird lists, so that as I post this there are 10-15 or more
> photos of each of these, not to mention tons of nice photos of all other
> rarities and some of the common ones. These two lists are a joy to review
> all of the photos! Congrats to pelagic photographers -- a difficult job to
> get presentable close-up photos of birds in flight!
>
