I would like to personally commend Holly (and the Seacoast Chapter) for
all of the hard work they do AS VOLUNTEERS to make field trips and
programs happen. Without them, there would be no trips!!! And there is
a lot of work! The volunteers for NH Audubon are incredible people!!!
With respect to pelagic trips, it certainly is a shame that we can't get
more going. Maybe we can try to bump it up to 3 trips next fall....but
this will only work if the Captain of the Granite State can find time in
his schedule and he's been reluctant to do this. I asked him briefly
about getting another trip this month and he rolled his eyes at me
implying not a chance. I can email him and see what he thinks.
It's really incredible how birding has EXPLODED over the last 25 years.
When Jane and I started dating 25 years ago, we would often visit the NH
coast during the fall season ON WEEKENDS and never see any other
birders! We didn't even organize any pelagic trips back then!
And as a reminder, there are other ways to go offshore!!!!! Maine
Audubon and the Brookline Bird Club out of Massachusetts offer pelagic
trips. And you can go on a whale watch out of Rye harbor. You can even
go offshore on an all-day fishing boat out of Seabrook.....on these you
go as an observer only and ride on the upper deck while people fish
below you....sadly they don't offer a discount for birders....but you
get to productive offshore waters.
On 9/12/2026 7:09 PM, <hbaue......> wrote:
> Historically there have been three pelagic trips a year. One on
> Memorial Day sponsored by NH Audubon and two in the fall on the day
> after Labor Day and in October on Indigenous People's/Columbus Day.
> NH Audubon and the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon alternate
> sponsorship of the fall trips, one year the Seacoast Chapter sponsors
> the September trip and the next year they will sponsor October for
> example. The timing of those trips is based on the availability of
> Granite State Whale Watch - pretty much all of the rest of the year
> they are booked for whale watches. This spring they happened to have
> an extra day available in June and the Seacoast Chapter sponsored
> impromptu trip then.
>
> Speaking for the Seacoast Chapter, we have not changed our methodology
> for promoting the trips. We post the link to register on our website
> (seacoastchapter.org) and then announce it in this group and on
> Facebook. One thing that may have changed is the popularity of the
> trips and birding in general. It used to take several days for the
> trips to fill up and now it can only take a few hours. The good news
> is that registration for the October trip will open tomorrow (Sunday),
> so keep an eye our website for the link to register. I hope to see you
> on board.
>
> Holly Bauer
> Seacoast Chapter Field Trip Coordinator
>
> On Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 6:31:17 PM UTC-4 B Foy wrote:
>
> I will second that. Pelagic trips were a primary reason for me
> becoming a member of NH Audubon. But I have seen only occasional
> announcements for these trips. There is a clearly a large
> unsatisfied demand for pelagic trips out of Rye Harbor. Perhaps we
> could strategize on scheduling more of them for the benefit of
> members.
>
> On Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 2:58:17 PM UTC-4
> <jackso......> wrote:
>
> I’m writing this in hopes for getting some answers for myself
> and some other birders I’ve talked to. For years I’ve always
> jumped at the chance to get on both spring and fall NH Audubon
> pelagic trips on the Granite State out of Rye. As soon as the
> trips are announced/promoted, usually in this forum, myself
> and others buy tickets as soon as they’re available. However,
> something has changed and a bunch of us missed our chances to
> get not only on the spring trip and this last trip that turned
> up a truly once in a lifetime species, but I’ve been told
> there is an October trip that is already sold out as well. So
> I’m asking, does anyone know why these trips have become so
> exclusive? Is there a different forum they’re promoted on?
> We’d like to know how to take part in future trips. Thanks in
> advance to anyone that can help.
>
> -Dylan Jackson
> Wilmot
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
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