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As reported in NatureNB
Location: Maine Audubon Annual Pelagic Tour, Observation date: 10/3/09
Notes: Departed from Bar Harbor on the Friendship V, motored ENE to Machias Seal Island, then just south of Grand Manan Island to Gannet Rock, then SW to Grand Manan Banks and back west returning to Frenchman Bay. Seas were fairly calm throughout trip, building to maybe two or three feet near end of trip. Winds SE but light most of the day, building upon our return. Skies mostly sunny then clouded up, no rain until we were back in Frenchman Bay. Non-birds included many bluefin tuna, harbor seals, gray seals, harbor porpoise, Minke whale 3+,humpback whale 6+, finback whale 2, northern right whale 2, and pilot whale 15+
Number of species: 30
Common Eider 120
Surf Scoter 12
White-winged Scoter 10
ommon Loon 3
Northern Fulmar ~275 mostly light morphs, some intermediates, few dark morphs
Greater Shearwater ~3150 incredible show, over 1,000 south of Great Wass Island, almost continually in view throughout the trip
Sooty Shearwater ~350 surprisingly large number given the date and location
Manx Shearwater 4
shearwater sp. 1 a leucistic bird, many photos taken,
remiges heavily worn, I was leaning towards Sooty but not sure, had a quicker, snapper wing beat compared to Greater but my have been necessitated by damaged wings
Wilson's Storm-Petrel 2000+ surprisingly large number given the late date, most were SE of Machias Seal Island and while we were motoring back
Leach's Storm-Petrel 2
Northern Gannet 82 mostly immature birds
Double-crested Cormorant ~200
Great Cormorant 1 flew over Machias Seal Island
Great Blue Heron 1 well offshore, in flight
Merlin 1 On Machias Seal Island
Peregrine Falcon 1 On Machias Seal Island
Red-necked Phalarope 8 a group of three, then 5 mixed in with the Red Phalaropes
Red Phalarope 143 all in winter plumage
Black-legged Kittiwake 18 mix of adults and immature
Ring-billed Gull X
Herring Gull X
Lesser Black-backed Gull 1 a subadult at Machias Seal Island
Great Black-backed Gull X
Common Tern 1 brief look, flew over the boat
Pomarine Jaeger 10 a mix of adults and immature and light and dark morphs
Common Murre 1 not a great look, in with a couple of Razorbills
Razorbill 60 most were south of Grand Manan Island, near Gannet Rock
Black Guillemot 8
Atlantic Puffin 20
American Goldfinch 2
passerine sp. 1 flying over Machias Seal Island, too far out to identify
This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(
http://ebird.org)
Eric Hynes
Gilsland Farm Naturalist / Adult Education Program Coordinator
Maine Audubon
20 Gilsland Farm Road
Falmouth, ME 04105