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NH.Birds for Monday, August 27, 2007
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Subject: Macaronesian Shearwater (P. baroli) off Massachusetts
From: Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 9:32am
The following report by Rick Heil details Saturday's Brookline Bird Club
pelagic trip off the coast of MA including the exciting find of a Little
"Macaronesian" Shearwater. This shearwater is currently classified by
the AOU as a Little Shearwater (Puffinus assimilis baroli) however the
BOU and others have now classified it as Macaronesian Shearwater (P.
Baroli).
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
Subject: Macaronesian Shearwater (P. baroli) off Massachusetts
From: "rsheil AT juno.com" <rsheil(AT)juno.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Aug 2007 17:25:31 GMT
SATURDAY, 25 AUGUST 2007:
BROOKLINE BIRD CLUB 'Extreme Pelagic' from HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS to
VEATCH'S &
HYDROGRAPHER CANYON (0400-2100 hrs.)
Weather: Mostly clear, morning and afternoon light to moderate fog, S-SW
winds
5-10 mph, 62-75 F. Seas: 3-5 feet. Visibility: Generally good, although
only
fair in light fog and haze at times.
Every trip to these waters is an adventure into the last true frontier
of New
England ornithology.
More than seventy-five participants plus the captain and crew of the
Helen H
departed Hyannis at 0400 hrs., crossing Nantucket Sound and this time
exiting
through Muskeget Channel en route to Veatch's Canyon where water
temperatures
reached 77 F. We cruised down the center of the canyon and continued
south well
off the shelf edge into water more about 4000 feet deep before steaming
east to
Hydrographer Canyon where we worked back north, crossing the cold water
Nantucket Shoals (53 F) to Nantucket Sound, arriving back in port around
2100
hrs.
The big event was the observation of a Macaronesian Shearwater (Puffinus
baroli), formerly considered a subspecies of Little Shearwater (P.
assimilis),
which was photographed by perhaps a dozen photographers on board! Photos
will
be presented soon. There are two specimen records for baroli: one found
dead
Sable Island, NS, 1 Sep 1896 (AMNH ###; Tufts, R.W. 1986. Birds of Nova
Scotia,
3rd ed. with revisions by I.A. McLaren and the Nova Scotia Bird Society.
Nimbus
Publishing Ltd. & The Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax, NS); one found dead
Sullivan's Island, SC, Aug 1883 (MCZ #220051; Post, W. and S. A.
Gauthreaux,
Jr. 1989. Status and Distribution of South Carolina Birds. The Charleston
Museum, Charleston, SC). There is one recent credible sight record of three
birds: Bruce Mactavish saw one 23 Sep 2003 ~80 km sws. Sable Island, NS
and two
80 km s. Sable I. 24 Sep (North Am. Birds 58(1):31)
Anyone with photos please send them to scottspangenberg AT
mindspring.net and
Jeremiah Trimble at jtrimble AT oeb.harvard.edu ; Scott will post the
photos to
his website www.spangenberg.com and Jeremiah will archive them for records
committe review.
Cory's Shearwater (3): One definitive borealis photographed.
Greater Shearwater (41)
Sooty Shearwater (1-2): Nantucket Shoals.
Manx Shearwater (6)
Audubon's Shearwater (3): Vicinity Veatch's Canyon.
MACARONESIAN SHEARWATER, P. baroli (1): Pursued and photographed over
perhaps a
ten minute period in 70+ degree water approximately 18 miles north of
Veatch's
Canyon at 40 24.78 N, 69 75.29 W. Formerly considered a subspecies of
Little
Shearwater (P. assimilis). Briefly, it was a very small shearwater with
a rapid
fluttery flight, exceptionally blackish upperparts, save for the notably
pale
wing panels and a thin white lines along the edge of the greater and median
coverts. The face was very extensively white, with the dark eye isolated
in the
white field. The underwings appeared cleanly white, with narrow,
well-defined
dark borders, and the undertail coverts were extensively white as well. A
careful review of full monitor photographs when they appear may fine
tune some
of these 'in the field' impressions. This is the first photographically
documented N. Am sight record (aside from two specimen records) and
obviously a
first Massachusetts record, if accepted.
small shearwater sp. (1)
Wilson's Storm-Petrel (415)
BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETREL (1): Sitting with a Greater Shearwater off the
shelf
at 40 07.6 N, 69 05.6 W, flushed and closely observed and photographed in
flight. About the sixth MA record, and only the second or third
photographed.
Northern Gannet (2 sub-ads.)
Hudsonian Godwit (40): A very remarkable sighting of a migrating flock
southbound late in the afternoon low over the water over Nantucket
Shoals at 40
69.65 N, 69 36,25 W. Nest landfall Argentina?
Ruddy Turnstone (1): Circling the boat along the shelf edge.
Red-necked Phalarope (3+)
Red Phalarope (8)
phalarope sp. (8+)
Herring Gull (1 juv.)
Great Black-backed Gull (1)
Common Tern (4 ads.)
Pomarine Jaeger (1 ad./near ad.): South of Muskeget Channel.
Tree Swallow (3): Vicinity Veatch's Canyon.
Fin Whale (8+)
Humpbacked Whale (3+)
Gray Grampus (170+): Warm water canyons and slope.
SPERM WHALE (1): In 4000 ft deep water over Veatch's Canyon.
Common (Saddleback) Dolphin (40+): s. Nantucket Shoals.
Bottlenosed Dolphin (35+): warm water canyons and slope.
dolphin sp. (50+)
Hammerhead Shark sp. (1)
shark sp. (2)
Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola (2)
Manta Ray (1):
Green Darner, Anax junius (1): Along shelf edge.
Many thanks again to Ida Giriunas for organizing these trips and to the
Brookline Bird Club for including them in their program, to all of the
participants who make them possible by signing up, and to Marshall Iliff
and
Steve Mirick for their informative and insightful commentary and expertise
during the cruise. Thanks to to Captain Joe Huckameyer (and crew) of the
Helen
H. The captain was exceptional and indeed instramental in the chase of the
Macaronesian Shearwater which permitted us to document it so well. The next
trip is scheduled for November 17. If interested contact Ida at
Ida8 AT verizon.net.
Note: The above list is a summary list for the day, but totals were kept in
more detailed half-hour increments. If you'd like those more detailed
notes,
Marshall Iliff has offered to upload those detailed notes to anyone's eBird
account. Mapping features within eBird will allow you to see the exact
route of
the Helen H as well as the location of the Macaronesian Shearwater,
Band-rumped
Storm-Petrel, and other species. If you have an eBird account write
Marshall (
miliff AT aol.com) and express interest in the detailed notes; if you
don't have
one, signing up is easy at www.ebird.org."
Richard S. Heil
S. Peabody, MA
rsheil AT juno.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Pelagic trip maps
From: Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 9:33am
I put together a couple of maps showing the course that we took for
yesterday's Brookline Bird Club "Extreme" Pelagic Trip from Hyannis, MA
out to the edge of the continental shelf, about 120 miles offshore! All
of the maps were created using my hand-held GPS and free charts and
software on-line.
Here is a map of the overall trip:
http://home.comcast.net/~smirick/pelagicmap1.jpg
And here is a more detailed map of the area around the canyons and the
locations of the Little "Macaronesian" Shearwater and the Band-rumped
Storm-Petrel.
http://home.comcast.net/~smirick/sightingsmap1.jpg
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Little Shearwater images
From: Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 9:39am
Here are some first images of the Little "Macaronesian" Shearwater taken
by Blair Nikula:
http://www.capecodbirds.org/Hydrographer/MacronesianShearwater0807.htm
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Little Shearwater images
From: "James P. Smith" <keenbirder(AT)yahoo.com>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 9:53am
Hey Steve,
Great shots from Blair. I'm delighted that you all got a 'mega'. Scott Surner
has given me permission to post a few of his images here as well:
http://keenbirding.com/NE07/macroshear250807.html
He must have been standing next to Blair when he took them.
Wonderful bird!!
James.
Amherst, MA.
Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net> wrote: Here are some first images of the
Little "Macaronesian" Shearwater taken
by Blair Nikula:
http://www.capecodbirds.org/Hydrographer/MacronesianShearwater0807.htm
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA
---------------------------------
Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell.
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Little Shearwater images
From: Stephen Mirick <smirick(AT)comcast.net>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 10:03am
I know this has got to hurt a bit for you since I know you were on the
waiting list and then couldn't make it when a spot opened up.
But I have to tell you, your post last week to IDF and the subsequent
discussions were very helpful for me to educate myself on Little
Shearwater (or macaronesian or whatever) ID. I was in the back of the
boat with Scott and others, and the ID was being called out as Manx
(!!!???) from the front of the boat! But we KNEW it wasn't a Manx!
..................Steve
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Mail address for Shearwater Photos
From: Scott Spangenberg <scottspangenberg(AT)mindspring.com>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 12:16pm
I volunteered to use my website to post everyone's photos of the
Macronesian/North Atlantic Little Shearwater from Saturday's trip to
Veatch's and Hydrographers Canyons. Please send your photos to this
address. There are still several folks who haven't sent me their
photos, or sent them to the wrong address.
If you sent them to scottspanDenberg(AT)mindspring.com (notice the D
instead of a G), then I'm afraid that they went to the Great Bit
Bucket In the Sky, and you will need to send them to this address.
So far, I have photos from Jason Forbes, Carlos Pedro, Marshall
Illiff, Scott Surner, Jeremiah Trimble, and Joe Sutherland, plus
images that I nicked from Blair Nikula's site (I hope that I have
done so with his permission).
Scott Spangenberg
Amherst, NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: hummingbird chatter and eclipse
From: "MH" <MH(AT)Hendricks.mv.com>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 2:36pm
Last week we noticed a lot more birds at the feeders.
Even the hummingbirds are back. There are two of them. Yesterday they were
hovering under the feeder looking into the house. They have done that before
if the feeder needs more sugar water, so my husband checked to see of the
feeder needed filling; it didn't.
Later we were sitting on the porch and the hummers were squeaking and
squawking in their little voices. Finally we noticed that that there were
hornets and bees trying to get to the sugar water, but they could only buzz
around, but I guess that was ticking off the hummingbirds. As the sun went
down, the bees left and the hummers spent quite a bit of time at the
feeders, even after the sun was gone.
Just a note for you early risers: there is a lunar eclipse tomorrow morning,
August 28: The moon enters the Earth's full shadow, or umbra, at 4:51 a.m.
EDT (1:51 a.m. PDT). It enters the total-eclipse phase at 5:32 EDT (2:52
PDT) and the event ends after sunrise on the East coast and at 4:22 a.m.
PDT.
Muffie
Dover Point
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: upland sand horseshoe pond
From: "Eric Masterson" <EMasterson(AT)NHAudubon.org>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 5:28pm
there at 5:30 pm.
Eric Masterson
New Hampshire Audubon
Phone 224-9909 ext. 307
Win a two-night stay at the Mount Washington Valley Resort and Hotel for
two couples by recruiting a new member. Go to www.nhaudubon.org for
more information.
New Hampshire Audubon
Protecting New Hampshire's natural environment for wildlife and for
people
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: photos of the Macronesian/North Atlantic Little Shearwater
From: Scott Spangenberg <scottspangenberg(AT)mindspring.com>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 5:32pm
I volunteered to use my website to post everyone's photos of the
Macronesian/North Atlantic Little Shearwater from Saturday's trip to
Veatch's and Hydrographers Canyons. Here is the page I put together.
http://www.scottspangenberg.com/Birds/MacaronesianShearwater
I have tested this with IE and FireFox on Windows XP and Safari on
the Macintosh, but I haven't linked it to the rest of my website yet.
Scott Spangenberg
Amherst, NH
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Bird and Whale trip, 8/27/2007
From: "David Larson" <dlarson(AT)massaudubon.org>
Date: 27 Aug 2007 5:50pm
The Prince of Whales sailed this morning from Newburyport with clear skies,
light winds, and minor swells. This was the last of this year's Monday Bird and
Whale programs jointly sponsored by Newburyport Whale Watch and Joppa Flats
Education Center (Mass Audubon).
In the harbor (high tide) we had hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls along with Common
Terns, Ruddy Turnstones, and a few other shorebirds. A very quick highlight was
a Mola mola (Ocean Sunfish) between the two jetties! Captain Bill actually
executed a 360 turn, avoiding contact with this odd fish. Once offshore we
headed to Jeffries Ledge. In general the birding was a bit slow, but the marine
mammal situation was quite nice. Birds seen east of the jetties included:
75 Wilson's Storm-petrels
2 Greater Shearwaters
1 Manx Shearwater
2 Northern Gannets
12 Double-crested Cormorants
1 Black Tern (+ 3 possibles)
8 Red-necked Phalaropes (+ 3 phalarope sp.)
lots of Common Terns and large gulls
Non-birds:
1 Mola mola
Small group of "footballs" - under 100 pound Bluefin Tuna chasing bait fish
at and above the surface
2 Humpback Whales (mother-calf pair)
2 Fin Whales
1 Minke Whale
7 Sei Whales (life mammal for many on board!)
6 Harbor Seals (only 1 offshore)
2 Monarch butterfly
We will also be running a full day dedicated offshore birding trip on Sunday,
September 9. To register for this program, please call the Newburyport Whale
Watch at 1-800-848-1111. You can download a brochure for these trips at
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/news.php?id=773&event=no or http://www.newburyportwhalewatch.com/.
--
David M. Larson, Ph.D.
Education Coordinator
Joppa Flats Education Center
Mass Audubon
Newburyport, MA
978-462-9998
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Copies of Wild America and pelagic birding film wanted
From: tbbirds(AT)comcast.net (Terry Bronson)
Date: 27 Aug 2007 8:06pm
I am looking to obtain or rent copies of the following for possible
programs for the Seacoast Chapter of NH Audubon. Any leads
would be much appreciated. Extensive web searching has been
fruitless.
Roger Tory Peterson's "Wild America"--the film of his legendary
1953 trip across America with British naturalist James Fisher
A documentary film of a pelagic birding trip--preferably on the
U.S. East Coast, but a West Coast trip would also be acceptable.
Please reply off-list. Thanks much.
--
Terry Bronson
Fremont, NH
tbbirds(AT)comcast.net
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