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Posted by Toe on 16:15:54 07/29/06
Despite the 15 knot winds, I was joined today by Bob Carroll and Becky Enneis from Gainesville, and Jerry Pilny from Alberta. I have been communicating with Bob via email since last year, and had offered to take him on a pelagics trip if he ever made it down here. Against his better judgement, he took me up on it, and it was a real pleasure for me to finally meet in person. The morning started off on the weird side with about 8 Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying over us as we left Crandon Marina. Fowey Rocks had no Boobies at first, but a second try later in the morning produced a single juvenile Brown Boobie, most likely the same one that was there on 7/3. In the Gulfstream we were treated to a steady diet of Sooty Terns. No big concentrations, since there was no well-defined weedline or rip, but rather the birds were in flocks of 5 - 10 individuals in anywhere from 200 to 600 feet of water. We also got some Bridled Terns mixed in with the Sooties and a pair of Cory's Shearwaters sitting on the water. We were able to get close to these and get great looks. At mid-morning, in about 500' of water, we had the best bird of the day: a MANX SHEARWATER. This bird flew alongside the boat for quite a distance, banking and gliding along giving us awesome looks, and showing us its distinctive field marks (or should I say, ocean marks?). I kept hoping to see an Audubon's Shearwater for comparison, and eventually we had one fly right by the boat as we watched a flock of Sooty Terns feeding. We also had some small sandpipers flying south while out in the Gulfstream. Strangely absent were any of the Storm Petrels, which we put a lot of effort into looking for. Oh well, the Manx more than made up for it. Our final tally:
MANX SHEARWATER
AUDUBON'S SHEARWATER
CORY'S SHEARWATER (2)
BROWN BOOBY
SOOTY TERN (~100)
BRIDLED TERN (20)
BLACK_BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK (8)
PEEP Sp. (15)
A very nice morning with good birds and no one getting sick. As Paul B. says: life IS good, getting Red-billed Tropicbird with my old friends from down here, followed by Manx Shearwater with my new friends from up north. Cheers!
Toe
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