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Posted by Toe on 18:17:03 05/30/09
Thirty-five participants and five leaders set sail from Miami Beach Marina aboard the "Another Reward" with high hopes for some pelagic specialties, especially after the recent appearance of some good birds off our coasts. To our disappointment, the southwest winds of the last three days really slowed things down offshore, and we had to work hard for the birds we did get.
We started off by checking Fowey Rocks lighthouse. About one mile north of Fowey we spotted the first two Brown Booby, then a couple more. These were probably roosting at Fowey and had just flown to begin feeding. By the time we arrived at the lighthouse, only two Brown Booby remained, along with some cormorants and Royal Tern.
We then headed offshore, but had to travel out beyond 500' of water (~8 miles out) to get our first pelagics, in this case Sooty Terns. As we continued we would encounter a couple of Sooty Terns here and there, and some on board saw a Masked Booby. Out past 1,000 ft. we found two Audubon's Shearwater, our only shearwaters for the day. We then found two Brown Booby and some Sooty Terns feeding. We drifted and set up a chum slick and after a long wait were rewarded with 2 or 3 Wilson's Storm-Petrels. We stayed with them for a while as they would move in and out of the slick picking up little tidbits. We also had a pair of Blackpoll Warblers give the boat a pass.
The time was around noon and we were out beyond 15 miles, so we began making our way back. We added a couple of Bridled Terns to the day's list, along with more Sooty Terns, a Northern Gannet, and the occasional Brown Booby. In around 1,100 ft. of water we had another Masked Booby, a really nice adult, fly behind us at some distance. Some on board got decent looks, but he bird flew away from us as the boat turned to give chase. No chance of catching up to it. The rest of the way in was uneventful as far as birds, but we saw a couple of Loggerhead Sea Turtles (literally a "couple"), a large Hammerhead Shark, and a jumping Sailfish.
The birds were definitely not cooperating the way we'd like, and I'm sure the southwest winds were the main reason. But, the Masked Booby, Wilson's Storm-Petrel display, and the great company while spending time on the water always makes for a rewarding day.
Many thanks to all those who participated today. A special thanks to Captain Chris, first mate Chris, and the other crew member (a young lady who I believe was also named Chris) of the "Another Reward" for their enthusiasm and hospitality. I'll let the others chime in if I forget anything. Thanks to all!
The list:
Masked Booby (2)
Brown Booby (12)
Audubon's Shearwater (2)
Bridled Tern (3)
Sooty Tern (24)
Magnificent Frigatebird (8)
non-pelagics:
Blackpoll Warbler (2)
Glossy Ibis (flock of about 10)
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