FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] Virginia Beach Pelagic Trip, 1 March 2003

[BlkVulture@xxxxxxx]

Greetings,

The last scheduled winter pelagic trip in Virginia waters went out of 
Lynnhaven Inlet on Saturday morning, 1 March, headed for Norfolk Canyon.  The 
trip was run by Brian Patteson (www.seabirding.com).  Due to weather related 
cancellation of the previously scheduled trip (February 22), this ended up 
being the only pelagic trip for this season in Virginia.  The next advertised 
Pelagic trip in Virginia is 16 August (17 August rain date) out of Rudee 
Inlet aboard the Blue Water Bullet.  

Over thirty participants were treated to a fine day at sea aboard the 
sixty-one foot Nancy Anne.  The ride out was chilly, but the temperatures 
eventually got into the mid or upper forties.  We had a gentle six to eight 
foot roll from the northeast on the ride out, which eventually lessened a bit 
later in the day.  It was mostly sunny, and the wind was a bit cooling, but 
not unbearable.  The return trip was with the sea and quite enjoyable, though 
it would have been a bit more pleasant if the sun had stayed out until we 
reached shore.  

As for birds, it was a fine day with just about all of the "good" birds being 
quite cooperative and allowing for prolonged observation.  As we cleared Cape 
Henry and the sky started to brighten, we had a few scoters going by as 
silhouettes, along with gulls headed out to sea.  Some birders were treated 
to a group of four White-winged Scoters across the bow.  Handfuls of Common, 
and fewer Red-throated Loons were passed while still in sight of land.  At 
about seven-twenty we found of first alcids of the day, as two Razorbills 
passed the boat, but not particularly close.  Eventually we did get one very 
obliging Razorbill that gave anyone interested a great look.  We slowly 
tallied up a few more Razorbills over the next hour or so before finding our 
first Northern Fulmar of the day.  The Fulmars were buzzing around the boat 
at various times while in the Canyon, and we tallied up a decent number on 
the return trip in as well.  It was just after ten AM when we found our first 
Atlantic Puffin and Dovekie of the day.  The Puffin was seen well by most, 
but the Dovekie streaked past not offering much of a view.  We had no idea at 
the time that the little auks would be virtually underfoot for our entire 
time in deep water.  The next two new species for the day were gulls.  First 
an immature Black-legged Kittiwake made a quick but close pass down the port 
side.  Shortly after, an adult Glaucous Gull was seen amid the flock of gulls 
coming into our chum.  It was a spectacular bird, and a rare treat to see an 
adult of this species at this latitude.  The Glaucous hung around for quite a 
while before last being seen.  We would later catch up with three more 
Kittiwakes, but it remained the only species that may not have been seen well 
by everyone on board.  A single Red Phalarope stayed afloat long enough for 
everyone to get a good study of it before it eventually flew off.  

Somewhere around noon we began to realize that we were going to have a good 
Dovekie day.  They started appearing pretty regularly, a few here and there.  
Eventually we got into a line of them that stretched off the boat in each 
direction.  Many were diving, and routinely some would pop up ten to twenty 
yards off the boat.  A couple times I noticed them surfacing within ten feet 
of the bow, only to paddle away a few yards.  While we were being delighted 
by the Dovekies, we were tallying up a few puffins as well, getting good 
looks at them too.  None were in their striking breeding plumage, but there 
were a couple showing more orange than others on their bills, and a couple 
faces were starting to pale-up a bit.  

Toward the end of the noon hour, two whale spouts were noticed a couple miles 
off.  By the angle of the spout they were identified as Sperm Whales.  We 
were able to see one distant sounding dive as the whale fluked-up, flipping 
its tail above water as it dived.  As we drifted toward them, enjoying the 
alcids, we eventually got within a couple hundred yards of one sperm whale as 
it reappeared and loafed along at the surface.  This animal stayed around for 
at least twenty minutes, all the while there were Dovekies all over the 
place, and Gannets were plunging off the stern and gulls were circling 
everywhere.  

We ended up with an impressive tally of Dovekies, perhaps more impressive by 
it being March.  The Sperm Whale was a a nice bonus, as winter sightings 
aren't all that common.  

The numbers from the trip (accurate for the pelagic birds and alcids, but 
somewhat shaky for some of the birds seen close to shore on the return trip):

Common Loon:  65, probably missed a few on the return trip in.
Red-throated Loon:  9
Northern Fulmar: 54
Northern Gannet: circa 900
White-winged Scoter:  4
Unidentified dark-winged Scoter:  26
Red Phalarope:  2
Bonaparte's Gull:  3
Herring Gull:  300, an estimate, probably low. 
Glaucous Gull:  1 Adult.
Lesser Black-backed Gull:  2, first and second winter.
Great Black-backed Gull:  75-100, an estimate.
Black-legged Kittiwake:  4
Dovekie:  309
Atlantic Puffin:  25-30
Razorbill:  32

Sperm Whale:  2

Cheers,

Todd

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Todd M. Day
Jeffersonton, VA
Culpeper County
BlkVulture@xxxxxxx
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