For the VSO weekend field trip in Virginia Beach, there will be a public
pelagic trip offered on board the "Nancy Ann," leaving from Lynnhaven Inlet
at 0530 in the morning (assembly time is 0500 at the dock), bound for the
Norfolk Canyon, due to return in the evening 12-13 hours later.
What jogged memory about this trip was the report from several parties of a
Sabine's Gull at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel yesterday in the afternoon
-- the VSO's field trip last year in the first week of December also saw this
species here. Normally, however, it is a pelagic migrant.
With few trips to the offshore at this time of year, it's hard to say what
will be seen. But all hands will be looking for alcids (Razorbill is most
likely, but there are records at this time of year for Atlantic Puffin,
Dovekie, and older records of murres), Northern Fulmars, Black-legged
Kittiwakes, Greater Shearwaters, Red Phalaropes and Manx Shearwater (both
probably more likely at this time of year than in midwinter), Pomarine and
Parasitic Jaeger, and perhaps a Great Skua if we're able to locate a trawler.
There are several winter records of Yellow-nosed Albatross at these
latitudes, and we can only hope! We'll be chumming the birds to bring them
close, and this often results in good studies of gulls and Northern Gannets
(bring a camera!).
For more information, contact Brian Patteson, the organizer, at
brian@xxxxxxxxxxxx or via his website http://www.seabirding.com ;(or at
252-986-1363 before 10 p.m.).
Ned Brinkley
Cape Charles, VA
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