I contacted Brian Patterson and Kate Sutherland of Seabirding to see the which of their winter trips had openings and settled on the February 2nd trip.

It was a long drive from Ottawa but it was the best way for me to get it done.

I arrived at the dock the morning of the 2nd and after a few hello’s we boarded the Stormy Petrel II and after a brief instructional talk away we went.

It was a bit windy and for some it was uncomfortable but I love being at sea looking for birds because of the “never know what’s about to come over the horizon” factor.

The crew started chumming an within minutes we had Gull’s, Gannets and Pelican’s at the back of the boat.

Many Adult and Juvenile Brown Pelican’s

Forster’s Terns

Glaucous Gull –  1st Cycle

Adult Great Black-backed Gull

2nd Winter Herring Gull

Adult Winter Herring Gull

Adult Winter Lesser Black-backed Gull

An Almost Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull

Diving Adult Gannet

Diving 2nd Year Gannet

3rd Year Gannet

Adult Gannet

 

1st Summer Gannet

Juvenile Gannet

There were at least 50 to 100 birds behind the boat all day,  incredible looks at all the different gull and Gannet phases.

At 9:30am I heard someone call out “MANX” and I left my spot at the front of the boat and had my first ABA look at a Manx Shearwater.  As if on cue he flew within 20 feet of my spot giving me a fantastic broadside view.  Life bird 745 ABA

We ran into a large flock of Bonaparte Gull’s that had a little surprise mixed in “a Little Gull”.

Bonaparte’s Gull’s

Little Gull with dark the under wing

We saw a few Razorbill’s, most dove as soon as boat got near but a few gave us great views.

Sadly the time seemed to fly by and we couldn’t find any Great Skua’s or was it they couldn’t find us.  Kate and Brian tried all afternoon and even with hundred’s of birds behind the boat, no skuas came to investigate.

Good time had by all on board.

Even got a few images as the sun went down.

Hatteras Dune’s

North Pond Tundra Swan’s

Sun goes down on another great day

Seabirding offers weekend trips from Hatteras, North Carolina at the end of January through to the end of February and can be reached by email:

Brian Patteson:       hatteraspetrel@gmail.com or

before 10pm Easter Time at 1-252-986-1363

Kate Sutherland:    cahaw1101@gmail.com

You can also read about their trips at : http://www.patteson.com/ 

Ciao for no