Aug 23 & 24 - BBC Extreme Pelagic (WFSP, RBTR, BCPEs, SPSK, Whale Shark)

A borderline weather forecast almost kept us from leaving the dock this weekend, but the end result was another spectacularly successful Brookline Bird Club overnight pelagic. We've been waiting two years for another overnight trip. Our most recent overnighter (in 2012) was amazing, and last year's trip was canceled due to high seas. So we were really itching to get back out there!

Here are some highlights from the weekend with a few pics. I know that several folks got some killer photos, so keep an eye out for those. Marshall Iliff and Jeremiah Trimble are preparing the full trip report and eBird checklists.

In short, we had (among other things!) three BLACK-CAPPED PETRELS (the two seen well enough were white-faced types), five shearwater species, four storm-petrel species including WHITE-FACED and BAND-RUMPED, an immature RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD, Red and Red-necked Phalaropes, SOUTH POLAR SKUA, all three jaegers...and a WHALE SHARK right next to the boat.

Our route, with a few of the many highlights marked
Red-billed Tropicbird

Red-billed Tropicbird

Red-billed Tropicbird being pursued by a Pomarine Jaeger

Red-billed Tropicbird

White-faced Storm-Petrel

White-faced Storm-Petrel

Black-capped Petrel (the second of three seen)

Black-capped Petrel (the second of three seen)

Black-capped Petrel (the first of three seen)

Black-capped Petrel (the first of three seen)

Whale Shark

Parasitic Jaeger


Audubon's Shearwater

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Sooty Shearwater in a raft of Great Shearwaters

juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger

juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger

Another amazing overnight trip is in the books. It's no wonder this annual event sells out months in advance. The biggest thanks go to Ida Giriunas and Naeem Yusuff for their hard work to make these trips possible. Here's hoping to another opportunity to get out there, sooner than later.

 - Nick

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