July 25 & 26 - Hatteras, NC pelagics (Trindade Petrel +)

I always jump at the chance to get offshore, especially to the Gulf Stream off Hatteras, NC with Brian Patteson and his world class operation run by him and Kate Sutherland. Regrettably I missed their Spring Blitz this year but was able to get down there for one weekend this summer (hopefully not my last visit of the season!). We had a fantastic two days on the water. See below for trip numbers (courtesy of Kate Sutherland) and photo highlights.

Now for the plug...these are hands down the best pelagic trips off the East Coast of North America. They offer numbers and variety of Gulf Stream specialties and cooler water species along with a killer track record of rarities. If you're interested in taking a pelagic (and I HIGHLY recommend that you do), visit http://www.patteson.com/ for more information.

July 25

TRINDADE PETREL (light) 1
Black-capped Petrel  60-61 (only one or two white-faced birds, the rest dark-faced or intermediate)
Cory’s Shearwater  51
Great Shearwater  3
Audubon’s Shearwater  14
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel  388-408
Leach’s Storm-Petrel  1
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel  14
Red-necked Phalarope  1
Black-Tern  6
Least Sandpiper  3
Pectoral Sandpiper  1
Mourning Dove  1
Purple Martin  1
Bank Swallow  1
Barn Swallow  1
Bottlenose Dolphin  4

Trindade Petrel (light morph)

Black-capped Petrel (dark-faced type)

Black-capped Petrel (dark-faced type)

Black-capped Petrel (dark-faced type)

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Cory's Shearwater (borealis)

July 26

Black-capped Petrel  76 (only one or two white-faced birds, the rest dark-faced or intermediate)
Cory’s Shearwater  27
Great Shearwater  1
Audubon’s Shearwater  46
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel  95-100
Leach’s Storm-Petrel  1
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel  11
Red-necked Phalarope  1
Bridled Tern  8
Killdeer  1
Least Sandpiper  3
Pectoral Sandpiper  2
GERVAIS' BEAKED WHALE  2-4
Bottlenose Dolphin  20-25

Gervais' Beaked Whale

Band-rumped Storm-Petrel

Black-capped Petrel (dark-faced type)

Black-capped Petrel (dark-faced type)

Bridled Tern

Bridled Terns

Audubon's Shearwater

Audubon's Shearwater
  - NB

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