Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 08:29:00 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Norman Saunders Subject: Reminder--April Pelagic from Lewes, DE Just a quick reminder--SeeLife Paulagics is running a trip on April 12 with the primary purpose to search for Great Skua in MD & DE waters. Please sign up now! If they can't get 30 people then Fran and I won't be able to go on the trip and that would be a sad loss for us... Here are the particulars (from Paul's website): General Information Departs: 6:00 AM Returns: approximately 6:00 PM Cost: $100 (includes tip for the mates) Boat: 85' Thelma Dale IV Location: Fisherman's Wharf, Lewes, DE Target Species This time of year at sea is very poorly birded. We are running this trip to see what might be out there. The date was picked to try to coincide with the large migration of Atlantic Mackerel and Herring in the hopes that there are birds following them and the huge schools of bait that are their prey. Northern Fulmar, Manx Shearwater*, Sooty Shearwater*, Northern Gannet, lingering alcids, Red Phalarope, Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, Great Skua*, Herring, Iceland, Lesser Black-backed and Greater Black-backed Gulls, Black-legged Kittiwake. There is no way we'll see ALL these birds, but these are the birds we would expect to see if we went out several times in winter. Some are virtually guaranteed (e.g. Herring Gull) and others are much less expected (marked with *). We will also be looking for marine mammals. The large schools of fish should attract certain species of cetacean. Good possibilities at this time of year are Fin Whale, Humpbacked Whale, Minke Whale, Long-finned Pilot- Whale, Common Dolphin, and Risso's Dolphin. Tentative Itinerary We are hoping to explore areas like the 30 fathom line, Elephant's Trunk, Hot Dog, possibly the Baltimore Canyon, wherever the commercial fleet is fishing, and any other areas of interest. We may try to find an inshore area that is holding bait so we can spend a little time studying jaegers. We expect to spend time in both Maryland and Delaware waters. We will be chumming to attract gulls behind the boat and hopefully other birds too. Please note that this is a tentative itinerary. The actual route taken will depend upon the Captain's knowledge of current water temperature and bait conditions, and what we encounter during the trip. For more information, visit Paul Guris's website at: www.paulagics.com Best, Norm ===================== Norm Saunders Colesville & West Ocean City, MD marshhawk@att.net ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================