Outer Banks Trip Report, was Re: Hart-Miller Island: 08/22/98

Thomas Stock (TSTOCK@FMSHRC.GOV)
Mon, 24 Aug 1998 14:28:42 -0400


Re Rob Hilton and Gene Scarpula's reports of Cloudless
Sulphurs, I'm just back from the Outer Banks of North Carolina,
where there's been a huge movement of this species for the
past two weeks.  When I samples numbers, I counted an 
average of 10-12 Cloudless Sulphurs an hour moving north 
along the beach, and they were everywhere in Avon where
we were staying.  The butterflying was generally better than
the birding - found two nice southern species: several 
Twin-spot Skippers at the Bodie Island Light and several
Phaon Cresents in a vacant lot in Avon.  Other notables
included Giant Swallowtails and Zarucco Duskywings, both
common in Avon, lots of Swarthy Skippers, and  few 
Palamedes Swallowtails.

Birding was spottier.  In fact, I saw nothing at all out of the
ordinary. That being said, I can't think of a better place
to study terns.  The only missing species from the list of
usual and unusual were Roseate, Arctic, and Sooty.

Went out to the Gulf Stream with FONT on Aug. 10
and saw a truly extraordinary number of Band-rumped Storm
Petrels - the official count was about 150 - including views 
of Band-rumpeds side by side with Wilson's (also very numerous),
a first for me.  But alas no rarities or lifers - missed the Bulwer's 
Petrel seen that weekend on another FONT trip.  Did have a
life mammal - Clymene Dolphin, a large pod of which surrounded
our boat and rode the bow wave for a good long while.  We
also came upon a large (about 12 foot) Blue Shark, which the
captain and mate insisted on catching.  Too bad - the shark
looked much more impressive in the water. 

Tom Stock