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Subject:

Results of Aug. 25 SLP Lewes Fish/Bird Charter

From:

"Paul A. Guris"

Reply-To:

Date:

Sat, 2 Sep 2006 17:32:49 -0400

See Life Paulagics again ran an 8-person fishing / birding charter on  
the Lewestown Lady out of Lewes, DE.  This is a fairly expensive  
22-hour trip that a handful of hard-core Delaware birders (who double  
as anglers) like to try to pull off each summer.  Our general  
itinerary is to ride out through the night into the Wilmington Canyon  
past the 1000 fathom line, which is the edge of the Continental Shelf.  
  We set up and start fishing in the dark, fish and bird the entire  
morning, and work our way back in the afternoon.  Conditions were flat  
calm in the evening and early morning, but become breezy and choppy by  
mid-day.  We gave it up about an hour early and had a bit of a rough  
ride back in.

We spent most of our time in Delaware (and New Jersey) waters but our  
drift in the dark started us out in Maryland waters where we managed  
to find a WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL.  If accepted (highly likely as we  
have photos and video), it will be the state's 4th accepted record.

Motoring back in Delaware waters with a slightly disappointed Frank  
Rohrbacher (he needed the White-faced for his Delaware list), we soon  
made good with a second WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL!  If accepted (highly  
likely as we have photos and video), it will only be the state's 2nd  
accepted record.  Photos are up on our web site.

As we continued our trolling and birding, a tern made an appearance  
and flew right across our stern.  It was a nice adult ARCTIC TERN,  
another very good bird for Delaware.  Two POMARINE JAEGERS also flew  
by the boat.  This is a bird that seems to be getting scarcer lately  
in the Mid-Atlantic.

Finally we picked up an ran for home, but the excitement wasn't nearly  
over.  Mary Gustafson and Ed Sigda were watching something and I heard  
her say, "I think this might be a SABINE'S GULL."  I scanned with my  
glasses and picked up a Common Tern, wondering what the heck she was  
talking about.  As she screamed a positive ID on SABINE'S GULL, I  
realize that I was looking at a bird 90 degrees away from hers!  The  
gorgeous adult SABINE'S GULL in breeding plumage flew with us for a  
bit, and Ed managed to squeeze off some stellar pics.  If accepted  
(and it had better be!), it will only be the state's 2nd accepted  
record.

A final goodbye present on our run home was two small groups of  
BRIDLED TERNS (numbering 3 and 2) that a few people were able to get on.

In addition to great birds, we had excellent cetaceans and good  
fishing.  Final cetacean counts include 6 SPERM WHALES (including a  
calf), my first for this region, about 150 PILOT WHALES,  4 RISSO'S  
DOLPHIN, and 2 CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALES, only my second sighting for  
this region.  Mike Fritz got wonderful video of the SPERM WHALES, and  
stills are up on our web site.  Fish caught included a SCALLOPED  
HAMMERHEAD SHARK of about 150 pounds, a YELLOWFIN TUNA nearing 90  
pounds, and several MAHI MAHI / DOLPHIN.

Here are the final counts for the day:

SPECIES                  TOTAL
---------------          -----
Cory's Shearwater           14
Audubon's Shearwater         8
shearwater sp.               6
Wilson's Storm-Petrel      140
WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL     2
Northern Gannet              1
Laughing Gull                3
Great Black-backed Gull      1
SABINE'S GULL                1
BRIDLED TERN                 5
Common Tern                  3
ARCTIC TERN                  1
stern tern sp.               4
POMARINE JAEGER              2
Barn Swallow                 1

SPERM WHALE                  6
CUVIER'S BEAKED WHALE        2
Pilot Whale                150
Risso's Dolphin              4


Many thanks to the intrepid group of sharp-eyed and diligent  
birds/anglers, the captains (including guest captain), and the mate  
who made this trip so successful.

Our next scheduled pelagic from Lewes is October 21.  This is a very  
underexplored time of year for our pelagic waters.  We're hoping to  
find Manx Shearwater, Greater Shearwater, Parasitic Jaeger, Red  
Phalarope, and who knows what else.  Contact us if you are interested  
or want more information.


-Paul

Paul A. Guris
See Life Paulagics
P.O. Box 161
Green Lane, PA  18054
www.paulagics.com
215-234-6805