First, we have this report plus a number of photos from the trip up on our
new Facebook site.  If your on Facebook, just look up "Paulagic Birding" to
find our page and feel free to friend us for future updates, results,
photos, etc.  If not, go to:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.112003875582334.15784.100003181671988&type=1&l=328d91106d


Now on to the trip report!


We had a great day on our trip out of Lewes, DE on Nov. 19, 2011.  We
managed to slip in between some really awful weather and get a very nice
day.  Daytime temperatures were mild (in the 50s), winds were generally
10-15 knots, and seas ran 2'-4'.  As usual, we managed to cover both
Delaware and Maryland pelagic waters.

Although not reflected in the counts due to proximity to land (we like to
start counting out further to keep the list truly pelagic), we saw a number
of loons, scoters, and other waterfowl heading south as we headed east.  We
saw several PARASITIC JAEGERS and though most were at a distance, one bird
came in and chased the gulls around behind the boat.  Large flocks of
BONAPARTE'S GULLS were feeding 20-30 miles offshore and one LITTLE GULL was
seen among them though not seen by all, the unfortunate side effect of
having so many birds to look through.  By now we had picked up some nice
NORTHERN GANNETS which we saw on and off all day.  A few distant and early
flyby RAZORBILLS made the count.  One oddity was an AMERICAN COOT that was
well offshore.  One very interesting non-bird sighting was a very late
sighting LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE.  We expect them to have left our waters by
now.

As we got further offshore, we lost most of the Bonaparte's and starting
seeing more GREAT SHEARWATERS and BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES, both putting on
great shows as they came in over and over for the chum we were tossing.
Eventually we managed to find multiple single and small groups of MANX
SHEARWATERS and we managed to set the record one-day count for this species
in Maryland.  Along the way we picked up a few RED PHALAROPES for both
states.  As we got deeper we also found several NORTHERN FULMARS, one or
two of which came in for nice close passes to the boat.


RESULTS
Green-winged Teal - 1 (DE: 1, MD: 0)
Surf Scoter - 2 (DE: 2, MD: 0)
Black Scoter - 45 (DE: 45, MD: 0)
Red-throated Loon - 4 (DE: 4, MD: 0)
Common Loon- 2 (DE: 2, MD: 0)
Northern Fulmar - 5 (DE: 0, MD: 5)
Great Shearwater - 45 (DE: 29, MD: 16)
Manx Shearwater - 29 (DE: 11, MD: 18)
Northern Gannet - 135 (DE: 124, MD: 11)
American Coot - 1 (DE: 1, MD: 0)
Red Phalarope - 4 (DE: 2, MD: 2)
Black-legged Kittiwake - 10 (DE: 3, MD: 7)
Bonaparte's Gull - 3047 (DE: 3029, MD: 18)
Little Gull - 1 (DE: 1, MD: 0)
Laughing Gull - 135 (DE: 134, MD: 1)
Ring-billed Gull - 2 (DE: 2, MD: 0)
Herring Gull - 148 (DE: 117, MD: 31)
Great Black-backed Gull - 44 (DE: 37, MD: 7)
Forster's Tern - 2 (DE: 2, MD: 0)
Parasitic Jaeger - 5 (DE: 5, MD: 0)
Razorbill 4 - (DE: 4, MD: 0)

Common Dolphin - 20 (DE: 8, MD: 12)
Loggerhead Sea Turtle - 1 (DE: 1, MD: 0)



Our 2012 schedule is complete will be up on our web site within the next
few days.  Here's hoping for as birdy a year as we had in 2011!


-PAG

-- 
*Paul A. Guris
See Life Paulagics
PO Box 161
Green Lane, PA  18054
215-234-6805

*

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