Block Canyon Pelagic Trip

On Friday the 19th, I slipped onto the sold out Pelagic trip organized by Carlos Pedro as someone on the trip dropped out and I was on the wait list. The trip was a 24 hour deep-water pelagic that hoped to turn up some sweet birds like a Pterodroma Petrel, or Bridled Terns and Leach's Storm-Petrels. The weather forecast was perfect in terms of quiet seas and sunny skies, but with a few clouds to highlight birds on the horizon. However, the perfect weather meant that the more rare birds weren't getting pushed around outside of their normal haunts.

Most were up before dawn and were treated to a wonderful sunrise as we hit the edge of the Block Canyon, a deep chasm that feeds into the Hudson Canyon, the remnants of the glacial Hudson River.
Some people had looks at a Cory's Shearwater early and a Leach's Storm-Petrel as well. I missed both!!! I've seen them before, but would've liked them for my year list!!


We had PLENTY of Wilson's Storm-Petrels!! Especially after we chummed with some dogfish livers. They really came in in droves after that was in the water!


At times we had a hundred Storm-Petrels around the boat, but the night-hawk like flight of the Leach's failed to be seen, nor the elusive Band-rumped Storm-Petrel! Bummer


Despite the smell, the deckhands got right in there and cut it all up sans gloves!!!


We got some great looks at Great Shearwaters!! People still have a hard time not saying Greater, but it doesn't really matter anyway!


Here's one with some Wilson's Storm-Petrels behind it

We had some excitement when from the upper deck came shouts of "Tropical Tern Tropical Tern!!!" What was meant by this was a brown backed Tern of Tropical origins, namely a Sooty or a Bridled Tern. I got on the bird right away, but it was a little far out for me to get a telling look at the head. I saw the back color well, and the white under parts, but for my lifer Bridled Tern, I wasn't willing to call it. Bummer!!! Someone got a photo, and the leaders were able to confirm the ID as a Bridled Tern, but I'm conservative with my lifers. I don't count heard only lifers either! I'm a birdwatcher, I like to see them. Heard only for a daily list is different, that's about noting detections, but a life list for me is a special thing, and I want to see my lifers well!


Seen well, like this Great Shearwater!!

Even though the trip didn't yield too many rarities it was still a great time, and provided 40 birders the chance to get to know each other in close quarters and put faces to the names floating around on the net, and a chance to get really familiar with hard to see pelagic birds, and only a couple people puked. We also saw lots of cool Fin Whales and dolphins, and a Basking Shark and a huge Logger-head Sea Turtle. But as Jan would say NFF!!

The day ended with a wonderful sunset over Block Island, and we said our goodbyes.

Birding is wicked fun!!!