ILJones
2023-07-26 18:30:09 UTC
We launched at Petty Harbour at 0730h to count seabirds in Motion Bay and environs today... very sunny and hot with glare, wind S 10 knots, sea <1m, SST 17C (unusually warm for this time of year). Abundant capelin, shearwaters and alcids present, and Humpback and Fin Whales - highlight was a single tame South Polar Skua. We criss-crossed outer Motion Bay 4x and pulled out at noon by which time Florida-like conditions had presented.
Sooty and Great Shearwater 50/50 ratio, >10K birds (conservative estimate) - these were densest in and off the entrance to Motion Bay. We were able to get good looks at thousands as they rested on the water (presumably glutted on capelin, that were showing widespread and dense on the graph). The shearwater patch was about 11 km north-south by 5 km east-west, petering out N of Cape Spear. These were more abundant in the bay first thing in the AM and streaming eastward by 1000h but thousands were still present later on.
Manx Shearwater 15+ conspicuous
Cory's zero - we looked carefully for these
fulmar zero
storm-petrels zero
Northern Gannet 30 (as expected, a low number considering apparent prey abundance - about 50% immature plumaged)
cormorants zero
Black-legged Kittiwake lots
HERG and GBBG <100 mostly close to Petty Harbour
Common Tern 1
phalaropes zero
ATPU and COMU abundant
Razorbill 1
Black Guillemot lots attending cliffy breeding colonies NW of Cape Spear
South Polar Skua 1 (likely a first 'winter' bird by plumage) - about 1 km south of North Head - we saw this bird on the way out about 0815h and again when returning - tame - mostly resting on the sea near bird flocks, occasionally taking flight to beat up shearwaters - body almost uniform light greyish brown, grayer on the rump and upper tail covers, flight feathers and wing coverts rather worn looking with no molt (we'll post photos on the usual social media)
Humpback Whale 8
Fin Whale 4
dolphin zero
sunfish zero, jellyfish appeared scarce
a surreal experience due to the heat, but plenty of forage fish out there - early AM checks from Cape Spear recommended
ilj, jw, Arwen
Sooty and Great Shearwater 50/50 ratio, >10K birds (conservative estimate) - these were densest in and off the entrance to Motion Bay. We were able to get good looks at thousands as they rested on the water (presumably glutted on capelin, that were showing widespread and dense on the graph). The shearwater patch was about 11 km north-south by 5 km east-west, petering out N of Cape Spear. These were more abundant in the bay first thing in the AM and streaming eastward by 1000h but thousands were still present later on.
Manx Shearwater 15+ conspicuous
Cory's zero - we looked carefully for these
fulmar zero
storm-petrels zero
Northern Gannet 30 (as expected, a low number considering apparent prey abundance - about 50% immature plumaged)
cormorants zero
Black-legged Kittiwake lots
HERG and GBBG <100 mostly close to Petty Harbour
Common Tern 1
phalaropes zero
ATPU and COMU abundant
Razorbill 1
Black Guillemot lots attending cliffy breeding colonies NW of Cape Spear
South Polar Skua 1 (likely a first 'winter' bird by plumage) - about 1 km south of North Head - we saw this bird on the way out about 0815h and again when returning - tame - mostly resting on the sea near bird flocks, occasionally taking flight to beat up shearwaters - body almost uniform light greyish brown, grayer on the rump and upper tail covers, flight feathers and wing coverts rather worn looking with no molt (we'll post photos on the usual social media)
Humpback Whale 8
Fin Whale 4
dolphin zero
sunfish zero, jellyfish appeared scarce
a surreal experience due to the heat, but plenty of forage fish out there - early AM checks from Cape Spear recommended
ilj, jw, Arwen