Seabird & Whale Tales Tale’s Excursion
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Compiled by Wayne R. Petersen
The June 11 Seabird and Whale Tales trip departed from Plymouth at approximately 8 A.M. under sunny skies and 10-15 mph NW winds. Temperatures were a comfortable 65-70 degrees F. Glare and modest chop from the wind made viewing conditions somewhat challenging for the first half of the trip, but once we rounded Race Point in Provincetown and headed for the waters off Chatham, conditions gradually improved. By mid-afternoon diminishing winds and partial overcast made viewing conditions considerably better. On the return, a magnificent chum slick dutifully prepared and doled out by Krill Carson produced some modest concentrations of seabirds.
Overall seabird numbers where quite impressive for early June, most notable being the numbers of Northern Gannets and Sooty Shearwaters. Without question, the seabird highlight of the day was the sighting of two sub-adult Long-tailed Jaegers, a species rare in Massachusetts inshore waters at any season. Also, spectacular and close range views of feeding Humpback and Fin whales was especially memorable, as was the overall total of individual cetaceans observed.
The species list that follows includes approximations of the birds and mammals that were seen and identified by the trip leaders once the trip left Plymouth Harbor. It does not include any species seen in the harbor other than four Piping Plovers seen on Plymouth Beach.
Seabirds observed
- Common Loon - 4
- Common Eider – 1
- Greater Shearwater – 80+
- Sooty Shearwater – 750+
- Manx Shearwater – 8+
- Wilson’s Storm-Petrel – 300+
- Northern Gannet – 700+
- Piping Plover – 4
- Parasitic Jaeger – 11
- Long-tailed Jaeger – 2
- Laughing Gull – 100
- Herring Gull – too numerous to count
- Great Black-backed Gull – too numerous to count
- Common Tern – 300
- Black Tern – 2
Marine mammals observed:
- Humpback Whale – 12
including 2 mother and calf pairs (Echo, Apostrophe and calf, Nuages, Dusky) - Fin Whale - 9+ including one mother and calf pair
- Minke Whale - 6
- Atlantic White-sided Dolphin - 20+
