I’ve often said that people who are more actively observant of the natural world around them are more acutely aware of the seasonal cycle. When you spend most of your free time watching the comings and goings of animals, you can’t help but notice the gradual, steady changes each day brings on our yearly journey around the Sun. This is … Read More
Beyond the Shelf Again
Late summer is usually a busy time, filled with pre-work preparations and plenty of outdoor exploration as vacation ends and migration begins. This year I was fortunate enough to join a pair of offshore journeys with See Life Paulagics. The first was a two-day cruise from Point Pleasant, New Jersey on the Voyager in mid-August. The latter was a September … Read More
The August Brooklyn Pelagic a.k.a pterodroma magic
For the 3rd August in a row, I’ve managed to find myself on Paulagics fantastic overnight pelagics. This year they have moved to a new boat, the Brooklyn IV, and a new dock in Brooklyn which is more convenient than the old spot in Freeport. There had been several fantastic pelagics just north and south of us recently, including double-digit … Read More
Brooklyn Overnight Pelagic AKA Skua Fest 2015
East coast pelagic birding is what it is. Usually it’s relatively unproductive (ignoring the pelagic birding off of North Carolina) with low numbers of individuals, and you’re lucky to see one or two rare or heavily sought after pelagic species. On the west coast it is not unusual to see hundreds of shearwaters and tens of thousands of storm-petrels, plus the rare … Read More
Rain with a chance of shearwaters – Lewes Paulagic
This past Saturday, fellow NemesisBird contributor Tim Shreckengost and I joined Paul Guris‘ seabirding crew and about 30 other birders from mostly Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania on a 12 hour pelagic trip out of Lewes aboard the trusty Thelma Dale IV. The morning started off with heavy rain. I was too excited to be cooped up inside though, so Tim and … Read More
Cape May Pelagic – Razorbills, Common Murres, and a whole lotta Dovekies
This past Saturday I joined 40 other birders on a 12 hour pelagic birding trip off the coast of Cape May County, NJ. This trip was organized by See Life Paulagics and was conducted on the 110 foot Atlantic Star. Weather throughout the day was great, with winds around 10 to 15 knots and swells around 2 to 3 feet for … Read More