Chasing Hurricane Bill
Bruce Mactavish
eye is expected to come ashore over St Pierre et Miquelon and go up
Fortune Bay, then cross land to Trinity Bay and exit over St. John's.
This storm has not touched land anywhere. Any birds that might be
carried north with Bill would be pelagic species like Sooty and
Bridled Tern, the tropicbirds and a few tubenoses I dare not even
mention. Number of individuals are bound to be low if any at all.
Just make sure you are up on fields marks. Bridled and Sooty and the
two tropicbirds are not exactly a piece of cake to ID at a distance or/
and in storm conditions.
Jared Clarke, Paul Linegar and I are driving to the Burin Pen this
afternoon and staying overnight (location not certain just yet). The
dawn plan is get to Frenchmans Cove where there is a little point that
is good for seabirds exiting Fortune Bay after strong southerly winds
followed by NW winds which is predicted for Bill. Then we'd check all
the tern and gull resting hot spots around the boot. And if time
permits some isthmus locations on the way home.
The same seabird flight potential should happen at Cross Point, St.
Brides. The same place we go on CBCs. Could be excellent here.
Guarenteed to be some kind of seabird flight here. Also every cove in
Placentia Bay has possibilities of harbouring a worn out waif. Point
Verde near Argentia especially would be important to check. Gulls and
tern rest here even on good days. Even Bellevue and places on the
north side of isthmus.
If we find stuff on the Burin we'll try to get the word out early as
we can so people will know how excited they should be about looking
for Hurricane Bill's presents.
BM