seabirding out of Petty Harbour Saturday: zeros are interesting numbers

[ILJones]

Left Petty Harbour at 0845h, returned at 1645h. Route: from Petty Harbour along the shoreline to Bay Bulls Lighthouse, then to Green Island Witless Bay, then SE to 6 miles to about 6 miles E of Great Island, then 12 miles due south to about 6 miles E of the Ferryland lighthouse, then 7 miles SSW to the northern tip of the Bantam Banks, then along the Bantam Banks 6 miles due south to 'Rendezvous Rock' (5 miles ESE of the Bear Cove Rocks), then to Renews via the Bear Cove Rocks (lunch at Renews), then along the shoreline to Witless Bay with a party stop at La Manche, then passing E of Gull Island NE 13 miles to 4 miles east of Motion Head, then W into Petty Harbour (about 120+ miles run). SST 16 degrees C offshore, 13 degrees C close to shore (i.e. warm). An eight hour ride through a virtual marine desert.

Common Loon 1 (Tors Cove)

Northern Fulmar 1 (Motion Bay, fleeing northwards), 0 adults visible at the colony at Ship Island
Great Shearwater 0
Sooty Shearwater 0
Manx Shearwater 1 - with puffins on the water very close to Gull Island

Leach's Storm-petrel 0
Wilson's Storm-petrel 1 (Bantam Banks c.6 miles E of Renews)

Northern Gannet 30 - mostly close to shore between Renews and Witless Bay, looking stressed

Black-legged Kittiwakes - a few hundred; adults harassingg puffins trying to steal fish, 10 recent fledglings flying around near Gull Island, one dead fledgling floating off Motion Head

jaegers 0

Razorbill 0
Thick-billed Murre 0
Common Murre - a few hundred, several carrying fish towards Green Island
Black Guillemot 0
Atlantic Puffin - 2,000+ adults, many crying or holding capelin, one holding sand lance, ten fledglings (puffins were the only seabirds seen virtually everywhere on our track)

phalaropes 0 (despite checking of many sea slicks and features close to shore and offshore)

Humpback Whale 0
Minke Whale 1 - just off Renews
other whales 0
Atlantic White-sided Dolphin 1 (close to the Minke, chasing something and being followed by gannets)

Mola mola 0
jellyfish lots

ILJ et al.

[David Shepherd]

Nickerson Bank water temp now 17C !