Boat run from Renews > Cape Race and Portugal Cove South October 22, 2022

[ILJones]

We launched at Renews at 0800h and proceeded directly to the buoy east of the Renews Rocks, then SSW 22 nm to a point about 3 nm SE of Cape Race, then turned west and roughly paralleled the shoreline about 2 nm offshore to opposite the Drook, then made straight for PCS where we walked the dog and had lunch, then returned to Renews mostly within 1 nm of shore, pulling out at 1630h. Partly cloudy, good visibility except for glare, winds mostly light changing to SW 15 knots late in the day, sea mostly < 1 m, SE swell, SST 13C everywhere, only one very brief encounter with a forage fish school otherwise sea mostly empty.

Birds were scarce and numbers low, except sea ducks that were scattered all along the shore on the return trip. Highlight was a few Cory's Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) (we are examining our digital photographs to check for Scopoli's). PCS locals informed us that impressive mackerel, tuna and bird activity was on the go until Friday (Oct 21), so it appears we barely caught the very end of this Cory's 'event' that has been described here.

Great Shearwater 25
Sooty Shearwater 30+

Cory's Shearwater 13 - 10 of these were in an activity spot 2 nm S of Mistaken Point with Greats and Sooties, gannets, Black-legged Kittiwakes and Bluefin Tuna; 2 were within 100 m of shore near Freshwater Point (headland halfway between Drook and Mistaken Point); 1 was seen near the Mistaken Point spot on the return leg. Great close views sitting and flying, and lots of photos taken.

Manx Shearwater zero
Northern Fulmar zero
storm-petrels zero

Northern Gannet 100+ (only 3 immature plumaged birds) NONE seen plunging all day, obviously looking for fish shoals but not finding any.
Double-crested Cormorant 6
cormorant sp. 10

HERG and GBBG <50 all day
Iceland Gull 2
Black-legged Kittiwake 100+ mostly adults (Cape-Ballard to the Drook)
terns no
Pomarine Jaeger 1 subadult off Cape Ballard
jaeger sp. 1

Common Murre 4 (1 looking very sick, near the entrance to Renews Harbour; please help stop the shooting of this unfortunate bird species)
Razorbill 35 (most close to shore)
Atlantic Puffin 10
Black Guillemot 45
Dovekie no

phalaropes zero

Common Eider 8
Black Scoter 45
Surf Scoter 35
White-winged Scoter 75
scoter sp. 50
Red-breasted Merganser +

Bald Eagle 2 ad
Northern Harrier 1imm near Chance Cove rocks

cetaceans ZERO (!)

Harbour and Gray Seals at the usual locations

Bluefin Tuna 12 (at least, leaping, widely scattered Cape Ballard to the Drook both offshore and close to shore)

1 Red Admiral butterfly offshore near the Cory's patch

no floating carcasses today thank goodness

ilj, jw, rt, sheepdog Arwen