Sea Watch 1

Early on the morning of December 30, six weeks ago, Rick Heil headed to Andrews Point next to Halibut Point knowing that conditions favored a good day for spotting offshore birds blown in to the coast. He stayed for eight hours with his tripod wedged between the car seat and the door, telescope protruding from the window. Here is his annotated report as posted on EBird, a website maintained by the Cornell Ornithological Laboratory. Where possible I include my own photos taken on less challenging days. But it's those strenuous conditions that brought in the phenomenal numbers of pelagic bird sightings.

Next week's posting will feature an interview with Rick on his seawatching experience.

Andrews Point, Rockport

December 30, 2019
8 hr, 10 min

Overcast, ENE winds 25-40 mph, sleet, snow squalls, and rain, with periods of no precipitation as well; 35˚F; visibility 3/4 to 3+ miles; seas 6-12 feet.

Excellent flight! This is what strong East winds can produce here compared to typically much less productive, but seemingly more frequent N-NNE or even NE winds. All birds moving NW to SE as usual.

12         Pomarine Jaeger

10         Dovekie - all singles

Dovekies

1,320    Common Murre

Common murres

Details: Epic! New all-time high count by a long shot! The largest single flock was eighty birds, but there were numerous flocks of ten to forty or more, some entirely comprised of this species, or mixed with Razorbills or with a Thick-billed Murre embedded. Most birds were in full winter plumage with extensive white high onto the face and behind the eye and with a thin black post-ocular stripe, although maybe 5% showed a partial hood / some duskiness on the face and throat but were clearly not Thick-billed Murres; all showed paler grayish-brown backs and upperwings (compared to blackish Razorbills), long, straight, sharp bills, trailing feet, and on close individuals, dusky streaks on the flanks.
Compare to previous high counts here: 438 on 16 Dec 2018, 420 on 12 Dec. 2002, 340 on 23 Jan. 2016, and 307 on 21 Dec. 2012. This certainly must also be an all-time high count for a species that's flagged as rare by Ebird!

16         Thick-billed Murre

Thick-billed murre

Details: Not an unusual count; All with mostly dark heads with paler throats; distinctive shape relative to Common Murre: more compact, much less sleek, almost neck-less in flight, with bill often pointed downward in flight; darker brownish-black upperparts, shorter thicker billed.

745       Razorbill - all in winter plumage

Razorbill

3           Black Guillemot

Black guillemot, winter plumage

1           Atlantic Puffin

Details: apparent juvenile: small squat alcid, larger than Dovekie, all dark underwings, dusky face, broad bill but less than adult

2,730    Black-legged Kittiwake

Black-legged kittiwake

Kittiwakes, juvenile (L) and adult (R)

Details: counted;  approximately 2635 adults, 95 - 1W; third-highest all-time count here for me: cf., 4300 on 3 Nov. 1999, 4260 on 21 Oct. 1996, and 2425 on 9 Dec. 2009.

1           Northern Fulmar