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Pelagic Trip Report - Charleston, SC



Yesterday (8-24) I ventured offshore with Burton
Moore, Will Post, Lex Glover and Ed Blitch.  Despite
the lack of breeze, we had an OK day.  We were aboard
the Thunderstar, a headboat that is faster and goes
deeper on average than any other SC headboat.  The
furthest out we went was about 50 miles with a depth
of 250+ feet.  

The greatest concentrations of Shearwaters and Sooty +
Bridled Terns we saw was 25-30 miles out along a
dropoff / current rip / temperature gradient.  The day
produced high numbers of Black Terns and slightly
above average numbers of Sooty and Bridled Terns. 
Shearwater numbers were below par for this time of
year and Storm-petrel numbers were among the lowest
I've seen.  I believe the calm,  hot conditions were
at least partly to blame for the low numbers of
tubenoses; I always seem to do poorly birding offshore
on days when it is slick & sweltering.

Special thanks to Burton Moore, whose relationship
with the captain and crew helped smooth the way for
our chumming and other quirks.

While headboat birding can be frustrating in its
inability to properly work flocks and chase birds,  we
tried to even the odds by chumming, putting out cod
liver oil slicks/ trails, using popcorn to maintain
gull flocks behind the boat and other tricks.  Alas,
some of our tricks were nullified by the lack of
breeze to carry scent to downwind birds...

While anchored 48 miles out, we had some passerines
light on / circle the boat - an Am. Redstart, a
Prairie Warbler, a Palm Warbler and a UFO Sparrow.  
We also had the usual southbound Barn Swallows 48-50
miles out.  

Here are the notable birds we saw:
Cory's Shearwater - 15 (great looks at multiple birds)
Greater Shearwater - 2 -- see note #1 below
Audubon's Shearwater - 4 (great looks at one)
Sooty Shearwater - 2 -- see note #2 below
Wilson's Storm-Petrel - 3
Common Tern - 200+
Black Tern - 300+   -- see note #3 below
Sooty Tern - 12 (great looks at multiple birds)
Bridled Tern - 14 (great looks at multiple birds)
Bridled/Sooty Tern Sp. - 6
Sandwich Tern - 3
Royal Tern - 70+
Forster's Tern - 200+
Least Tern - 20
UFO Terns - dozens

Note #1  - (1 definite Greater Shearwater + 1 far-off
large shearwater that Will and I saw with a dark cap,
narrow white rump band, pale underside with belly
smudge)

Note #2 - (1 definite Sooty Shearwater plus 1 other
far-off, all-dark shearwater with pale underwing
patches)

Note #3 (a megaflock around the Charleston Jetties +
scattered groups offshore)

-- We had one probable Brown Noddy 48 miles out that
was a bit too far away to 100% positively ID.  The
bird's low altitude, lack of any white in the ventral
area and lack of any white under the wings and in the
tail led us to rule out imm. Sooty Tern.  Based on the
bird's shape, flight style and coloration, nothing
else fits but alas we felt we were unable to
officially call it.

Shorebirds, etc. on the ride into Shem Creek - 
White Ibis - 30
Black-bellied Plover - 7
Am. Oystercatcher - 50+
Willet - 6
Marbled Godwit - 30
Ruddy Turnstone - 16
Western/Semipalmated Sandpiper. - 14 (flybys)

Other marine life:
Atlantic Flying Fish - hundreds
Loggerhead Sea Turtles - 8 (including a group of 5)
Atlantic Bottlenosed Dolphin - dozens
Spotted Dolphin - 8
Bluefish (feeding in Schools & leaping)
Bonito/Little Tunny (a large school feeding and
attracting birds)
Remoras - 5 or 6
Mako Shark - 1 (lept out of water)

I am planning on another outing aboard the Thunderstar
in 3 or 4 weeks if anyone is interested.  The cost
would be $25.  We would have better odds at seeing
Jaegers, plus Red Phalaropes start showing up in
mid-to-late September.  

Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC.

PS - a couple of interesting notes:  The first mate
told me that they saw White-tailed Tropicbirds
multiple times this past May.  George also said the
crew often finds warblers and other songbirds in the
stomachs of Wahoo when they're cleaning them.


.

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