Staithes pelagic, 24th Aug '24 - whales, dolphins and more

From last week's YCN Seabird and Whale Adventure out of Staithes, North Yorks - lots of marine mammals, to say the least - which included abut 20 Minke Whales, 25 Bottlenose Dolphins, 60+ Grey Seals and a couple of Harbour Porpoise.

Several of the Minkes and dolphins had recognisable individual dorsal fins, which I'm chasing up and will update when there's positive IDs, but a couple of the Minkes are IDable as Jigsaw and Ell - more details to follow.

Shear Joy - Staithes Pelagic, 24th Aug '24

After five weeks away in the USA and a couple of jetlagged days back home, yesterday was my first day of the season back on All My Sons, our Yorkshire coast Nature Seabird and Whale Adventure boat out of Staithes on the North Yorkshire coast - and what a day it was....

After two hours sleep and a 0430 start, I was hoping adrenalin and enthusiasm would power me through what was always going to be a long day - two trips out into the blue totalling more than nine hours at sea - and I needn't have worried; it turned out to be what we consider our best all-round day since we began our pelagic trips ten years ago.

I was hoping the severe storms of the previous days would have mixed things up, but mindful of the sea conditions (the forecast was far from perfect and the swell can often continue well after strong winds and extreme tides), and an initial inshore patrol a couple of miles offshore didn't bode well. However, in the distance, I could see a huge number of seabirds feeding - not in tight, seperate baitballs, but seemingly along a long 'line' out at sea - and it didn't take much to persuade skipper Sean to gun us out there.

Bearing in mind our trips are very much for everyone, and also that many aboard were particularly interested in seeing whales (and with only small numbers present so far this season), scanning for surfacing Minkes was a priority - but with so many birds feeding avidly along a stretch of oily ocean in both directions, I was acutely aware of the possibilities...

After picking up the first Minke, and then another, and another, with great views for everyone, the pressure was off, and (while keeping everyone engaged with the wonderful variety of commoner species on show, as well as the whales), I could pay more attention to finding something perhaps more unusual.

Long story short, and over the course of the two trips (three and six hours respectively), in no particular order we'd clocked 20+ Sooty Shearwaters, Manxies, many hundreds of terns including an adult Roseate, at least four Caspian and two Yellow-legged Gulls, waders on the move (including 21 Black-tailed Godwits, Ringed Plovers and Sanderlings), eight Arctic and three Great Skuas, hundreds of auks, a few Red-throated Divers, thousands of gannets and gulls in the frenzy, and our first ever Great Shearwater.

For context, this is the first Great Shearwater reported off the English East coast this year (despite the best efforts of many dedicated seawatchers), and completes the set for me on our YCN pelagics (Manx, Sooty, Balearic, Cory's and now Great). And then there were the cetaceans... but that's for another post!

(pics - Great and Sooty Shearwaters)

USA, summer '24 - Greenfield area

Red-eyed Vireo

Our five-week summer holiday in New England to see family and friends is almost over, and while birding was barely on the agenda, I did manage a few sessions if and when the opportunity arose. The last couple of these were with my wonderful brother (in-law) Ned while we were staying at his place in Greenfield, at the northern end of the Pioneer valley in western Mass.

Juvenile Wood Duck

High-flying Ruby-throated Hummingbird catching insects

Lots of regular stuff to enjoy, and increasingly strong signs of migration, as songbirds flocks became more abundant and diverse; in a couple of weeks, it'll all be happening.... but i'll be long gone, suffering the fate of leading seabird and whale pelagics into the North Sea off Yorkshire, and guiding at Spurn for a week before the end of the month. Poor me, eh?

Great Egret

Male Baltimore Oriole

Black-throated Green Warbler

USA, summer '24 - Parson's Brook, Ma.

Louisiana Waterthrush (above and below) 

After much family time over recent weeks here in the US, a couple of hours birding. We're in Greenfield in the north of the Pioneer Valley (western Massachusetts) presently, having a special week with brother (in-law) Ned and our beyond wonderful nieces Oona and Poe; Ned also likes a spot of birding, and we arranged to hook up with his friend Scott for an early session in Florence, Northampton.

Scott's place backs on to prime piece of protected, wild lakeside with trails snaking through quality mixed woodland and around the large, iris- and lily-covered waterbody, and we had a productive, bird-filled couple of hours post-dawn. Highlights included a decent showing of warblers (starting to form post-breeding flocks), many Wood Ducks and plenty of Green Herons (above) and Belted Kingfishers among a decent cast of species.

Male American Redstart - check out that cloacal protuberance!

Black-and-white Warblers 

Belted Kingfisher ad Green Heron

Downy Woodpecker

USA, summer '24 - the neighbourhood (2)

Yellow Warbler (above and below) 

More than halfway through our five week trip out here in New England, and - after family time in upstate / mid NY - we're back in central-western Mass, at the homestead for a few days. A quick wander up to the newly discovered, very productive spot just up the hill (first trespassed erm I mean accessed here) was again very birdy; it being an old orchard / berry-picking farm, it's overflowing with food, and will be for some time yet.

American Redstart and Chestnut-sided Warblers (looking a little worn at the end of the season....)

Juvenile Eastern Towhee

Three of at least 18 Baltimore Orioles feasting on blueberries

Ovenbird - this from NY a few days ago

Flyover Grackle and House Finch