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FONT NC Pelagic Results for 07/31-08/01



I was asked to post this to CarolinaBirds. I will try to post future NC
pelagic results here also.  Please note that FONT pelagic schedule info for
the rest of the year is appended below.


-Paul

==============

Focus on Nature Tours ran two pelagics out of Manteo, NC aboard the Country
Girl on Sat, 07/31 and Sun, 08/01. Three more trips will be going out of
Manteo this weekend, 08/07-/08/09. There are still some spaces available
for all of these trips. Contact FONT at 1-800-362-0869 or
font@focusonnature.com to make a reservation.

Seas were calm and the birds were generally cooperative, though it was a
bit warm out. The best birds were an oh-so-popular White-faced Storm-Petrel
on Saturday and a Fea's Petrel on Sunday.  Actually, we also had Leach's on
Saturday which gave us a storm-petrel grand slam.  The White-faced was in
85 degree water. This is unusual as most records seem to come from cooler
water, generally in the 70s. The Fea's was found on Sunday sitting on the
water with several Black-capped Petrels.  Other bird highlights were great
looks both days at Black-capped Petrel, Band-rumped Storm-Petrel, and
Leach's Storm-Petrel, and a nice adult Sooty Tern on Sunday.

Other highlights included a show-off Sperm Whale on Saturday that rolled
around so we could see it's eye, jaw, and pale chin spots. Also on Saturday
we had 20 other Sperm Whales and two Cuvier's Beaked Whales "porpoising".
We had several groups of Risso's Dolphin on Sunday. A personal highlight
for me was catching, and of course releasing, my first White Marlin.

The Captain told me that there was no water under 80 degrees anyplace off
the North Carolina coast this weekend. It seems that the warm water has
really moved in. Despite seeing plenty of weed, we had very few Bridled
Terns. The Captain said that fishing boats were reporting numbers of them
well to the north. As usual with pelagics, every year (and often every day)
is different.

Hope to see some of you this weekend.

-Paul

Paul A. Guris
Green Lane, PA
h:  sawwhet@voicenet.com
w:  pguris@moneynet.com


===============

Black-capped Petrel         316, 162
Fea's Petrel                  0,   1
Cory's Shearwater           209, 149
Greater Shearwater            8,   8
Audubon's Shearwater        119,  64
Wilson's Storm-Petrel       556, 141
White-faced Storm-Petrel      1,   0
Leach's Storm-Petrel          5,   8
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel     56,  38
long winged storm-petrel sp   3,   6
Red-necked Phalarope          8,   6
Royal Tern                    1,   0
Bridled Tern                  2,   0
Sooty Tern                    0,   1
dark backed tern sp           1,   2

Sperm Whale                  21,   0
Cuvier's Beaked Whale         3,   1
Risso's Dolphin               0,  35
Bottlenose Dolphin           60,   8

White Marlin                  1,   0 (caught & released)
Sailfish                      1,   0 (caught & released)

===============

  -- PELAGIC INFO 1999 --

There are still a few places available on the next scheduled FONT pelagic
trips, from Manteo, North Carolina, onboard the "Country Girl" for
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, August 7,8,9.

Contact FONT soon by e-mail at: font@focusonnature.com
or by phone at: 1-800-362-0869. Also, visit the web-site at:
www.focusonnature.com

Other upcoming FONT pelagic trips this summer, with the possibility of
seeing White-faced Storm-Petrel, include:

From Brielle, New Jersey (to the Hudson Canyon):
Sat., Aug. 28, 5am to about 8pm, onboard the "Atlantis": $75 per person.

From Cape May, New Jersey (to the Wilmington or Baltimore Canyons)
Sat, Sept. 4; Sun., Sept. 5, 5am to 5pm, onboard the "Morning Star": $95
per person, per trip.

From Lewes, Delaware (to the Wilmington or Baltimore Canyons)
Sun, Sept. 5, 5am to 5pm, onboard the "Skipjack": $95 per person.

Later this year, there will be FONT pelagic trips, off New Jersey, aiming
for alcids (including Dovekie), and hopefully Great Skua:

From Cape May, New Jersey (to the Wilmington or Baltimore Canyons)
Sun, Nov 21, 5am to 5pm, onboard the "Morning Star": $95 per person.

From Brielle, New Jersey (to the Hudson Canyon)
Sat, Dec. 4, 5am to 7pm, onboard the "Atlantis": $75 per person.


LEADERS during FONT pelagic trips this past year have included:

Paul Guris (NC,NJ), Mary Gustafson (NC,NJ,DE), Adrian Binns (NJ,NC),
Mike Fritz (NJ,NC), Andy Ednie (DE), Julian Hough (NJ,NC),
Glenn d'Entremont (NC), Harry LeGrand (NC), Louis Bevier (NJ,NC),
Jimmy Dowdelle (NJ), George Armistead (NJ), Maurice Barnhill (DE),
Alan Brady (NJ,NC), & Armas Hill (NJ,NC,DE).

For more details regarding any FONT pelagic trip and some photos, please
visit our  web-site at: www.focusonnature.com.
To reserve a place on any pelagic trip, contact FONT by e-mail at:
font@focusonnature.com; or by phone toll-free: 1-800-362-0869 (or
302/529-1876).