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First Pelagic Trip



Well, I finally took my first pelagic trip out of Hatteras this past
Saturday.  I have wanted to give it a go for some time but was hesitant
knowing how easily I get car sick. But that life list of mine was
begging for new species and I knew  they were SO close just by heading
out with Brian Patteson.  So I stuffed Dramamine in my pockets and took
off for the coast, arriving at the ungodly hour of 1:00 AM at the dock.
Too late for a hotel room, the car sufficed (yuck).  Up at 5:15 to make
sure my stomach was full for the trip, onto the boat at 6:30. And who
was there?  Josh Rose! Sure was surprised to see someone I know on the
boat, but that is what birding is all about. Great comraderie. I was
hoping for a glassy sea but that wasn't the case.  We had some chop.
According to Brian, the day before had the glassy sea and HUNDREDS of
birds!  I believe he counted 4,000 Cory's Shearwaters.  Figures; I wish
I had been there.  On Sunday, the choppy seas apparently dispersed the
birds to parts unknown.  The Patteson group did a great job of finding
the birds, although they had to really search for them. I was amused at
the trip. Whenever a bird was sighted, everyone dashed madly for that
side of the boat; amazing the boat didn't list to the side (or did it
and I was too busy looking at another life bird to notice). And when
they thought they had a particularly great potential bird the word came
"Get down everyone, hold one.  We are going to chase after a gadfly
petral ..". How exhilerating! The boat lurches forward (well, more
smoothly than lurching), you hang on and get soaking wet if you are near
the bow. Great fun. Even amazed myself because by the end of the day I
was silently going "flap flap glide.  That's a Cory's." or "that's a
Wilson's storm petral".  Wonder if I will recall this on my next
pelagic.  Yup.  Long as I tuck some of those wonder drugs in my pocket,
I'm going again. All in all, I had 8 new lifers. Great day, thanks
Brian.

Cynthia Fox, Chapel Hill