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SC headboat birding on 5-25



Hi Carolinabirders,
Yesterday, Ken Allen a Florida based birder who frequently has occasion
to visit the Grand Strand joined me on a headboat birding trip out of
Murrell's Inlet, Georgetown County, SC. Usually a trip during the mid
May to mid June time period is livelier than this one was. Headboat
birding is a chancy thing depending on birds either attracted to the
boat or that have encountered the boats path or the boat has encountered
in a flock feeding area.  Good looks at difficult birds (pelagics in
general) are not always available on these headboat trips and so many
birds if not closely encountered can not be pinned down to species.  And
this trip was no exception.

The boat was the Capt. Bill III out of Capt. Dick's Marina in Murrell's
Inlet.  The weather was comfortable with modest southerly breezes and
wave heights about 2-3 feet.  After doing about 7 years of these during
the April through Oct period the following rule of thumb appears to be
true; the better the fishing is the better the birding will be.  The
fishing yesterday was not so hot. Eight species, and an unidentified
puzzler.
The boat as always cleared the jetty at 7:30 AM, made the first fishing
stop close to 10 AM and headed back a little before 3PM. The first stop
was 48 miles out and in water about 120 ft deep near the edge of the
shelf. A modest amout of sorgassum about 35 miles out but nothing in the
fishing areas.

Cory's Shearwater-1 encountered about halfway out in the morning
Large Shearwater sp-2 encountered halfway out in AM
Audubon's Shearwater-1 just before our first stop
Wilson's Storm-Petrel-5 while anchored at the fishing areas.
Northern Gannet-8 birds seen singly 2-50 miles out all but one in
immature plumage.
GREAT BLUE HERON-1 in the afternoon in the fishing areas. A new bird for
my SC offshore list.
This is the puzzler.  Midsized flying shorebirds about 10, that got off
the water, to big for peep.  Both Ken & I agree these were probably
phalaropes.  But they were in basic plumage.  Gray on top white undernea
th. Red-necked is probably the likely one here but these birds had no
white wing stripe, Wilson's Phalarope lacks a white wing stripe but
certainly is not nearly as pelagic as the other two and is a more
western species.  To confound the matter, in late May shouldn't any
phalarope have been in alternate plumage? The common shorebird guide was
not instructive here as regards dates of plumage sequence.  I could not
pick out bill structure or length on these flying birds against a dark
water backdrop. Any  guesses out there?

Herring Gull-1 a flyby about noon in the fishing areas
Laughing Gull-about 20 from ten to 40 miles out but not while fishing
Royal Tern-about 5 all told ranging from within a mile of shore to 40
miles out.
I'll try again in about two weeks.
Great day to be on the water, good company.

As I close, I hope we all remember our fallen heroes as we enjoy this
memorial day weekend.

God Bless America.

Jack Peachey
Conway,SC