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Re[2]: Offshore birding on headboat 4-21



Sounds like I'd better change my answer for a couple
of reasons:
A) Far be it from me to argue Carolina Pelagic issues
with Mr. Patteson
B) Jack tells me it was actually farther out than 35
miles.

When posting before, I figured a slightly
abberant-colored very early Greater Shearwater was
more likely based on the bird's description and
location Jack gave than a dark phase Black-capped
Petrel.  I stand corrected.  

Nate Dias - Charleston, SC

--- Brian <patteson1@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Nate,
> 
> I don't agree with that assessment at all. This time
> of year I'd be
> willing to bet they were Black-capped Petrels.  The
> flight varies with
> conditions.  In low wind they often make shallow
> arcs.  Also in early
> spring, we routinely see BCP's on the shelf,
> sometimes in 90-100 FEET of
> water.  I've probably spent more time offshore
> during these months, if
> you were fishing mostly during your school years, so
> there is a good
> chance you misssed out on this spring inshore
> influx.   It definitely
> seems that they wander inshore more between about
> March and May than
> later in the summer.  Lastly, it's about a month
> early for Greater and
> Cory's Shearwaters, neither of which show what I
> would call a
> conspicuous white rump patch.  In a brief view the
> black cap could have
> gone unnoticed, and the white collar is a highly
> variable feature, the
> absence of which does not rule against Black-capped
> Petrel.
> 
> Brian Patteson
> Hatteras, NC
> brian@patteson.com
> 
> 
> 
> Nathan Dias wrote:
> 
> > Jack Peachy wrote:
> > -----------------------------
> > ... out to about 35 miles.
> > Shearwater or Gadfly Petrel-two different
> sightings
> > that may have involved one or two birds.  Both
> > sightings involved birds flying low over the water
> > short glides punctuated by deep flapping. Both
> times
> > the birds were uniform dark gray or black dorsally
> > and had a conspicuous white oval rump patch much
> > more conspicous than most Greater Shearwater
> > but there was no white collar or noticeable black
> > cap.  Could not get a look at the ventral pattern
> > or get a handle on the size of the bill.
> > Any ideas?  Neither sighting lasted all that long
> > maybe 10 seconds or so.
> > -----------------------------
> >
> > Here's my two cents' worth:
> >
> > The flight pattern you describe suggests a
> Shearwater
> > - "...flying low over the water short glides
> > punctuated by deep flapping."  That certainly
> doesn't
> > sound like a Pterodroma, which has a
> roller-coaster
> > flight path involving lots of high soaring (not
> low
> > glides with periodic deep flapping).  The bird you
> > describe doesn't sound like the strong dashing
> flier
> > that all Peterodromas are.
> >
> > Also, it would be pretty shocking to find a non
> > storm-blown Peterodroma in water as shallow (and
> > dirty) as is found 35 mi. off Murrell's Inlet.  If
> > memory serves, that's around 140 feet of water
> > (certainly well under 200 feet).  I've been on
> > hundreds of offshore trips off SC (In H.S. and
> College
> > I used to crew on a Tuna/Marlin sportfishing
> charter
> > boat) and I've never seen a gadfly petrel that
> close
> > in.
> >
> > Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC / San Francisco, CA
> >
> 


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