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Re: NC PELAGIC GADFLY GRANDSLAM & ABA #700



Congrats, Brad, on a remarkable achievement in an already remarkable birding
career!  700 remains a distant dream for most of us!

And all three of the "rare" gadflys (Fea's/Herald/Bermuda) on the same
pelagic trip?  That also is something special.  A little Avendex
slice-and-dicing suggest that may have only happened one other time: May 27,
2000 on a trip out of Hatteras. Perhaps Mr. Patteson will confirm or deny.

On 5/24/03 6:21 PM, "Brad Carlson" <bradcarlson1@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I preface this email with an unrelated final thanks to Derb Carter and the
> other CBC birders that attended the CBC trip to Colorado last month.  This
> fantastic trip allowed me to pick up all eight (8) of my possible Colorado
> ABA life birds putting me at 699 species in the ABA.  By design, I entered
> this Memorial Day weekend with Bermuda Petrel on my radar screen for my only
> remaining East Coast pelgaic species and potentially my #700 ABA species.
> 
> This morning I took the NC pelagic out of Manteo on the Country Girl.  We
> started the morning by picking up all the normal terns, shearwaters and
> storm-petrels.  The first thing of note was 100+ (I don't know the official
> count) BRIDLED TERNS and RED-NECKED PHALAROPES in mixed flocks at the grass
> line at the edge of the Gulf Stream.  Soon after that we had our first
> Pterodrama of the day.  Of course, it was the one to be expected, a
> BLACK-CAPPED PETREL.  We also picked up a few LEACH'S STORM-PETRELS and a
> couple of BAND-RUMPED STORM-PETRELS.
> 
> Then the real excitement of the day started.  A light morph HERALD PETREL
> came by the boat and made a few passes!  Great looks for everyone.  On
> previous trips I had seen around seven or eight dark morph HERALD PETRELS,
> but this was my first light morph of this species.  Check, gadfly #2 of the
> day!
> 
> Not long after this excitement, things got even more interesting with a
> fast, but close pass by the boat, of a FEA'S PETREL!  Most everyone were
> able to get on this bird, but unfortunately a few people could not pick it
> up before it headed off into the horizon.  A great bird!  One of only three
> I have ever seen.  Gadfly #3!!!
> 
> It was around noon now, so I decided to take a short nap inside and get
> rested up for the afternoon.  After recharging, headed back out and took up
> position at the stern.  Around 1:00pm I spotted a small gadfly petrel pass
> behind the boat, but way too far out to confirm id, and it was quickly out
> of site.  I did not speak up to anyone, but quite frankly, I prayed that I
> would get one more look at it, and I promised that if I was given that
> chance, I would not miss the opportunity.  Sure enough, at 1:06pm, the bird
> came back through the fish oil slick behind  the boat.  This time it was
> closer, and I was able to confirm the id.  As you can imagine, I screamed
> BERMUDA PETREL!!!!!!  I apologize, but I may have used a few other choice
> #%$^*&@(*&#@!! words as well.  Once I was able to get other folks on it, we
> had great views as it worked around the boat for 5+ minutes.  The BERMUDA
> PETREL was a beautifully clean plumaged adult.   A couple of us were able to
> take a number of photos, so hopefully we will get some decent pictures.  Our
> fourth Pterodrama of the day!  A GADFLY GRANDSLAM, and the 700th species in
> the ABA for me!!!  As you can tell, I am not excited at all!
> 
> As if all this was not enough, we had a young RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD fly low
> to the water past the boat, then rise high up and off into the clouds.  Wow,
> a great bird and only the second ever for me!
> 
> FYI: Brian Patteson still has extra spaces on the pelagics over the next
> couple of days.  Call him at (252) 986-1363, or show up at the docks.  I
> have not heard about the Hatteras trip today, but hopefully they were
> successful as well today.
> 
> -Brad Carlson
> Winterville, NC
> BradCarlson1@hotmail.com
> 
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-- 
Russ Tyndall
Wake Forest, NC
www.redshanksoftware.com