Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Seabird and Whale Tale Part Two

For part 2 of the Seabird and Whale Tale blog, I will discuss some of the bird findings that we had on the trip.  For a good portion of the trip sightings were minimal, except in the beginning in Plymouth Harbor and along Long Beach, at Races Point, and finally at the location where the whales were feeding.
Double-crested Comorant
Double-crested Comorant
They were the normal varieties of gulls, Herring gull, great black-back gulls, laughing gulls and a ring-billed gull. 
Herring Gull with Fish
Herring Gull with Fish
There were many immature northern Gannet's flying around. 
Northern Gannet
Nortnern Gannet
Northern Gannet
Nortnern Gannet
Northern Gannet
Nortnern Gannet












Around the whales there were hundreds if not thousands of sooty shearwaters present.


Sooty Shearwater
Sooty Shearwater
Sooty Shearwaters
Sooty Shearwater


A Pomarine Jaeger put on a show, flying in very close to the boat.
Pomarine Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger
Pomarine Jaeger











There were a few Wilson's Storm Petrels skimming the ocean for food
Wilson's Storm Petrel

A disturbing part of the voyage was the amount of Mylar and rubber balloons along with plastic in the water.  Mylar Ballon Floating in OceanThis debris comes from us humans, by not disposing of plastic in the appropriate manner or releasing balloons to float through the air.  Some of these objects can resemble food to the sea creatures and when the plastic, etc. are ingested by the sea animals, they cause the death of these creatures.  We all need to dispose and recycle waste in the appropriate manner.  We need to find other means of celebrating occasions, rather than just releasing balloons.

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