| Steve Mirick compiled the results of whale watches from 1993 - 2009 to show what a great year it was on Jeffreys Ledge and surrounding waters in 2009. In Steve's own words:
While not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, and recognizing that I do a lot better at record keeping now than I did 20 years ago, I still thought it VERY interesting to review my old bird data from Whale Watches. Since the mid to late 1980's I've been going out on the Granite State Whale Watch. Back then, Leo Axtin was the Captain and owner of the company. I would go out about once or twice per year, most often with Dennis Abbott.
Some of you have heard me lament about how I used to never see shearwaters. Take a look at these numbers. Especially the 1990's. THE
TOTAL from 12 different whale watches dating from 1993-1998 amounts to a grand total of 59 GREATER SHEARWATERS, 3 MANX SHEARWATERS AND JUST 2
SOOTY SHEARWATERS!!!!!
For comparison, in just 5 whale watches this year, we have had 3,478
Geaters, 2,759 Sooty Shearwters, 85 Cory's Shearwaters, and 7 Manx
Shearwaters.
That's why you should go out there on a whale watch this summer!
Steve Mirick
Bradford, MA |
Results from 12 whale watches from New Hampshire from 1993 to 1998
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7/11/1993 |
8/15/1993 |
9/6/1993 |
6/5/1994 |
8/13/1994 |
8/6/1995 |
7/14/1996 |
8/10/1996 |
10/13/1996 |
7/26/1997 |
8/5/1997 |
7/25/1998 |
| Northern Fulmar |
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1 |
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| Cory's Shearwater |
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| Greater Shearwater |
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20 |
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3 |
1 |
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2 |
4 |
1 |
22 |
6 |
| Sooty Shearwater |
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2 |
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| Manx Shearwater |
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1 |
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1 |
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1 |
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| Wilson's Storm-Petrel |
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40 |
30 |
60 |
3 |
30 |
194 |
10 |
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75 |
30 |
2 |
| Northern Gannet |
1 |
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15 |
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5 |
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4 |
150 |
12 |
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| Red-necked Phalarope |
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6 |
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| Red Phalarope |
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| Jaeger sp. |
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| Parasitic Jaeger |
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| Pomarine Jaeger |
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| LONG-TAILED JAEGER |
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| ATLANTIC PUFFIN |
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Results from 6 whale watches from 2002 - 2008 and from 5 whale watches in 2009
