Cashes Ledge August 21, 2000 Trip Report

Pomarine Jaeger Bird of the Day Photo Album

This trip was sponsored by the Brookline Bird Club on the Newburyport Whale Watch boat the Prince of Whales. Club coordinator was Emmalee Tarry and Simon Perkins was the trip leader. One hundred and thirteen participants paid $62 apiece. The weather and the sea cooperated and unlike previous pelagic adventures, good food was a feature.

Our route took us over Fippennines Ledge which was pretty quiet to Cashes Ledge where we laid out a slick of chum. This attracted Greater Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Wilson's Storm-petrels, a small number of Leach's Storm-petrels. For those who check the sea conditions on the NOA page here is buoy NOA buoy 44005

Photo by Steve Mirick and used with his permission. Photo remains the property of the photographer.

Pomarine Jaeger A really cooperative Pomarine Jaeger flew around and over the boat before settling on the water very close look easily became the bird of the day.

Simon Perkins In His Own Words -
The POJA on the Cashes trip was a sub-adult- either a 2nd or 3rd yr bird. All immature jaegers have barred underwing coverts at least through their 2nd or 3rd year. These coverts in adults are uniformly dark. Also, as POJAs approach adulthood, they show progressively less barring about the neck, flanks and crown, though females may be more barred on average than males. We still have a lot to learn about sexual dimorphism in jaegers. Lastly, the length of the tail ("lollipop") was consistent with a 2nd/3rd yr bird.

Photo by Steve Mirick . Photo remains the property of the photographer. Phalaropes were on the move and we had good close looks at both Red and Red-necked. We ran into a mother and calf Humpback whale and finally caught up to a large group of 200 Atlantic White-sided Dolphin.

Two immature Black-legged Kittiwake photos again by Steve Mirick. Photos remain the property of the photographer.