Winter Pelagic: Hillstar Nature in MD Waters - December 29th, 2023
As winter pelagics go, this trip off Ocean City, MD was bordering on colossal.
From 730am til 330pm we were constantly in the presence of Dovekie. We totaled 5156 on the day, which at least in eBird appears a new state high count. It was extraordinary. In addition to this spectacle, we enjoyed 246 Red Phalarope, 22 Atlantic Puffins, 84 Razorbills, 1 Little Gull, 21 Black-legged Kittiwakes, and 8 Manx Shearwaters, including one that followed the boat for almost 2 hours & landed around us, extremely close, feeding on our chum.
To top it off we also had what appears to be the first winter record of a Black-capped Petrel in Maryland. And as if that wasn’t shocking enough, soon after that Cory Husic spotted a whale that as we got closer, we began to realize was a good candidate for a Northern Right Whale. This is one of the rarest animals on the planet with only about a 360 in existence. Photos confirm what we saw in the field.
All in all it was an incredible day and we’re so thankful to everybody who was there and helped make it happen.
Thanks!