USA - Boston, New England & Its Whales

Transcription

1 USA - Boston, New England & Its Whales Naturetrek 4-9 September 2008 Humpback Whale - breaching Humpback Whale - tail slapping Boston - sight-seeing Great Shearwater Report compiled by Richard Bashford Images by kind permission of Mick & Barbara Bond Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 USA - Boston, New England & Its Whales Tour Leader: Richard Bashford Participants: Stephen Carr Christine Carr Kate Tyrrell Joe Williamson June Forrest Mick Bond Barbara Bond Kathryn Barry Day 1 Thursday 4 th September Weather: dry, sunny, clear & calm The group met Richard at Boston airport and headed south out of Boston towards Plymouth, which was to be our base for the next few days. Some of the group decided to relax and the rest of us took a short trip to the nearby Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary. Stars of the show were a group of three Wild Turkeys attracted by the small feeding station. We saw a wide range of birds here, including Cardinals, Cedar Waxwings, Red-tailed Hawk, Green Heron, Great Egret, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and two Solitary Sandpipers. In fact the birdlife was so interesting we didn t get far into the Sanctuary before it was time to return to Plymouth for a seafront meal. Day 2 Friday 5th September Weather: dry, sunny & clear with a light breeze The group did various activities, including taking a much-needed leisurely breakfast and wandering round Plymouth, before meeting on the wharf by the Captain John Boats kiosk ready for our first trip on the water. The weather was fantastic with barely a cloud in the sky as we headed out across the bay, and within an hour and a half we d seen a blow and headed towards it. What a show! Over the next two hours we were lucky enough to get fantastic views of several Humpback Whales it was hard to know where to look! First we saw the backs and blows of several animals, then we started to see them dives, with tail stocks arched and tails breaking the surface. The whales could be out of sight for 15 to 20 minutes, but it was clear we had over 10 around us and it was almost constant viewing. The group consisted of at least two sets of mothers and calves. These seemed particularly energetic and proceeded to really work the crowd, with several flippers waving around, slapping the water and then what we d all hoped for but is in fact seen on less than 10% of trips a breach. A young Humpback launched itself out of the water then turned and landed on its back with a colossal splash! The Ohhs and Ahhs from the whale-watchers were very loud! Although that display alone would have been enough, over the next five minutes or so we enjoyed a further 10 or more breaches some just heads out and landing on their chin, some on their backs, and at least one leaving the water altogether, captured on film by Mick. By 3.15pm we d been well and truly spoilt and it was time to head back, but there was another treat in store a pod of around 200 White-sided Dolphins had been spotted on the route we would be taking back to shore. Naturetrek October 08 1

3 We caught up with them a few minutes later; we saw about 50 porpoising along. We even managed to position ourselves so that some would ride our bow wave. Occasionally, one or two jumped clear of the water. Wow! We arrived back just after 4pm. In the late afternoon we took a trip over the bridge to Cape Cod and had a short walk round the marshes of Sandy Neck Beach. We saw Great Blue Heron, Osprey and a fantastic Common Nighthawk overhead, before it was time to return to Plymouth for a celebratory dinner! Day 3 Saturday 6th September Weather: warm, sunny morning; cloudy with heavy rain & wind in the afternoon This was to be a fairly different day! A small band of us went out after breakfast to the North River Wildlife Sanctuary where we saw a good range of birds Hairy and Downy Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch and an all-too-brief Belted Kingfisher, before returning to Plymouth. On the wharf there was a sign at the kiosk saying Trip cancelled because of weather. Despite the seemingly perfect conditions at the time, Tropical Storm Hannah was kicking things up along the eastern seaboard and bad weather was approaching. It seemed hard to believe, but by 2.30pm it was very stormy indeed. Most of us took a trip south to Cape Cod, but the rain got so heavy we didn t get out of the minibus. Kathryn took perhaps the best option and walked out along Plymouth harbour in largely dry weather. A few phone calls during the day prepared us for the fact that the Sunday trip was likely to be cancelled too, due to the remaining high swell following the storm. While this didn t make us any happier, it did mean we had a chance to make a contingency plan. We would phone at 9am to check and, if the boat wasn t going, we d head north into Boston for the day. Day 4 Sunday 7th September Weather: warm & sunny all day with a light breeze Despite the perfect weather following the storm, our trip was indeed cancelled as the sea was too rough. We piled into the minibus back at the hotel and headed for Boston and, despite not seeing any whales, we had a great day. More by luck than judgement, we found ourselves in Charlestown by the USS Constitution and joined a Superduck tour a one-and-a-half hour tour of historic Boston and a trip across the harbour in the bright yellow amphibious vehicle. This was a really good way to start our day in Boston, as it included plenty of history and jokes. Following this, we took another ferry across the harbour to the main city to explore, and had a fantastic lunch! After a bit more sightseeing we met back at the minibus for the drive home, arriving back at 6pm. With the continued good weather throughout the day we all hoped our last day would be calm enough for another whale trip. Day 5 Monday 8th September Weather: warm, clear & calm We had arranged to meet up in the hotel lobby soon after 9am. Richard went down to the kiosk first and the signs were good no cancellation notice in the kiosk! Then, by phone, we learnt that there would indeed be a sailing at noon. Wonderful! 2 Naturetrek October 08

4 Today had been left as a free day for travelling back to Boston and doing some sightseeing but we d already done that, so we decided on a final whale-watch trip before our evening flight home. It was perfect. With another cloudless sky overhead, we crossed the harbour, set out into the Atlantic and once again we saw a spout. On this trip we spent our time in the company of about five Humpbacks one spent most of the time logging or resting on the surface, while another passed so close to our boat that the people at the front could smell its fishy blow. While we were out we saw Manx, Great and Cory s Shearwaters, a couple of groups of Red-necked Phalaropes, three Pomarine Skuas (one chasing a tern to drop its fish) and a Sunfish. We headed back, arriving at the Wharf at 4.15pm then returned to the hotel to pick up our bags and head into Boston. This all passed without incident, and we landed at Heathrow at 8.25am on 9th September. We returned with some fantastic memories of breaching whales and sunny days, with the added bonus of some serious urban tourism and great company. Mick s photos really sum the trip up and we thank him for his permission to use them. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! Naturetrek October 08 3

5 Species lists Mammals Humpback Whale Grey Squirrel Chipmunk Atlantic White-sided Dolphin Rabbit Birds (includes species seen by Richard on 3rd September) 1 Cory's Shearwater 40 Herring Gull 2 Great Shearwater 41 Great Black-backed Gull 3 Manx Shearwater 42 Common Tern 4 Leach's Petrel 43 Mourning Dove 5 Double-crested Cormorant 44 Feral Pigeon 6 Northern Gannet 45 Common Nighthawk 7 Great Blue Heron 46 Chimney Swift 8 Great Egret 47 Belted Kingfisher 9 Snowy Egret 48 Red-bellied Woodpecker 10 Green Heron 49 Downy Woodpecker 11 Black-crowned Night Heron 50 Hairy Woodpecker 12 Mute Swan 51 Northern Flicker 13 Canada Goose 52 Empidonax flycatcher sp. 14 Mallard 53 Red-eyed Vireo 15 Blue-winged Teal 54 Warbling Vireo 16 Common Eider 55 Catbird 17 Turkey Vulture 56 Blue Jay 18 Northern Harrier 57 American Crow 19 Cooper's Hawk 58 Purple Martin 20 Red-tailed Hawk 59 Barn Swallow 21 Osprey 60 Tree Swallow 22 Wild Turkey 61 Tufted Titmouse 23 Black-bellied Plover 62 Black-capped Chickadee 24 American Golden Plover 63 White-breasted Nuthatch 25 Semipalmated Plover 64 House Wren 26 Greater Yellowlegs 65 American Robin 27 Lesser Yellowlegs 66 Northern Mockingbird 28 Solitary Sandpiper 67 Starling 29 Willet 68 Cedar Waxwing 30 Whimbrel 69 Black and White Warbler 31 Sanderling 70 American Redstart 32 Semipalmated Sandpiper 71 Common Yellowthroat 33 Least Sandpiper 72 Northern Cardinal 34 Short-billed Sandpiper 73 Song Sparrow 35 Red-necked Phalarope 74 Common Grackle 36 Arctic Skua 75 Baltimore Oriole 37 Pomarine Skua 76 Purple Finch 38 Laughing Gull 77 American Goldfinch 39 Ring-billed Gull 78 House Sparrow 4 Naturetrek October 08