Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!rutgers!att!whuts!picuxa!gpasq
From: gpasq@picuxa.UUCP (Greg Pasquariello X1190)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Trip to Mass.
Message-ID: <691@picuxa.UUCP>
Date: 31 Oct 88 16:00:37 GMT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Parsippany NJ
Lines: 68

I just returned from my trip to Massachussets (sp?).  We had some really
nice looks at some really good birds, but overall the trip was a bust.
We saw virtually no dickie birds, probably due to the gusty winds.

We drove (and drove and drove) and finally reached Salisbury Beach, in northern
Mass.  As you head in toward the boat ramp, there is a small grove of pine
trees, really low scrubby ones.  This was our first stop.  I had gotten long
eared owls here in the past, so it was worth a look.  It was not until the
last tree in the row that we discovered a small saw-whet owl, sleeping and
sunning only eight feet up near the trunk!  So close, that most of us couldn't
focus our binocs on it!  First real bird for the trip, and a lifer for at
least three in the group.

The other birds that we scraped up here were typical for the area and time
of year and included a merlin, snow-buntings, and horned larks.  The beach
itself produced only occasional scattered scoters (that sounds neat) of all
three species, some oldsquaw, and a herd of gannets, but little else.  So
on we moved toward Plum Island.

There is a yacht club in Newburryport on the way that we stop at every year.
It usually has lots of bonaparte's gulls, and I am told it used to have 
black headed gulls regularly.  I have tried for about every black headed gull
in the free world, and I was of the belief that there really is no such bird. 
So, we made the mandatory stop, saw no bonies and little else, and left. Still
no black-headed.   A short way down the river however, sat a large flock of
gulls (near the clam shack for those of you that remember the Ross's gull
of several years ago).  As we parked the van I noticed a bonaparte's flying
way the heck off in the distance (actually near the yacht club) and put my
scope on it.  The thing had black underwing tips!!!  Unfortunately, no one 
else saw the bird, so no one else believed me.  Quickly, I herded them back
into the van, and zoomed back to the yacht club.  People in small cars can
make such funny gestures when faced with death by birding van!

We got to the yacht club, and there it was, a beautiful first year black
headed gull, first flying over the van, then perching on the sewage treatmen
plant less than 100 yards away.

That was about how the day ended.  We got no other great birds to speak of,
but we did have some good birding fun.

The next day dawned bright and early (First cousin to "it was a dark and
stormy night").  We boarded the "Capt John" in Plymouth and set sail for
the Stellwagen Banks.  We hit the jackpot as far as sheer numbers of birds
were concerned.  Lots and lots of gulls, and plenty of greater shearwaters.
Manx shearwaters were common also, with about 1 for every 3 greater.  That
was somewhat of a surprise.  I hoped to see two or three.  Last year we only
saw one!  The whales put on a great show, with three species (fin, humpback,
and Minke) bubble netting right along side the boat.  Three jeagers flew
by, but way off in the distance, probably all pomarine.  I missed the flyby
razorbill.  But the best bird came as we were headed back to port.  It was
with the other gulls, and was very probably a Thayer's gull.  I managed to 
see the bird quite well, and it had many of the characteristics of the
Thayer's.  Photos were taken, and Wayne Petersen was on board (a very good
birder of national renown).  He felt it could be a Thayer's but would not
say for sure.  I will let you know what the experts say about the photos.
It would be a life bird for me if I could have identified with certainty.
Oh well, maybe next time.

If anyone on the Left Coast has any tips for id'ing a Thayers (Mike?) maybe
you could send them or post them.  I would be greatful.

Happy Birding -
	Greg
-- 
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"I crush your head!"		Greg Pasquariello   AT&T PMTC
				att!picuxa!gpasq    Parsippany, NJ
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