As I psych myself up for yet another pelagic season in the north Atlantic, I review this month’s “nearby” skua sightings. On Valentine’s Day 1991, be still my heart: it appears a record from shore at Manasquan inlet NJ (among others that year) was accepted to genus level. Other encouraging records:
- Feb 6 2016: pelagic out of Cape May
- Feb 19 1995: This was a day trip that left from Cape May and encountered a great skua at 19 fathom seamount off DE I’m curious about what appears to be a very early departure time. I wonder if we could swing or would consider that for our current trips, and of course what difference it makes?
- Feb 26 1995: This was another day trip that appears to have gone out of MD, but for what it’s worth (if anything) we sometimes eek into MD waters
- various records before my time at the MD pelagic general hot spot: the most enticing details here are the number of birds recorded on trips in the 70’s!
- Valentine’s Day 1982
- Feb 1 1976
- Feb 9 1975
- Feb 7 1975
- Feb 2 1975
- Feb 1 1975: a total of *9* birds are reported 67-111 km E of Ocean City
- Feb 3 1974
So yet again, I budget for a ticket and get my seasickness medication in order to plan for more days at sea…