Bird Watching
While the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary has gained fame as a world-class whale watching destination, it can also claim the distinction of being an exciting location for bird watching. The rich waters provide a mix of plankton and small fish to attract a wide variety of species.
Click here
to review a guide to sanctuary birds.
Click here for a chart of seasonal status of sightings.
Click here for information on the annual Christmas Bird Count.
August 1-7 2007 Bird Sightings
During
the first week of August, Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
Marine Educators working aboard the Portuguese Princess whale
watching vessels sighted the following bird species regularly
near Provincetown, Cape Cod Bay, & Massachusetts Bay, including
the Gerry E. Studds-Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary:
eider ducks and double crested cormorants in Provincetown Harbor,
common terns, herring, black-backed, and laughing gulls, large
numbers of greater & sooty shearwaters, Wilson's storm petrels,
and immature northern gannets.
Latest Sightings -- September 10-18, 2006
Provided courtesy of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
and Portuguese Princess Whale Watch Vessels
Over
the course of the last week and a half, marine educators from
the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies aboard the Portuguese
Princess Whale Watching vessels have seen fewer numbers of birds
on the southern edge of Stellwagen Bank. The most common birds
seen lately have been Laughing Gulls and small flocks of Common
Terns. Occasional sightings have been made of Roseate Terns, Northern
Gannets and Sooty Shearwaters.
Over
the weekend of September 16 & 17, a dozen Greater Shearwaters
and a dozen Wilson's Storm Petrels were seen on each trip, as
well as a Common Loon off Herring Cove on Saturday afternoon.
Two small migrants were seen on the 9:30 am trip on Sunday morning,
including a Pine Warbler which landed and rested on the boat and
a Ruby-throated Hummingbird which flew over the bow several times.
Double
Crested Cormorants remain on the breakwater in Provincetown Harbor,
although in reduced numbers. Eider Ducks are also seen regularly
in the harbor and around the breakwater.
August 23-28
Provided courtesy of the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies and Portuguese Princess Whale Watch Vessels
"Over the course of the last week, numerous sightings of birds have been made both nearshore and out at sea on Stellwagen Bank by PCCS Marine Educators aboard the Portuguese Princess Whale Watch Vessels.
In Provincetown Harbor, two Double Crested Cormorant nests remain active on the breakwater, while more than half of the cormorants on the breakwater are fledged juveniles. Eider Ducks continue to be seen in the harbor and on the base of the breakwater. Interestingly, a Black-Crowned Night Heron has been seen flying over and resting along the breakwater on several occasions this week.
Within the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, regular sightings of Greater and Sooty Shearwaters have been made, with increasing sightings of Manx Shearwaters and rare sightings of Cory's Shearwaters.
Large rafts of Wilson's Storm Petrels have been abundant and seen on the Southwest Corner as well as near the BE Buoy. Large flocks of Common Terns abound, with this year's fledged young flying after their parents, giving the begging call. An occasional Roseate Tern has also been seen and/or heard.
Sightings of jaegers continue to increase, with the majority being Parasitic Jaegars, although a few sightings have been made of Pomerine Jaegars.
Small flocks of Red-Necked Phalaropes have also been seen, as well as several immature Northern Gannets.
Greater Black-Backed Gulls are seen regularly, predominating around the charter fishing boats, while juvenile Herring Gulls and Laughing Gulls remain abundant."
Contributed by Joanne M. Jarzobski
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