July-August 2015

July and August were hot with temperatures over 90 degrees on nine days and rainfall below normal for both months.

Pelagic birding was the highlight of the summer. The Brookline Bird Club organized two overnight offshore trips, July 18 and August 22. The August trip to Hydrographer Canyon was outstanding. A total of 37 White-faced Storm-Petrels and 23 Band-rumped Storm-Petrels were noted, shattering records of previous sightings. A single Red-billed and four White-tailed tropicbirds were seen, and nearly 200 Audubon’s Shearwaters were tallied. Capping the list of rarities were two Black-capped Petrels, a South Polar Skua, a Long-tailed Jaeger, and a Bridled Tern.

Other exciting pelagic species noted included the second state record of Fea’s Petrel photographed northeast of Truro on July 18, a Yellow-nosed Albatross photographed on Stellwagen Bank, and Bridled Terns noted from Nantucket and Tuckernuck. A Brown Booby was noted from outer Cape Cod on four days, and a Brown Pelican was found on South Beach in Chatham.

The shorebird highlight was the report of three Long-billed Curlews on South Monomoy, a Curlew Sandpiper on Duxbury Beach, and a Ruff on Plum Island. Passerine migration was underway in late August. On August 18, a Selasphorus hummingbird was noted in Pepperell.