Cost: $100 per person for BBC members/$120 per person for nonmembers (payment link will appear after you submit this form).
**IMPORTANT: EACH PERSON IN YOUR PARTY MUST SUBMIT THIS REGISTRATION FORM SEPARATELY**
***If you registered for the 11/18 trip and asked us to carry over your registration please DO NOT fill out this form. Your spot is already reserved.***
When/where: Saturday, December 2, 2023 pelagic trip on the Helen H leaves from Hyannis, Massachusetts at 7:00 a.m. We plan to return to Hyannis around 4:00 p.m.
Cancellations: Due to weather conditions, the captain of the Helen H sometimes cancels the trip if the sea conditions are too rough. We will keep you informed as soon as we know about the status of the trip. The captain will typically make a decision about weather once the marine forecast becomes available – Tuesday/Wednesday before the trip, but it can be cancelled even later than that.
If you can’t make the trip, please let us know. If there is someone on the waiting list who can take your place, we can issue you a refund, but otherwise you will be charged.
What should I bring: Since the weather varies greatly from trip to trip, bring an assortment of rain and warm clothes; sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat; water and snacks; anti-nausea pills; and cameras and binoculars.
The boat: The Helen H, a 100 foot aluminum deep sea fishing boat powered by a fast 2700 Horsepower engine, is a Coast Guard approved deep sea fishing boat. The cabin has several fixed tables and benches, while the deck and sides have many long benches. Between the bow, deck and sides, there are many places to view birds. There are two toilets on the boat.
The birds: Every trip is different, and early December can offer a range of species. Often there are spectacular congregations of sea ducks in Nantucket Sound – tens of thousands are possible. It is a real wildlife spectacle. Winter gulls may be around (Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed, Black-legged Kittiwake), as may Northern Gannets and Northern Fulmar. As we get to the Nantucket Shoals, a shallow, sandy-bottomed area southeast of Nantucket, there should be lingering shearwaters (Manx, Great, Cory’s, Sooty) and storm-petrels (Wilson’s and Leach’s) with the possibility of jaegers (Parasitic, Pomerine) or even a skua. Alcids are tough but possible, depending on the year. There are opportunities to see a number of other sea creatures as well – whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, Mola-mola, Tuna, and Portuguese Man o’ War.
**If you run into any issues or have any questions please email bbcpelagics@gmail.com and we will be able to assist you!**
March 26 Open to All Webinar: At Sea in the Humboldt Current – Ship Life, Pelagic Birds, and Deep Sea Creatures with Scott Weiman
Embark on an evening of discovery as marine geochemist Scott Wieman recounts a recent month-long research expedition aboard the R/V Falkor(too) from Valparaíso to Puerto Montt, Chile. Scott’s talk blends his experiences birding the highly [...]
2025 BBC Teen Birder Scholarship Awards
The BBC Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Sydney Beard of Cambridge and Jonas Johnson of Canaan, CT. These scholarships cover the full cost [...]
April 9 Open to All Webinar: The Corvid’s World, with John Marzluff
How have corvids mastered city life, learned human faces and learned to use tools? What settings and experiments help humans understand some parallels between human and crow cognition? Corvids—the ubiquitous crows, ravens, magpies, jays, nutcrackers, [...]
April 25 Annual Members Meeting – All Welcome
Please join us on April 25 for our Annual Members Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with the BBC's annual business meeting and the election of [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Mt Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key program has been discontinued. Here is a portion [...]
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I [...]
March 26 Open to All Webinar: At Sea in the Humboldt Current – Ship Life, Pelagic Birds, and Deep Sea Creatures with Scott Weiman
Embark on an evening of discovery as marine geochemist Scott Wieman recounts a recent month-long research expedition aboard the R/V Falkor(too) from Valparaíso to Puerto Montt, Chile. Scott’s talk blends his experiences birding the highly [...]
2025 BBC Teen Birder Scholarship Awards
The BBC Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Sydney Beard of Cambridge and Jonas Johnson of Canaan, CT. These scholarships cover the full cost [...]
April 9 Open to All Webinar: The Corvid’s World, with John Marzluff
How have corvids mastered city life, learned human faces and learned to use tools? What settings and experiments help humans understand some parallels between human and crow cognition? Corvids—the ubiquitous crows, ravens, magpies, jays, nutcrackers, [...]
April 25 Annual Members Meeting – All Welcome
Please join us on April 25 for our Annual Members Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with the BBC's annual business meeting and the election of [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Mt Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key program has been discontinued. Here is a portion [...]
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I [...]
March 26 Open to All Webinar: At Sea in the Humboldt Current – Ship Life, Pelagic Birds, and Deep Sea Creatures with Scott Weiman
Embark on an evening of discovery as marine geochemist Scott Wieman recounts a recent month-long research expedition aboard the R/V Falkor(too) from Valparaíso to Puerto Montt, Chile. Scott’s talk blends his experiences birding the highly [...]
2025 BBC Teen Birder Scholarship Awards
The BBC Conservation and Education Committee is pleased to announce our two annual Bill Drummond Young Birder Scholarship recipients, Sydney Beard of Cambridge and Jonas Johnson of Canaan, CT. These scholarships cover the full cost [...]
April 9 Open to All Webinar: The Corvid’s World, with John Marzluff
How have corvids mastered city life, learned human faces and learned to use tools? What settings and experiments help humans understand some parallels between human and crow cognition? Corvids—the ubiquitous crows, ravens, magpies, jays, nutcrackers, [...]
April 25 Annual Members Meeting – All Welcome
Please join us on April 25 for our Annual Members Meeting. The evening begins with a social hour at 6:30. The program starts at 7:30 with the BBC's annual business meeting and the election of [...]
Changes Coming to Mt Auburn Cemetery This Spring
Mt Auburn Cemetery has announced changes to birder access starting this spring. In short the gates will open every day starting at 6:00 AM but the key program has been discontinued. Here is a portion [...]
eBird Tip – How to use eBird When Traveling
Thanks to Bob Ross for the following article, which started out as a MassBird listserv post: The eBird Alerts are an indispensable tool when traveling to a new city or region to go birding. I [...]
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Upcoming Field Trips
Woodcock Walk, North Easton
North Easton - Edwin A. Keach Park Chestnut Street, Easton, MA, United StatesFrom the playground, we will walk a short distance to an open area where we can observe 2 fields for Woodcock. Sunset is around 6:30 pm so bring a camp chair and relax for the Woodcock flight.
CANCELED Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Concord CANCELED
Concord - Great Meadows Concord Unit, Entrance Rd, Concord, MA, United StatesThis field trip is canceled due to weather.
Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond
Boston - Franklin Park & Scarboro Pond Roxbury, MA, United StatesWe will look for early spring migrants in Franklin Park. Beginners welcome and encouraged. Expect to walk up to 2 miles on paved paths. Loaner binoculars available. Co-sponsored with the Franklin Park Coalition and Franklin Park Tennis Association.
Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge
Mount Auburn Cemetery 536 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA, United StatesMount Auburn Cemetery is lovely in all seasons. In late March, we may see the very earliest migrants from the south (Red-winged Blackbird, others) as well as the remaining seasonal visitors from the north (e.g. White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco). And our usual year-round resident species will have just started to sing!
Blue Hills
Blue Hills - Chickatawbut off Randolph MA, United StatesThis trip consists of several short (1-mile) hikes (the first is rather steep) to look for Turkey Vultures, Pileated Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, and early-arriving Eastern Phoebes and Pine Warblers.