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!**
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Fresh Pond Reservation, Cambridge
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesAn easy, approximately two-mile walk on paved paths around the pond.
Brooks Estate, Medford
Medford - Brooks Estate - Grove St 266 Grove St, Medford, MA, United StatesLet's see what early spring migrants we can find. Co-sponsored with the Menotomy Bird Club.
Slow Birding at Revere Beach
Revere Beach 21 Revere Beach Blvd, Revere, MA, United StatesLed by DCR Park Staff. Come observe the beautiful details of birds and their behaviors and share observations with others in the group. Pose questions and memories that observations elicit. Birds we may see include Piping Plover, Manx Shearwater, resident gulls, with Common Tern arriving by May. Suitable for adults and children 8 years+. Children [...]
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, and relatives—are familiar backyard birds with extraordinary behaviors that enable them to thrive where most species cannot. John Marzluff will [...]
Horn Pond, Woburn
Woburn - Horn Pond - Sturgis St 98 Sturgis St, Woburn, MA, United StatesCo-sponsored with Menotomy Bird Club. Join us as we explore the varied habitat of the Horn Pond Conservation area. We will be searching for early spring migrants such as Tree Swallow, Eastern Phoebes, Pine, as well as Palm and Yellow-rumped warblers, and lingering ducks such as Northern Shoveler and Green-winged teal, and early warblers. Meet [...]