Red-billed tropicbird

I have not worked offshore Suriname for a couple of years so it is good to be back. I'm currently two weeks into the survey and although cetaceans and seabirds have been scarce I have racked up a few species including spinner dolphin, pantropical spotted dolphin, melon-headed whale, short-finned pilot whale, sperm whale and a few other distant animals that I couldn't identify. On the birding front I have seen red-billed tropic bird, pomarine skua, Audubon's shearwater, Cory's shearwater, sooty tern and a single Masked booby. Stowaways onboard have included a cattle egret and a least sandpiper. I have also seen billfish, sunfish, skipjack tuna and the wonderful flying fish that so often join me on my voyages in the tropics. 

Red-billed tropic birds are one of the highlights of sea watching for me, but as yet I have not managed to get decent photographs of the half dozen or so I have encountered over the years. The latest bird was typically cryptic- that may sound odd for a bright white seabird but they invariable cruise over the open ocean at anything between 50 and 150 metres above the sea surface so are often tricky to pick out against a tropical blue sky filled with intense sunlight and fluffy white clouds! Whilst concentrating on the shearwater action I glanced around and saw the bird as it had already passed over head and was flying away- at a distance of some 70+ metres, so I only managed a couple of record shots- very frustrating but hopefully I'll get another chance at this impressive species before too long!

red-billed tropicbird

red-billed tropicbird

melon-headed whale

Cetacean central

After 8 days at sea, pelagic birding has been very low key and I have only recorded a handful of distant 'Calonectris' shearwaters- presumed to be Cory's but all rather distant (not sure if Cape Verde shearwater disperses this far south?). I also saw a very distant 'probable' tropic bird sp. and a single skua- a long-tailed I think- cold grey tones, long, slender wings, buoyant, tern-like flight…..

I have been much busier with cetaceans though and have recorded 7 confirmed species:- sperm whale, clymene dolphin, short-finned pilot whale, an impressive pod of circa 500 melon-headed whales. Frasers' dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin and spinner dolphin- not a bad haul and I should not complain but the days are very long without a constant stream of seabirds to ID and record!

spinner dolphin

spinners

spinners

Frasers' dolphin with calf (foreground), melon-heads behind

melon-headed whales- note the white lips

long-tailed skua-probably?

Tropical delights.

A wonderful day at sea today. The morning started really well with 20- 30 Fraser's dolphins bow- riding the vessel whilst at the same time a pod of 150-200 Melon-headed whales frolicked 150 metres off the port beam. I was really fortunate to sea some cracking birds too- an adult laughing gull did a brief flypast allowing me to take a quick snapshot through the bridge window and later, when I was outside with the camera at working temperature, a brilliant red-billed tropic bird did a brief dive, then flew across our path. This bird was a little too distant for a quality shot but even with a heavy crop it is still recognisable. A half dozen or so great shearwaters also put in an appearance throughout the day as did a solitary pomarine skua.  In my excitement I almost forgot yesterday's Leach's storm petrel and cory's shearwater!! I'm being rather spoilt on the marine fauna front at the moment!! Happy days indeed!!

Fraser's dolphin

Melon-headed whales

laughing gull

red-billed tropic bird