MA - Band-rumped Storm-petrel - 08/26

Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012. Another highlight from the 'BBC Dream Pelagic'. Prolonged, close views of Band-rumped Storm-petrels. A total of nine went down in the log for the whole weekend. Many, like this bird at Welker Canyon, showed a strong interest in our chum-slick. Although I've seen Band-rumpeds on BBC pelagics before the views have often been fleeting and incomparable to the excellent show we had on this trip. All images taken using Leica 8x42 bins and a Canon Powershot A590 compact digital.

  
Band-rumped Storm-petrel (right) foraging with Wilson's Storm-petrel - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012.

 

 Band-rumped Storm-petrel (left) and Wilson's Storm-petrel - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012. 

 Band-rumped Storm-petrel (left) and Wilson's Storm-petrel - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012.

 Band-rumped Storm-petrel - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012. 

 Band-rumped Storm-petrel (rear, gliding away) and Wilson's Storm-petrel (foreground) - Welker Canyon, MA. August 26th, 2012.

 Leach's Storm-petrel - this 'scary' looking bird with a fairly square tail is a molting Leach's, but superficially resembled Band-rumped in the field. The same bird is featured in the image below. One of many Leach's seen on the trip, though none gave the impression of such a squared-off tail as this bird. However, it was confidently and correctly called by Marshall Iliff  and others at the scene.