Hatteras Pelagic Number 1

This trip is the first of six pelagic trips that I've signed on for.  We got underway before 6am and headed South which is the direction to get to the closest Gulf Stream (warm) water.  Brian keeps tabs on satellite photos every day so as to know how the stream is changing.  The seas were not bad.  Before long I had my first Wilson's Storm-Petrel, followed by Cory's Shearwater, Black-capped Petrel (web photo), Arctic Tern, and Red-necked Phalarope, all new for the year.  We also had a Bridled Tern and a few Audubon Shearwaters, but they weren't new.  We got back to the dock without mishap at 5pm.  Showered, then spent too much for dinner, but it was good.  Tomorrow's another pelagic day.  The five new birds brings the total to 569.