Brookline Bird Club’s 7 Seas Whale Watch Trip Report, 2024

Photo: Black Guillemot, Johnny Owens
On a beautiful Saturday morning July 27, 46 club members and friends boarded the 7 Seas sailing vessel Privateer IV out of Gloucester Harbor on a whale watching and sea birding adventure! We traveled along the coastline up into Ipswich Bay to Halfway Hump. To our delight there were great looks at many birds, including 4 species of Shearwaters, and even a few species of mammals. Photos were shared to the Brookline Bird Club Facebook page. Here is a listing of what we saw:
What we saw – birds, whales and more!:
- American Black Duck – 32
- Common Eider – 13
- Black Scoter – 1
- Black Guillemont – 1
- Laughing Gull – 1
- Herring Gull – 300 (underestimate)
- Great Black Backed Gull – 42
- Common Tern – 18
- Wilson’s Storm Petral – 6
- Cory’s Shearwater – 14
- Great Shearwater – 26
- Sooty Shearwater – 1
- Manx Shearwater – 3
- Northern Gannet – 1
- DC Cormorant – 500 (underestimate)
- Little Blue Heron – 1
- Great Egret – 21
- Tree Swallow – 3
- Great Blue Heron – 1
- Humpback Whales – 2
- Minke Whale – 1
- Harbor Seal – 1
- Atlantic White Dolphin – 30 (estimate)
- Mola Mola – 2 (awesome looks right next to boat)
- Harbor Porpoises – several small pods
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Upcoming Field Trips
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Dunback Meadow, Lexington
We will look for semi-hardy migrants and wintering birds including raptors. Fox Sparrow are often here at this time of year. Expect to walk about 3 miles on possibly muddy trails. Cosponsored with Menotomy Bird Club.
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Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLet's explore the East Boston side of Belle Isle Marsh in winter! We'll look for ducks, hawks, Bald Eagles, winter finches and many more birds! Belle Isle is a fantastic birding destination in any season. All of the trails are flat and easy, with a slight elevation on the small hill going through the meadow. [...]
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Midweek Hunt for Alcids and Seabirds
Rockport - Halibut Point State Park Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, MA, United StatesJoin us for a mid-week hunt for alcids and other wintering seabirds. Be prepared for cold and windy weather. If bad weather is predicted, contact the leader by 6:00 pm the previous evening.
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Millennium Park
Boston - Millennium Park Canoe Launch 300 Gardner Street, Boston, MA, United StatesJoin us to look for birds in a unique urban habitat that often draws numerous uncommon and rare birds. Birders of all levels will enjoy this trip. The trails are flat and easy to walk. We may offer optional 30-60 minute trip extensions to adjacent locations such as West Roxbury High School Marsh and/or Brook [...]
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Sconticut Neck and West Island, Fairhaven
Fairhaven - Sconticut Neck and West Island 209 Huttleston Ave,, Fairhaven, MA, United StatesWe will make several stops on the neck and then onto West Island to search for winter ducks, loons, grebes and shorebirds.






