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

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

ANNUAL REPORT 2025

Brookline Bird Club 2025 Statistical and Year-End Report By David Scott, Club Statistician The Brookline Bird Club (BBC) recorded 284 species for 2025, with 275 species in Massachusetts (one more than last year) and nine [...]

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Upcoming Field Trips

  • Fresh Pond, Cambridge

    Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United States

    An easy 2-mile walk through pondside meadows and forest paths at Fresh Pond. The over-wintering waterbirds have started to arrive, and we may see Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and both Hooded and Common Mergansers. Meadow and forest species may include year-round residents as well as seasonal visitors from the north (e.g. White-throated Sparrows, Juncos).

  • Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond (Early Birders Series)

    Boston - Franklin Park Tennis Courts (Meeting Spot) MA, United States

    Join fellow birders in their 20s-30s as we visit Franklin Park! Located in Roxbury, Boston’s largest open space is home to a plethora of natural features, including miles of trails, playing fields, a pond, and plenty of birds! Here we will look for all sorts of songbirds, including late fall migrants and early winterers. Whether [...]

  • An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh

    East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Led by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain for snowy owls and other raptors, native sparrows, finches, waterfowl, and other birds. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. Cosponsored by [...]

  • Millennium Park

    Boston - Millennium Park Canoe Launch 300 Gardner Street, Boston, MA, United States

    Join us to observe resident birds and winter migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare birds. Birders of all levels will enjoy this walk. The trails are (generally) flat. A water bottle, water proof clothing including a hat, gloves, and trail shoes are recommended. [...]

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