Cost: $100 per person for BBC members/$120 per person for nonmembers
**IMPORTANT: EACH PERSON IN YOUR PARTY MUST SUBMIT THIS REGISTRATION FORM SEPARATELY**
When/where: Saturday, November 18, 2023 (rain date for bad weather Nov 19, 2023) pelagic trip on the Helen H leaves from Hyannis, Massachusetts at 7:00 a.m. We plan to return to Hyannis around 4:00 p.m.
Cancellations: Due to weather conditions, the captain of the Helen H sometimes cancels the trip if the sea conditions are too rough. We have a scheduled rain date of Nov 19, 2023. Please keep your calendar open on both days. We will keep you informed as soon as we know about the status of the trip. The captain will typically make a decision about weather once the marine forecast becomes available – Tuesday/Wednesday before the trip, but it can be cancelled even later than that.
If you can’t make the trip, please let us know. Unless you have cancelled your registration one month before the trip, we will have to charge you. If there is someone on the waiting list who can take your place, we can issue you a refund.
What should I bring: Since the weather varies greatly from trip to trip, bring an assortment of rain and warm clothes; sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat; water and snacks; anti-nausea pills; and cameras and binoculars.
The boat: The Helen H, a 100 foot aluminum deep sea fishing boat powered by a fast 2700 Horsepower engine, is a Coast Guard approved deep sea fishing boat. The cabin has several fixed tables and benches, while the deck and sides have many long benches. Between the bow, deck and sides, there are many places to view birds. There are two toilets on the boat.
The birds: Every trip is different, and November can offer a range of species. Often there are spectacular congregations of sea ducks in Nantucket Sound – tens of thousands are possible. It is a real wildlife spectacle. Winter gulls may be around (Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed, Black-legged Kittiwake), as may Northern Gannets and Northern Fulmar. As we get to the Nantucket Shoals, a shallow, sandy-bottomed area southeast of Nantucket, there should be lingering shearwaters (Manx, Great, Cory’s, Sooty) and storm-petrels (Wilson’s and Leach’s) with the possibility of jaegers (Parasitic, Pomerine) or even a skua. Alcids are tough but possible, depending on the year. There are opportunities to see a number of other sea creatures as well – whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, Mola-mola, Tuna, and Portuguese Mano-war.
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Bring Back Boblinks: Bobolinks at Daniel Webster, Marshfield
Marshfield - Daniel Webster MAS Wildlife Sanctuary 169 Winslow Cemetery Rd, Marshfield, MA, United StatesPart of our Bring Back Boblinks conservation series. Walk among open fields where we are likely to see and hear bobolinks, Our early start increases the likelihood that we will hear the bobolinks’ burbling morning song. Be prepared for muddy trails, depending on recent rainfall. Trails are mostly flat.
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Bring Back Bobolinks: Norfolk Airport (New!)
Norfolk - Norfolk Airport - River Rd entrance west from 60 River Rd, Norfolk, MA, United StatesAdding to our Bobolink conservation series. Observe and appreciate Bobolinks in breeding habitat! Bobolinks are nesting throughout the airport. We will walk the runways less than 2 miles walking total. This area is all grasslands, around 400 acres.
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Belle Isle Marsh Reservation – Winthrop Side
Winthrop - Belle Isle March and Marine Ecology Park Banks Street, Winthrop, MA, United StatesJoint with Mass Audubon BNC. Join us to observe resident birds and spring migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare flycatchers, swallows & warblers. Birders of all levels will enjoy this walk. The trails are generally flat and easy to walk. A water bottle,
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Bring Back Bobolinks: Bobolink Walk at Appleton Farms Ipswich with the Grasslands Survey Team (New!)
Ipswich - Appleton Farms paid parking, free for TTOR members 219 County Road, Ipswich, MA, United StatesNew addition to our Bring Back Bobolinks conservation series. Rani date July 2 - check with leader in case of rain. Join new BBC members and Trustees Grassland Birds Monitoring Project volunteers Andy and Tina Haubert on their regular survey at this well known location for breeding and nesting Bobolinks. We’ll observe field marks, song,
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Quabbin Reservoir
Quabbin Reservoir - Gate 10 235 Daniel Shays Hwy, Pelham, MA, United StatesJoin Glenn on a 5-to-6-mile walk through a very birdy area with species ranging from Broad-winged Hawk to Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and lots of stuff in between. (Maybe a moose or a bobcat!) Co-sponsored with the South Shore Bird Club.






