Last Fall’s Local Patch Birding pelagic boat trips off of Vermilion, Ohio were wildly successful with incredible point-blank views of multiple Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers. High demand has pushed us to offer many more trips this fall, including two special trips timed to chase down the extremely rare Long-tailed Jaeger.
This fall, jump aboard the Irish Drifter with guides Jen Brumfield, Gabe Leidy and Jerry Talkington for FIVE exciting opportunities to discover offshore “seabirds” as they migrate along the Lake Erie coastline. We’ve strategically designed these boat trips to cover an exceptionally productive area on the shallow Central Basin during peak rarity season (late October through November). Join us on five rare adventures, and learn in detail how to find & identify the specialty birds that visit our north coast. All three jaeger species are targeted this year, with multiple trips in September, October and November!
This is a phenomenal opportunity to go offshore Ohio’s Central Basin in search of special fall rarities: migrant jaegers, gulls, loons, waterfowl, grebes, and more. All tours are strategically scheduled to fall within a particular window of time when highly-sought species are on the move, heading towards their wintering grounds. KEY TARGET BIRDS include: Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, Long-tailed Jaeger (September), Little Gull, Sabine’s Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Purple Sandpiper, and Surf and Black Scoters, among many other prospective highlights/rarities. A sampling of more regular species that will likely be found include: Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser (upwards of 15 species of waterfowl or more), Great Black-backed Gull, Bonaparte’s Gull, and Peregrine Falcon.
We’ll be visiting two major hotspots: Huron and Lorain Harbors. Historically, at these two major ports, gull and waterfowl concentrations can be staggering. The goal of the trips is two-fold: chase and discover rarities and also, get to grips with identifying waterbirds in flight, including gulls and ducks at a distance. Participants will pick up key tips on where and how to look for and find specialty birds. We’ll be “chumming” (a mix of popcorn, fish and meat scraps, etc.) off the stern (rear of the boat), to attract groups of gulls.
SEPTEMBER 15th & 23rd
The Long-tailed Jaeger trips! Two boat trips offered in September: Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 23rd. We are running special September pelagics this year in hopes of scoring Long-tailed Jaeger and Sabine’s Gull offshore Lorain and Huron. Mid-September is the best time to seek this exceptionally rare jaeger.
OCTOBER 20th & 28th
Goal birds: Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, rare gulls, loons and waterfowl, and Purple Sandpiper and Red Phalarope
NOVEMBER 4th
Goal birds: Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers, Purple Sandpiper, rare gulls, loons and waterfowl
VISIT THE LOCAL PATCH PELAGICS website page for full details, including itinerary, goal birds, trip costs and details, photos of the boat, and more: http://www.jenbrumfield.com/?page_id=1775
Registration is now open.
