Heading N/E to Stellwegan, the drizzle stopped and the thick  

As the day grew older, the sun appeared and so did the sun screen.  

The fishing was steady all day long, as were the steady movement  

My phone rang Monday (July 26) afternoon and when I answered it, a voice exclaimed that ?codfish are back off Gloucester?! My Father-in?Law Andrew Weaver ?AD? being a long time fisherman and former professional lobsterman has been fishing off Gloucester for most of his life. I believe that he has codfish oil running through his veins. For me, spending a day ?sea birding? and cod fishing is an experience that is hard to beat. So after a brief phone conversation, there was only a short time to get the gear ready, pack and (hopefully) a few hours of slumber before the (very) early morning drive to Gloucester. We met at 2:30 am, and headed North on 95. The marine forecast stated light winds from the S/E changing to southerly at 10-15 knots; seas 1 to 2 feet with light passing showers than becoming sunny with temps in the low 80?s, a perfect forecast for late July on Stellwegan Bank. The dawn was cloudy with a hint of a light drizzle, but a little color could be seen in the East offering a glint of hope that the weather service was spot-on. As the lines were cast, the Yankee Clipper was underway. Looking over to Jodrey?s Pier, a few Common Eiders were swimming around the pilings of the pier. The drakes now plumed in unique monochromatic patterns of summer moult umber. A small crèche of hens with a handful of growing ?eider-lings? swam around the pier and tucked in behind the fishing fleet anchored at the pier. There has been a reported and photographed drake King Eider in the Harbor for the last few weeks. The drake was first seen in spectacular full dress, now also in summer moult. I searched through all the eiders that I could see from the vessel, but wasn?t able to find the King. On the Eastern side of the harbor in a short distance just below the Yankee Fleet?s dock, on the roofs of the old buildings a few gulls were standing along the edges. The remnants of the many gull nests could be seen as the gathered nest vegetation was hanging over the edge of the roofs like festooning epiphytes in a rain forest canopy. Below in the water, a network of pilings supported these buildings. Between these pilings, gulls could be seen swimming through them, disappearing into the darkness of the shadows under the buildings. When we were broadside to the old buildings, the birds were close enough to see that they were all fledgling Herring Gulls, many with the last remaining downy filaments still projecting out from their developing head plumage. When we passed the buildings, I watched as two of these gulls made their first flight from the roof top. The birds leaned out with their nearly fully developed wings open, lunged forward and their first flight was underway. I was proud to be the one to see these beautiful birds fly for the first time; even if their flight was short ending with an awkward tumble and crash onto the water. The birds just shook it off and joined the other fledglings under the buildings. A cluster of Gulls and Cormorants were feeding heavily on a school of fish on the point just east of the Fisherman?s Monument. I looked through all the gulls which were 75% Greater black-Backed Gulls and 25% Herring Gulls, with a single Laughing Gull in the flock. As we passed Ten Pound Island approaching the middle of the Harbor, I spotted a single small dark bird flying along the water heading towards the harbor mouth; a Wilson?s storm-Petrel. I looked across the water through my binoculars and spotted two more Petrels, than another, and another. At one point there were over 36 storm-petrels in the harbor. Some of the Petrels were very close along the western shore of the harbor. Many of the petrels crossed close ahead of the bow in their typical erratic flight. Nearing the Dog Bar Breakwater Lighthouse, a single Cory?s Shearwater flew across from the East and headed into the harbor. Heading N/E to Stellwegan, the drizzle stopped and the thick morning clouds began to dissipate. On the trip out, a steady appearance of Wilson?s storm-Petrels crossed the bow from all directions. Every minute or so a storm-petrel or two (or three) would appear twisting and turning often ?walking? and ?dancing? along the water in typical storm-petrel fashion only to disappear in the distance. As the storm-petrels faded into the horizon, they would be replaced by the next storm-petrel or two (or three). A single second year Gannet flew by at a distance, and a second one was swimming on the water about a half a mile farther. The Wilson?s storm-Petrels were continually present appearing in singles, pairs and small groups for the ride out to the fishing grounds. The trip to the area of the bank where we started fishing took an hour and twenty minutes from the Yankee Fleet dock. Nearing the fishing grounds, the Clipper passed a working trawler and a few working lobster boats. These boats were supported by a captive audience of roosting Greater black-Backed Gulls that were spread out on the surface of the sea waiting for the opportunity of a quick meal from the spilled or tossed back bi-catch. The Yankee Clipper slowed to a crawl then the diesels were cut and the vessel settled. An announcement from Captain Josh came over the pa system; ?OK?- I am marking a lot of fish below; one hundred seventy feet deep, let ?em go?. With that all thirty-five fisherman on the vessel dropped their lines to the bottom and the fishing began. The storm-petrels continued passing by all around the drifting Clipper. What seemed like a few seconds that my clam bait hit the bottom; a strong double tug from below, the hook was set, and the first cod of the day was being reeled to the top. Cod after cod came into the boat (and on ice); it became clear, the Captain found a big school of good sized fish. While we were fishing, I kept watching the steady procession of storm-petrels passing by the boat. AD and I reserved the port stern corner of the vessel and many of the birds flew by within a few feet of our corner. The birds passed so close a few times their wingtips brushed against the tips of our rods or lines. Because the wind and tide slightly quartered towards and away from the port stern, the birds were following the small slick that developed from the clam bait. The birds would then fly into the wind which brought them across the stern. As the day grew older, the sun appeared and so did the sun screen. The storm-petrels continued and the first of the Greater Shearwaters appeared. A dozen Greater black-Backed Gulls positioned themselves a short distance from the stern, and vigilantly watched the fisherman closely for the tossed over spent clam bait. Because codfish have a keen sense of smell, they are attracted to the strong odor of the fresh-cut sea clams. As the clam sits too long on the bottom, the odor is washed away and the clam bait needs to be refreshed. With the change of the fresh clam bait, the old is tossed over and the gulls are ready. Small and legally undersized cod are tossed back. Some of the time their bladders are full of air and need to be expelled before being returned. This is accomplished with a few gentle ?Heimlich maneuvers? to the fish?s belly. Sometimes after being tossed back, the fish will lay on the surface until it recovers and heads for the deep. It is at this time that the hawking gulls see an opportunity and try and take advantage of the small splashing fish. One of the smaller fish (sixteen inches) was tossed back and a very aggressive gull positioned itself near the swirling, splashing cod. It made a few attempts to pick up the fish to try and swallow it. The fish was obviously too large and heavy, but try it did. While the gull struggled with the squirming fish, five storm-petrels appeared and ?walked? around the gull and fish picking at the waters surface. This lasted for a minute or two when the cod apparently gathered its senses and in one big splash disappeared into the depths. The fishing was steady all day long, as were the steady movement of storm-petrels both behind the vessel and flying by as far as I could see. A single fin whale appeared for a few seconds about a hundred yards off the vessel. It was the only whale I saw that day. The Clipper moved only four times that day; once drifting, and the other times anchored. The fishing was very steady, with everyone filling their coolers and burlap sacks with fish; all nice ?market-sized? codfish from five to twelve pounds. AD and I filled up our two coolers with nearly our two limits of ten fish each. Up until that point, the Wilson?s storm-Petrels flew constantly, and there wasn?t more than a minute or two (at the longest) in duration between sighted birds. By 2:30 pm, I had already finished fishing for the day. I traded my pole for my camera and enjoyed trying to photograph the storm-petrels that were flying only a few feet from the stern which is like photographing a bee in the wind. The captain announced that it was time to ?pull em? up? for the day. With that, my Father-in-Law set his hook for his last fish of our limit, just in time! Everyone was reeling up and getting their gear put away, I looked up and saw a small flock of birds heading towards the vessel. As the birds got closer to the Clipper, you could see that the birds were a flock of Semi-palmated Sandpipers and they were heading south towards the Cape. I always combine birding and fishing when I go on the cod boats. If the fishing is a little slow, I put my rod up and pick up my binoculars and camera. But one thing is certain; the best part of the day birding on a cod fishing boat is the return trip to port providing fish were caught that day. When the mates start cleaning fish, depending on the time of year, birds are attracted to the tossed over offerings of offal; fish frames and skin. Gulls, Greater Shearwaters, Gannets, Fulmars, Jaegers, Kittiwakes and of course Wilson?s storm-Petrels are attracted to the free buffet. When the diesels fired up and the throttle pushed, the Clipper headed west for home. The two mates Anthony and Josh sharpened their filet knives, and bags full of cod and a few haddock were piled on the filet table one fisherman at a time. Anthony and Josh?s filet skills were incredible; cutting the fish into clean filets in lightning speed. As the Clipper steamed home, the two mates flipped the fish frames and skins over the stern rail in perfect 4/4 timing, like rock drummers during a concert solo. The remnant fish parts disappearing into the Clippers wake would reappear for just a moment or two on the surface of the disturbed sea triggering a frenzy of rumbling Greater black-Backed Gulls. The gulls would tug and pull at the skin sheets with one or two victorious birds emerging with a prize. If the bird escaped in the chaos with a piece of skin or flesh, it?s possession of that prize would still have to survive a flying escape from the gauntlet of all the other hungry birds. During the feeding gull frenzy more Greater Shearwaters started appearing and mixing with the gulls, although on the periphery of the wrestling matches. The number of Wilson?s storm-Petrels also increased to at least fifty of more flying across the boats wake and feeding near the clustered gulls. The route of the petrels was similar; flying up the wake/fish oil slick to the stern of the vessel and pass just off the stern corner within a few feet. There were so many storm-petrels flying across and up the wake, flying right and left and coming and going, it was hard to determine if the birds were the same ones or additional ones. When it was our turn for Anthony and Josh to clean our fish, my largest fish that I caught that day was separated and weighed on the balance scale for the ?pool winner? largest fish of the day. My fish was put on the other arm of the scale next to the largest fish of the day, and the scale moved a bit?.first it leaned towards my fish, but then it slowly balanced evenly and then a slight drop on the other side. I nearly had the pool winner. I missed it by a couple of ounces; a twelve and a half pound cod! The two mates cleaned fish for an hour and a half all the way into the entrance of the harbor. The Greater Shearwater numbers began to fade the closer that we got to shore. When we were within a few miles from shore, the shearwaters were gone. There is an ordinance that you can?t clean fish in Gloucester harbor so the boat had to remain outside the harbor until all the remaining fish were cleaned; which took another hour. While we drifted outside the harbor, a large group of nearly one hundred (mostly Greater black-Backed) Gulls congregated in the water just off the stern. I looked through all the gulls for any different species: Laughing, or possible a summering Iceland or maybe the summering Glaucous Gull that has been seen in the harbor recently. The only other birds that were mixing with the gulls were Wilson?s storm-Petrels. When the fish were finally cleaned, the Clippers diesels were fired up again, and it headed back into the harbor. Nearing the Yankee Fleet?s dock, the same fledgling gulls were swimming in and around the pilings below their roof top nests. A few of the fledgling birds were swimming in the channel and struggled but successfully taking flight in front of the advancing vessel; another lesson learned for these fledgling birds. To sum up the day; I had a wonderful time on the water with ?dad? with endless Wilson?s storm-Petrels and plenty of codfish for the freezer. Tonight?s menu- steamed cod with mango salsa! Keith Mueller Killingworth, CT Highlights: Wilson?s storm-Petrels- 800 +/- (rough estimate-hard to count) Greater Shearwaters- 23 Cory?s Shearwater-1 Gannet-2 Greater black-Backed Gulls- 200+ Herring Gulls- 100+ Laughing Gull- 1 Semi-palmated Sandpipers- 19 Common Eiders- 56 (including 7 ?eider-lings?) Double Crested Cormorants- 36 +/- Fin Whale 1 Cod 300+ Haddock 3 Cusk 1 Ocean Pout 1 Cunner 1 Sculpin 1