A European Storm Petrel and a Fea’s Petrel (below) were some of the rarer species sighted during recent Seabirding Pelagic Trips offshore Hatteras, North Carolina (photos by Brian Patteson).

Two notable pelagic birding companies – one on the Atlantic and one on the Pacific – provide remarkable opportunities for birders to get offshore to appreciate the seabirds that ply our oceans – including occasional rare bird sightings, such as the recent European Storm Petrel, Bermuda Petrel, and Fea’s Petrels sighted offshore from the port of Hatteras, North Carolina. Currently, seabirding trips are leaving regularly from Hatteras under the direction of Brian Patteson through September; and in August, Debi Shearwater will be starting her 44th and final season of pelagic trips through October, primarily offshore from Monterey, California.

So far during June, the list of interesting seabirds observed off Hatteras

including Fea’s Petrels, Black-capped Petrels, Cory’s Shearwaters, Scopoli’s Shearwaters, Audubon’s Shearwaters, Sooty Shearwaters, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Leach’s Storm Petrel, Band-rumped Storm Petrel, European Storm Petrel, a South Polar Skua, Pomarine Jaeger, Masked Boobys, Sooty Terns, Arctic Terns, a Bridled Tern, Royal Tern, and Common Terns. How many life birds does that include for you? The seabirding trips are well-documented with photos by Kate Sutherland on the Seabirding Blog at http://seabirding.blogspot.com/ And Monterey offshore seabird lists offer a different mix of seabirds in the Pacific.

Now is the time to plan and book a pelagic birding trip with these famous companies; both companies already have some fully booked dates. And even if you live far from the coast, or a distance north or south on the coast, it’s worth a fun weekend trip – book a flight and a seaside hotel, and enjoy a destination trip that may be a first for you. In fact, these locations also provide fine birding areas during time spent on solid ground.

You can get a lot more information and inspiration from the websites for Seabirding Pelagic Trips in Hatteras at http://www.patteson.com/ and Shearwater Journeys in Monterey and other sites at http://www.shearwaterjourneys.com/schedule.html including scheduled seabirding trips through summer and fall.