The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, October 1st aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place under very pleasant conditions of light seas and high overcast. We ventured offshore to the Nine-Mile Bank, San Diego Trough, 30-Mile Bank, and The Corner. Highlights of the day certainly involved the booby show, with excellent looks at three species. A Red-footed Booby repeatedly approached and circled the boast, and it even briefly landed on the wheelhouse. An adult or near-adult Nazca Booby flew right over the boat. An additional adult Nazca was seen later in the trip at great distance, and a Masked/Nazca was also seen at some distance. Brown Boobies appeared repeatedly during the day and totaled some 11 individuals. Another highlight of the trip were the good numbers of scattered Least Storm-Petrels seen over large parts of the route.
Offshore totals for the day were:
Cinnamon Teal 4
Red-necked Phalarope 50
Red Phalarope 4
Pomarine Jaeger 1
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Cassin’s Auklet 10
Heermann’s Gull 40
Western Gull 200
California Gull 5
Royal Tern 1
Elegant Tern 6
Common Loon 2
Black Storm-Petrel 85
Least Storm-Petrel 40
Pink-footed Shearwater 65
Sooty Shearwater 1
Black-vented Shearwater 1800
Nazca Booby 2 (Nine-Mile Bank @ 12-1/2 mi W of Point Loma; and western SD Trough)
Masked/Nazca Booby 1 (eastern SD Trough)
Brown Booby 11
Red-footed Booby 1 (Nine-Mile Bank @ 12-1/2 mi W of Point Loma)
Brand’s Cormorant 3
Brown Pelican 7
Black-throated Gray Warbler 1
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Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Tom Blackman, Dan Jehl, Justyn Stahl, San Diego
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