The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, 15 July, aboard “Legacy” out of Mission Bay and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place under very pleasant conditions–good seas and nice marine overcast for much of the day. Our route took us out to the 9-Mile Bank, San Diego Trough, 30-Mile Bank, and “The Corner,” with about 10-15 minutes spent in L.A. County waters as well. Overall, bird numbers were much better than they had been for the past several weeks.
Totals for the offshore waters, once over a mile or so from shore, were as follows:
- Whimbrel 4
- Marbled Godwit 5
- Least Sandpiper 1
- Western Sandpiper 75
- dowitcher sp. 3
- Red-necked Phalarope 10
- Pomarine Jaeger 1 (30-Mile Bank)
- Heermann’s Gull 8
- Western Gull 55
- Least Tern 7 (including all the way to 30-Mile)
- Elegant Tern 65
- Scripp’s Murrelet 8 (including two pairs with large young; getting late)
- “Guadalupe” Murrelet 1 (30-Mile Bank; 32.66, -117.78; an “intermediate” bird likely from San Benito Island; possible genetic mixing with Scipps’s Murrelet; many photos; further discussion pending)
- Craveri’s Murrelet 14 (scattered)
- Cassin’s Auklet 13
- Rhinoceros Auklet 1 (30-Mile Bank; rare in summer)
- Black-footed Albatross 1 (in L.A. Co. waters at The Corner)
- Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 26 (good total; 8 white-rumped, 18 dark-rumped)
- Ashy Storm-Petrel 22 (good count)
- Black Storm-Petrel 135
- Northern Fulmar 2 (rare in summer; SD Trough, 9-Mile Bank)
- Pink-footed Shearwater 145
- Sooty Shearwater 190
- Black-vented Shearwater 35
- Brandt’s Cormorant 4
- Brown Pelican 8
- Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird 1
- Blue Whale several
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Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Dan Jehl, Dan King
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