The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, August 22, aboard “Legacy” out of Seaforth Landing and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was quite good. Highlights of the trip included a fairly cooperative Wilson’s Storm-Petrel at the 30-Mile Bank (31 mi WSW of Point Loma), initially found roosting in a Black Storm-Petrel raft, a total of 25 Least Storm-Petrels (scattered, but mostly at 30-Mile Bank), plus a small number of Townsend’s (5+) and moderate numbers of Leach’s (30+). A cooperative Guadalupe Murrelet was closer to shore than normal at the outer edge of the Nine-Mile Bank (13-1/4 mi SW of Point Loma), and a puzzling intermediate Guadalupe-type was photographed earlier in the day in the San Diego Trough, a bird that was either a young Guadalupe or a hybrid Guadalupe X Scripps’s (photos will be analyzed). Also 16 Craveri’s. A fine Laysan Albatross (30-Mile Bank) and as many as ca. 14+ Black-footed Albatrosses were seen. An unseasonal Northern Fulmar was 5-3/4 mi W of Point Loma. An adult Nazca Booby flew over the boat in the San Diego Trough, and 3 immature Masked/Nazca Boobies were at two sets of buoys: 2 birds in the mid- San Diego Trough and 1 on the inside of the Nine-Mile Bank. We shall see if the many photos obtained might elevate one or more of these young birds to full species rank. A total of 7 Cocos Boobies included one pale-headed adult male. A Forster’s Tern 9-3/4 mi W of Point Loma was farther offshore than normal.
Totals for the trip once we were over a mile offshore were as follows:
- Least Sandpiper 1
- Red-necked Phalarope 1600
- Red Phalarope 7
- Guadalupe Murrelet 1.5 (see above)
- Craveri’s Murrelet 16
- Cassin’s Auklet 35
- Sabine’s Gull 14
- Heermann’s Gull 10
- Western Gull 250
- Common Tern 5
- Forster’s Tern 1
- Elegant Tern 12
- Laysan Albatross 1
- Black-footed Albatross 14+
- Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1
- Leach’s Storm-Petrel 30
- Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 5+
- Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 15
- Black Storm-Petrel 1200
- Least Storm-Petrel 25
- Northern Fulmar 1
- Sooty Shearwater 5
- Pink-footed Shearwater 70
- Black-vented Shearwater 80
- Nazca Booby 1
- Masked/Nazca Booby 3
- Cocos Booby 7
- Brandt’s Cormorant 10
- Brown Pelican 55
Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Dan King, Jimmy McMorran, Paul Mulholland, Nick Thorpe, San Diego
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