The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, August 3rd, aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society, sailed out to the 9-Mile & 30-Mile Banks and “The Corner” (some 32 miles offshore). Seas were light to moderate, with a light surface chop. Highlights of the trip were the record (tie) single-day high count for San Diego County waters of 6 Black-footed Albatrosses, mostly in the 30-Mile Bank area, and a good storm-petrel show at the 30-Mile Bank that included 2 somewhat early Least Storm-Petrels, 2-3 Townsend’s Storm-Petrels and another 10 or so white-rumped Leach’s/Townsend’s types, and additional good numbers of dark-rumped Leach’s. The day’s lack of alcids and boobies was an unfortunate surprise. Photos will appear in the shared eBird lists out in a couple days.
Totals for the day, once we were a mile offshore, included:
- Surf Scoter 1
- Red-necked Phalarope 65
- Pomarine Jaeger 1
- Heermann’s Gull 1
- Western Gull 60
- Common Tern 1
- Elegant Tern 40
- Black-footed Albatross 6
- Leach’s Storm-Petrel 19
- Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 3
- Leach’s/Townsend’s (white-rumped) Storm-Petrel 11
- Black Storm-Petrel 400
- Least Storm-Petrel 2
- Sooty Shearwater 60
- Pink-footed Shearwater 35
- Black-vented Shearwater 14
- Brandt’s Cormorant 1
- Brown Pelican 23
- Also:
- Surfbird 6
- Blue Whale 2
Paul Lehman, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, Paul Mulholland, Gary Nunn, San Diego
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