The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, Sep 7th, on board “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society, took place under tranquil sea and weather conditions. We went out past the 9-Mile Bank to the 30-Mile Bank and The Corner. Highlights included good looks at a sitting Flesh-footed Shearwater in a flock of Pink-footeds at the northeast corner of the Nine-Mile Bank (32.72, -117.47), small numbers of Townsend’s and Least Storm-Petrels and better numbers of Leach’s, two distant Cocos Boobies, and several Craveri’s Murrelets. By far the rarest creature of the day was the Sperm Whale near the boat at the top end of the Nine-Mile Bank (32.72, -117.50) for extended, close views, photos, and video.
Totals for the day once we were over a mile offshore were:
- Whimbrel 3
- Red-necked Phalarope 67
- Red Phalarope 1
- Pomarine Jaeger 9
- Parasitic Jaeger 5
- jaeger sp. 11
- Craveri’s Murrelet 5
- murrelet sp. 2
- Sabine’s Gull 1
- Heermann’s Gull 25
- Western Gull 400
- Common Tern 4
- Royal Tern 1
- Elegant Tern 70
- Leach’s (Chapman’s) Storm-Petrel 12
- Leach’s (white-rumped) Storm-Petrel 4
- Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 3
- Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 18
- Black Storm-Petrel 1200
- Least Storm-Petrel 5
- Sooty Shearwater 30
- FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER 1
- Pink-footed Shearwater 470
- Black-vented Shearwater 120
- Cocos Booby 2
- Brandt’s Cormorant 29
- Double-crested Cormorant 4
- Brown Pelican 520
- Also: Surfbird, Reddish Egret, SPERM WHALE, Minke Whale, N. Elephant Seal, Swordfish, California Flying Fish
Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, Gary Nunn, Barbara Wise, San Diego
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