The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, September 8, out of Mission Bay aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was held under light to moderate sea conditions. Keeping the theme of much of 2024, overall bird numbers were lower than average, but several good birds were seen. The most unusual species was the cooperative sub-adult Nazca Booby that circled the boat several times some 7 miles west of Point Loma. Good numbers of Black Storm-Petrels on the 30-Mile Bank also harbored as many as 5 Least Storm-Petrels, as well as approximately 12 Townsend’s and 5 Leach’s (Chapman’s types). A total of 4 Black-footed Albatrosses were continuing on the 30-Mile Bank. Also seen were a single Brown (Cocos) Booby, adult Sabine’s Gull, and several Red Phalaropes. Photos will be added to posted eBird lists, probably available tomorrow.
Totals for the day once we got about a mile offshore were as follows:
- Surf Scoter: 6
- Red-necked Phalarope: 75
- Red Phalarope: 3
- Pomarine Jaeger: 4
- jaeger sp.: 2
- small alcid sp.: 2
- Sabine’s Gull: 1
- Heermann’s Gull: 5
- Western Gull: 175
- Common Tern: 18
- Elegant Tern: 125
- Black-footed Albatross: 4
- Leach’s Storm-Petrel: 5 (Chapman’s)
- Townsend’s Storm-Petrel: 12
- Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel: 7
- Black Storm-Petrel: 450
- Least Storm-Petrel: 5
- Sooty Shearwater: 7
- Pink-footed Shearwater: 90
- Black-vented Shearwater: 34
- Nazca Booby: 1
- Brown (Cocos) Booby: 1
- Brandt’s Cormorant: 4
- Brown Pelican: 45
- hummingbird sp.: 1
- Also: Surfbirds, Striped Marlin, Mola-Mola, California Flying-Fish, Risso’s Dolphins
Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, Paul Mulholland, Justyn Stahl, San Diego