The Western Field Ornithologists San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, October 13, out of Mission Bay aboard “Legacy,” was held under fairly nice sea conditions. Bird numbers overall improved somewhat from recent trips and included numbers of birds associated with tuna and bait schools close to the border. The rarest species on the trip was a record total of FIVE Guadalupe Murrelets at the 30-Mile Bank and w. San Diego Trough (between 22 – 28.6 miles W of Point Loma). An extremely cooperative South Polar Skua right around the boat in the SD Trough was 19-2/3 mi west of Point Loma. One or two Manx Shearwaters seen 5.5 – 7 mi off Ocean Beach included one at rest in a flock of Black-venteds for an extended period of time. Also a total of 8 Craveri’s Murrelets at the Trough and 30-Mile Bank, and one female-type Brown (Cocos) Booby just off Mission Bay. For the second trip in a row there was a surprising lack of storm-petrels.

Totals for the day once we got about a mile offshore were as follows:

• Western Grebe:  5
• Red-necked Phalarope:  16
• SOUTH POLAR SKUA:  1
• Pomarine Jaeger:  14
• Parasitic Jaeger:  8
• jaeger sp.:  7
• GUADALUPE MURRELET:  5
• Craveri’s Murrrelet:  8
• murrelet sp.:  1
• Sabine’s Gull:  1
• Heermann’s Gull:  13
• Western Gull:  600
• California Gull:  3
• Common Tern:  3
• Forster’s Tern:  1
• Elegant Tern:  34
• Pacific Loon:  1
• Common Loon:  1
• loon sp.:  1
• Sooty Shearwater:  19
• Pink-footed Shearwater:  200
• MANX SHEARWATER:  1 or 2
• Black-vented Shearwater:  900
• Brown (Cocos) Booby:  1
• Brandt’s Cormorant:  5
• Brown Pelican:  350
• Yellow-rumped Warbler:  2
• Also:  Surfbirds, Mola-Mola, Elephant Seal, Minke Whale

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Tom Blackman, Jon Dunn, Jimmy McMorran, San Diego

The Western Field Ornithologists San Diego pelagic trip on Thursday, October 10, out of Mission Bay aboard “Legacy,” was held under very nice sea conditions. Bird numbers overall improved somewhat from recent trips. The rarest species on the trip was two separate Manx Shearwaters (3 miles off Mission Bay & 6 miles off Ocean Beach), which unfortunately were seen/photo’d by only about five of the people on board! Other highlights included at least 16 Craveri’s Murrelets, a juvenile Long-tailed Jaeger at the 30-Mile Bank, single Arctic Terns at “The Corner” and the San Diego Trough, and six Sabine’s Gulls. Surprising well offshore were the Forster’s Tern and three Western Grebes at The Corner, some 33-1/2 miles offshore, and a Snowy Egret flying by 11.4 miles off Point Loma.

Totals for the day once we got about a mile offshore were as follows:

• Surf Scoter:  15
• Western Grebe:  6
• hummingbird sp.:  1
• dowitcher sp.:  20
• yellowlegs sp.  3
• Red-necked Phalarope:  25
• Pomarine Jaeger:  20
• Parasitic Jaeger:  3
• Long-tailed Jaeger:  1
• jaeger sp.:  10
• Craveri’s Murrrelet:  16
• murrelet sp.:  17
• Cassin’s Auklet:  9
• Sabine’s Gull:  6
• Heermann’s Gull:  14
• Western Gull:  300
• California Gull:  4
• Common Tern:  39
• Arctic Tern:  2
• Forster’s Tern:  2
• Elegant Tern:  65
• Common Loon:  1
• Sooty Shearwater:  9
• Pink-footed Shearwater:  116
• MANX SHEARWATER:  2
• Black-vented Shearwater:  750
• Snowy Egret:  1
• Brandt’s Cormorant:  12
• Brown Pelican:  160
• Also:  Black Oystercatcher, Surfbirds, Mola-Mola, Elephant Seal, Humpback & Minke Whales

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Tom Blackman, Dan Jehl, Nathan Pieplow, San Diego

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

The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, September 7, out of Mission Bay aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was held under very nice sea conditions. Keeping the theme of much of 2024, overall bird numbers were lower than average, but several good birds were seen. Leading the pack for many aboard was the cooperative Red-billed Tropicbird at the border between the San Diego Trough and 30-Mile Bank, some 24-3/4 miles west of Point Loma. Seen well both at rest and in flight, it was an adult with a mid-length tail. Not far away, on the 30-Mile Bank, was an adult Long-tailed Jaeger, also cooperative. A total of 4 Black-footed Albatrosses included 1 on the 30-Mile Bank and 3 in the San Diego Trough. A good total of 20+ Townsend’s Storm-Petrels was had on the 30-Mile Bank and western San Diego Trough, but the single Least Storm-Petrel was seen only by a very few observers. Also seen were a single Brown (Cocos) Booby, Sabine’s Gull, several Red Phalaropes, a semi-pelagic American Coot, and a Yellow Warbler that landed on the boat.

Totals for the day once we got about a mile offshore were as follows:

• American Coot:  1
• Red-necked Phalarope:  100
• Red Phalarope:  6
• Pomarine Jaeger:  9
• Long-tailed Jaeger:  1
• jaeger sp.:  1
• Cassin’s Auklet:  1
• Sabine’s Gull:  1
• Heermann’s Gull:  10
• Western Gull:  225
• California Gull:  1
• Common Tern:  4
• Elegant Tern:  25
• Red-billed Tropicbird:  1
• Black-footed Albatross:  4
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel:  2  (Chapman’s)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel:  20
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel:  10
• Black Storm-Petrel:  100
• Least Storm-Petrel:  1
• Sooty Shearwater:  7
• Pink-footed Shearwater:  125
• Black-vented Shearwater:  25
• Brown (Cocos) Booby:  1
• Brandt’s Cormorant:  4
• Brown Pelican:  150
• Yellow Warbler:  1
• Also:  Surfbirds, Striped Marlin, Mola-Mola, California Flying-Fish, Elephant Seal

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Dan Jehl, Dan King, Paul Mulholland, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, 25 August, out to the 30-Mile Bank area aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place with a morning moderate, short-period swell, calming down later in the day. There were good numbers of birds just 4-6 miles out, and then again around the 30-Mile Bank. Mostly quiet in between. The highlights were the 30-Mile albatrosses: a fine Laysan Albatross sitting on the water and a record county total of 9 Black-footed Albatrosses (8 in view at once). The Laysan was banded, probably at the colony on Mexico’s Guadalupe Island, and the alphanumeric code will be sent to the Bird Banding Lab. The other clear highlight was the large number of white-rumped storm-petrels at the 30-Mile Bank, with perhaps 60 in all, of which a majority appeared to be Townsend’s Storm-Petrels–a new record high for San Diego County waters. A more “exact” total will be determined once we have studied the many photographs taken. A total of 4 Craveri’s Murrelets were seen on the trip, as well as 7 Brown (Cocos) Boobies. The lone landbird migrant well offshore was a surprising MacGillivray’s Warbler. Non-birds of interest included a Striped Marlin, Loggerhead Sea-Turtle, Elephant Seal, and Risso’s Dolphins.

Totals for the day once over a mile offshore were:

• Red-necked Phalarope  54
• Pomarine Jaeger  17
• Parasitic Jaeger  3
• jaeger sp.  7
• Craveri’s Murrelet  4
• Heermann’s Gull  2
• Western Gull  250
• California Gull  1
• Common Tern  19
• Forster’s Tern  1  (a few miles out)
• Elegant Tern  400
• Laysan Albatross  1
• Black-footed Albatross  9
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel  15+
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  ca. 40
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrels  ca. 20
• Black Storm-Petrel  300
• Sooty Shearwater  5
• Pink-footed Shearwater  100
• Black-vented Shearwater  2000
• Brown (Cocos) Booby  7
• Brandt’s Cormorant  12
• Brown Pelican  120
• MacGillivray’s Warbler  1  (30-Mile Bank)
• Also:  Surfbirds, Loggerhead Sea-Turtle, Striped Marlin, California Flying-Fish, Minke Whale, Risso’s Dolphins, and Elephant Seal.

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Nancy Christensen, Gary Nunn, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, August 4th, 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, improving as the day went on. Highlights of the trip were a very cooperative South Polar Skua on the 30-Mile Bank, again a record (tie) single-day high count of 6 Black-footed Albatrosses for the second day in a row, mostly in the 30-Mile Bank area, 5 Brown (Cocos) Boobies, and plenty of white-rumped Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrels at the 30-Mile Bank and nearby to befuddle us.

Totals for the day, once we were a mile offshore, included:

• Western Sandpiper  10
• Red-necked Phalarope  40
• South Polar Skua  1
• Pomarine Jaeger  2
• Cassin’s Auklet  1
• small alcid sp.  1
• Heermann’s Gull  1
• Western Gull  70
• Least Tern  1  (30 miles offshore)
• Common Tern  2
• Elegant Tern  34
• Black-footed Albatross  6
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel  23  (fairly high total; both white-rumped and dark-rumped)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  2  (more or less, depending on outcome of photo study)
• Leach’s/Townsend’s (white-rumped) Storm-Petrel  10
• Black Storm-Petrel  320
• Sooty Shearwater  37
• Pink-footed Shearwater  24
• Black-vented Shearwater  16
• Brown (Cocos) Booby  5
• Brandt’s Cormorant  1
• Double-crested Cormorant  1
• Brown Pelican  73
• Also:
• Surfbird  10
• Blue Whale  2
• Risso’s Dolphins

Paul Lehman, Dan Jehl, Jimmy McMorran, Gary Nunn, Barbara Wise, San Diego

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

The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday the 14th out to the 9-Mile & 30-Mile Banks and “The Corner” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was blessed with fine weather and very light seas. The rarest bird of the trip was a STREAKED SHEARWATER!

At 2:47 PM while heading back east in the eastern San Diego Trough (16-1/2 mi WSW of Point Loma) just several observers saw a shearwater make a quick pass off the right side of the boat, in somewhat harsh lighting, and called out that they had an odd-looking Pink-footed type bird with a distinctly pale face. The bird quickly continued on and disappeared. The only person to obtain photos was Alex Abela, whose camera that day was seriously acting up, so the quality suffered somewhat. Studying the photos on the back of the camera immediately thereafter, it did appear that the bird was a very good candidate to be a Streaked Shearwater, a Japanese species that is casual in California waters, primarily off northern California and almost all from September and October, with at least a couple mid-August records, the earliest of which was on 13 August back in the 1980s way inland at Red Bluff in the northern Sacramento Valley. So this bird would be even a month earlier than that. Following a little bit of photo brightness improvement and sharing with several folks with more extensive experience with the species, the consensus is unanimous that the bird is indeed a Streaked Shearwater.

The second rarest bird of the trip was the Guadalupe Murrelet in the San Diego Trough, some 20.8 mi WSW of the tip of Point Loma. We also had a single white-rumped Townsend’s Storm-Petrel with small numbers of “Chapman’s” Leach’s and Ashy Storm-Petrels (plus the usual Blacks) mostly out at the 30-Mile Bank, as well a number of Craveri’s Murrelets and also multiple Scripps’s Murrelet families with largish chicks, a rare Black Tern, 4 Common Murres, and 2 Brown Boobies.

Totals for the trip once we were at least a mile offshore are as follows:

• Marbled Godwit  2
• Western Sandpiper  120
• Common Murre  4  (rare; inshore waters and Nine-Mile Bank)
• Scripps’s Murrelet  11  (included three family groups with various-sized chicks)
• GUADALUPE MURRELET  1  (very rare; SD Trough, 32.612, -117.594)
• Craveri’s Murrelet  9
• murrelet sp.  8
• Cassin’s Auklet  16
• Heermann’s Gull  2
• Western Gull  70
• Black Tern  1  (rare, alternate plumage, Nine-Mile Bank, 10 mi W of Point Loma)
• Common Tern  5
• Royal Tern  4
• Elegant Tern  300
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel  5  (all looked like mostly dark-rumped “Chapman’s” types, 30-Mile Bank & The Corner)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  1  (white-rumped, s. 30-Mile Bank)
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  7
• Black Storm-Petrel  140
• STREAKED SHEARWATER 1
• Sooty Shearwater  1900
• Pink-footed Shearwater  55
• Black-vented Shearwater  270
• Brown Booby  2  (both looked like adult females)
• Brandt’s Cormorant  3
• Brown Pelican  30
• Brown-headed Cowbird  1  (male well offshore in SD Trough)
• Also:  Risso’s Dolphins

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Nancy Christensen, Alex Abela, Dan Jehl, Jimmy McMorran, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, June 8th, sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society and aboard “Legacy” out of Mission Bay was blessed with very light seas and nice overcast (good lighting) all day. Virtually all the expected pelagic species were seen, along with several scarce or rare species for June (e. g., Common Murre, Sabine’s Gull, Northern Fulmar). Good photo opportunities were had of species like breeding-plumaged Red Phalarope, multiple very close Craveri’s Murrelets, Northern Fulmar, etc. 

Totals for the day, once we were about two miles offshore were:

• Red-necked Phalarope  1 (basic)
• Red Phalarope  2 (1 alternate, 1 basic)
• Pomarine Jaeger  1
• Parasitic Jaeger  1
• Common Murre  3 (off Mission Bay)
• Scripps’s Murrelet  6
• Craveri’s Murrelet  16
• murrelet sp.  2
• Cassin’s Auklet  55
• Sabine’s Gull  3 (one-year-olds, 30-Mile Bank)
• Heermann’s Gull   5
• Western Gull  175
• Common Tern  1 (The Corner)
• Least Tern  2
• Royal Tern  2
• Elegant Tern  3200
• Pacific Loon  3 (basic, northbound)
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  8
• Black Storm-Petrel  175
• Northern Fulmar  2 (SD Trough)
• Pink-footed Shearwater  25
• Sooty Shearwater  1250
• Black-vented Shearwater  11
• Brown Booby  2
• Brown Pelican  130
• Brandt’s Cormorant  2
• Also: American X Black Oystercatcher & Black Oystercatcher (Mission Bay jetties)

Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, and Jimmy McMorran

San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on 18 May sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society aboard “Legacy” out of Mission Bay went out to the 9-Mile Bank, San Diego Trough, 30-Mile Bank, and “The Corner.” Ocean conditions were excellent, with light seas and a high marine overcast all morning. Large numbers of several species were noted in the waters from about 4 miles offshore out to the 9-Mile, with smaller numbers farther out. Especially impressive totals included the 20 Blue Whales, 115 Scripps’s Murrelets, 3000 Sooty Shearwaters (including one bird with a fully white head and neck), and 6 Brown Boobies. The two Common Murres were scarce and getting late.

Offshore totals for the day (once a couple miles offshore) were:

• Surf Scoter  4
• Eared Grebe  1
• Red-necked Phalarope  35
• jaeger sp.  1
• Common Murre  2  (off Mission Bay)
• Scripps’s Murrelet  115  (high count)
• Cassin’s Auklet  65
• Rhinoceros Auklet  1
• Bonaparte’s Gull  2
• Heermann’s Gull  2
• Western Gull  175
• California Gull  50
• Least Tern  3
• Elegant Tern  1300
• Common Loon  4
• Pacific Loon  12
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  2
• Black Storm-Petrel  160
• Pink-footed Shearwater  80
• Sooty Shearwater  3000
• Black-vented Shearwater  4
• Brown Booby  6
• Brown Pelican  70
• Double-crested Cormorant  1
• Brandt’s Cormorant  3
• hummingbird sp.  1
• warbler sp.  1
• Black Oystercatcher 2, hybrid American X Black Oystercatcher 1 (Mission Bay jetties)

• Blue Whale  20  (very high count)
• Fin Whale  5

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Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Dan King, Jimmy McMorran

San Diego