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

The San Diego pelagic trip on 30 September aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society ventured out to the Nine-Mile and 30-Mile Banks. Weather was generally fine, despite some forecasts to the contrary, with fairly low swell, light chop, and dry skies. The slight chop, however, did make it difficult to spot alcids on the water, so all murrelets and auklets were seen only in flight. Highlights included a well-seen one-year-old Masked/Nazca Booby at the Nine-Mile Bank, a young age which is typically difficult to identify to species, but we’ll work on photos, just in case. Good numbers of storm-petrels on the 30-Mile Bank included approx. 300 Leasts, an Ashy, a briefly seen dark-rumped Townsend’s, and good numbers of Blacks.

Totals for the day once offshore were:

• Red-necked Phalarope  26
• Red Phalarope  2
• Pomarine Jaeger  5
• Parasitic Jaeger  5
• jaeger sp.  2
• Craveri’s Murrelet  2
• murrelet sp.  8
• Cassin’s Auklet  8
• Sabine’s Gull  3
• Heermann’s Gull  11
• Western Gull  250
• California Gull  1
• Common Tern  20
• Forster’s Tern  1  (7-1/4 mi off Ocean Beach, farther offshore than usual)
• Elegant Tern  20
• Common Loon  1
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  1  (dark rumped; 30-Mile)
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  1  (white-rumped; 30-Mile)
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  1  (30-Mile; scarce in fall)
• Black Storm-Petrel  1400  (including several rafts)
• Least Storm-Petrel  300  (30-Mile; good count)
• Pink-footed Shearwater  35
• Black-vented Shearwater  250
• Masked/Nazca Booby  1  (upper Nine-Mile Bank; one-year old)
• Brown Booby  2
• Brown Pelican  90
• Brandt’s Cormorant 9
• Also:  Surfbird  26  (jetties)

–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Dan King, Matt Sadowski, Justyn Stahl, San Diego

The pelagic trip off San Diego on Sunday, 10 September, sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society and aboard “Legacy,” visited nearshore waters and out to the 9-Mile and 30-Mile Banks. Sea conditions ended up being appreciably better than had been forecast, with only mostly light winds and light to moderate swell. As has been the case the past few weeks, the largest concentration of birds (especially shearwaters) was inshore. Highlights certainly included the Nazca Booby show, with a total of FIVE adult and near-adult birds scattered between 6 miles offshore out to the 30-Mile Bank, as well as 2 much younger birds that are currently being left as Masked/Nazca Boobies but we’ll see if photo analysis and discussion in the near future can raise either bird to “full species rank.” In comparison, “only” 2 Brown Boobies were seen. We also had pairs of Craveri’s Murrelets, as well as brief or rather distant views of 1 white-rumped Townsend’s and several Least Storm-Petrels, plus better views of at least 8 “Chapman’s” Leach’s Storm-Petrels.

Totals for the day once offshore were:

• Whimbrel  3
• Red-necked Phalarope  150
• Pomarine Jaeger  7
• Parasitic Jaeger  6
• jaeger sp.  4
• Craveri’s Murrelet  6  (w. SD Trough/30-Mile Bank)
• Cassin’s Auklet  5
• small alcid sp.  5
• Sabine’s Gull  8
• Heermann’s Gull  12
• Western Gull  350
• California Gull  2
• Common Tern  115  (good count)
• Royal Tern  1
• Elegant Tern  55
• Leach’s (Chapman’s) Storm-Petrel  8  (mostly 30-Mile Bank)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  1  (30-Mile Bank)
• Black Storm-Petrel  115
• Least Storm-Petrel  4  (30-Mile Bank and w. SD Trough)
• Sooty Shearwater  40
• Pink-footed Shearwater  400
• Black-vented Shearwater  1100
• [Manx Shearwater  1 (possible bird inshore on return, photos to be studied)]
• Nazca Booby  5  (first bird 6 mi off Mission Bay, more out as far as 30-Mile Bank)
• Masked/Nazca Booby  2
• Brown Booby 2
• Brandt’s Cormorant  55
• Double-crested Cormorant  1
• Brown Pelican  185
• Guadalupe Fur Seal  1

–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Dan Jehl, Matt Sadowski, San Diego

The San Diego 11-hour pelagic trip on 26 August aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society made the usual route out to the Nine-Mile and 30-Mile Banks and “The Corner”–out to about 34 miles offshore. A mass of thousands of feeding shearwaters and other birds only 5-6 miles offshore was spectacular. As we neared that concentration, a light-morph Wedge-tailed Shearwater flew right up the side of the boat, establishing the fourth record for San Diego County of this casual visitor to California waters. The same mass of birds also included an adult or near adult Nazca Booby. Farther offshore was much quieter, but we did find a few Leach’s and single Townsend’s & Least Storm-Petrels, plus another adult booby that was just a bit too far to safely ID as either Nazca or Masked.

Totals for the day, once about a mile offshore were:

• Whimbrel:  25
• Marbled Godwit: 21 (single flock about 10 miles offshore)
• Western Sandpiper:  3
• Red-necked Phalarope:  90
• Pomarine Jaeger: 11
• Parasitic Jaeger:  2
• Sabine’s Gull: 6
• Heermann’s Gull:  25
• Western Gull:  250
• California Gull: 2
• Least Tern: 4
• Common Tern:  15  (scattered)
• Elegant Tern: 550
• Royal Tern:  2
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel:  13  (both light and dark rumped birds)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel:  1  (30-Mile Bank)
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel:  3
• Black Storm-Petrel:  245
• Least Storm-Petrel: 1  (Nine-Mile Bank)
• Northern Fulmar: 1  (Nine-Mile Bank; rare in summer)
• WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER: 1  (ca. 5-1/2 mi W of Ocean Beach; 32.75, -117.35)
• Sooty Shearwater:  450  (good count for this time of year)
• Pink-footed Shearwater:  4500  (probably record high count for SD County)
• Black-vented Shearwater:  5000
• NAZCA BOOBY:  1  (adult ca. 5-1/2 miles off Mission Bay; excellent views)
• Nazca/Masked Booby:  1  (adult, just slightly too far to ID; 30-Mile Bank)
• Brown Booby:  5
• Brandt’s Cormorant:  3
• Double-crested Cormorant:  2
• Brown Pelican:  630
• Brown-headed Cowbird: 2
• ALSO:
• Neotropic Cormorant: 2  (stakeouts near the dock)
• Surfbird: 6  (jetties)
• Guadalupe Fur Seal: several

–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Dan Jehl, Dan King, Jimmy McMorran, Barbara Wise, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on 6 August aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place under very nice weather and sea conditions. As is usual, we ventured out to the Nine-Mile Bank, across the San Diego Trough, to the 30-Mile Bank and “The Corner,” some 34 miles offshore. There were a reasonable number and variety of birds offshore, including such highlights as 5 Cook’s Petrels, 1 adult Nazca Booby, 2 Black-footed Albatrosses, plenty of Townsend’s & Leach’s and Ashy Storm-Petrels, 2 Long-tailed Jaegers, a getting-late Scripps’s Murrelet, 17 Craveri’s Murrelets, a surprising 5 summertime Northern Fulmars, 10 Common Terns and 2 offshore Forster’s Terns, and a good count of 15 Brown Boobies. Totals for the trip once we were over a mile or so offshore were:

• Semipalmated Plover  1
• Black Turnstone  1
• Least Sandpiper  1
• Western Sandpiper  1
• Red-necked Phalarope  135
• Red Phalarope  3
• Parasitic Jaeger  2
• Long-tailed Jaeger  2  (Nine-Mile Bank)
• jaeger sp.  2
• Scripps’s Murrelet  1  (getting late)
• Craveri’s Murrelet  17
• murrelet sp.  10
• Sabine’s Gull  8
• Heermann’s Gull  4
• Western Gull  40
• Common Tern  10
• Forster’s Tern  2  (unusual offshore; 13 mi W of Mission Bay)
• Elegant Tern  55
• Black-footed Albatross  2  (30-Mile Bank, SD Trough)
• Leach’s Storm-Petrel  10+  (incl. 7 “Chapman’s”)
• Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  7+  (30-Mile Bank & The Corner)
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  35  (a number may prove to be Townsend’s)
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  10
• Black Storm-Petrel  150
• Cook’s Petrel  5  (vic. 30-Mile Bank)
• Northern Fulmar  5  (scattered; unusual number for summer)
• Pink-footed Shearwater  105
• Sooty Shearwater  75
• Black-vented Shearwater  570
• Nazca Booby  1  (adult; The Corner)
• Brown Booby  15  (scattered; good count)
• Brown Pelican  4
• Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird  2
• Blue Whale  1
• Minke Whale  2

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Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Peter Ginsburg, Dan Jehl, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, 15 July, aboard “Legacy” out of Mission Bay and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society took place under very pleasant conditions–good seas and nice marine overcast for much of the day. Our route took us out to the 9-Mile Bank, San Diego Trough, 30-Mile Bank, and “The Corner,” with about 10-15 minutes spent in L.A. County waters as well. Overall, bird numbers were much better than they had been for the past several weeks.

Totals for the offshore waters, once over a mile or so from shore, were as follows:

• Whimbrel  4
• Marbled Godwit  5
• Least Sandpiper  1
• Western Sandpiper  75
• dowitcher sp.  3
• Red-necked Phalarope  10
• Pomarine Jaeger  1  (30-Mile Bank)
• Heermann’s Gull  8
• Western Gull  55
• Least Tern  7  (including all the way to 30-Mile)
• Elegant Tern  65
• Scripp’s Murrelet  8  (including two pairs with large young; getting late)
• “Guadalupe” Murrelet  1  (30-Mile Bank; 32.66, -117.78; an “intermediate” bird likely from San Benito Island; possible genetic mixing with Scipps’s Murrelet; many photos; further discussion pending)
• Craveri’s Murrelet  14  (scattered)
• Cassin’s Auklet  13
• Rhinoceros Auklet  1  (30-Mile Bank; rare in summer)
• Black-footed Albatross  1  (in L.A. Co. waters at The Corner)
• Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  26  (good total; 8 white-rumped, 18 dark-rumped)
• Ashy Storm-Petrel  22  (good count)
• Black Storm-Petrel  135
• Northern Fulmar  2  (rare in summer; SD Trough, 9-Mile Bank)
• Pink-footed Shearwater  145
• Sooty Shearwater  190
• Black-vented Shearwater  35
• Brandt’s Cormorant  4
• Brown Pelican  8
• Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbird  1
• Blue Whale  several

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Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Dan Jehl, Dan King

The Saturday, June 3rd, pelagic trip aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society traveled out to the outer edge of San Diego County waters at the 30-Mile Bank and “The Corner,” via the 9-Mile Bank and San Diego Trough. It was certainly a record day for Cook’s Petrels, many seen very well both in flight and sitting on the water, with the day’s total of 56 birds setting a new record for San Diego County waters. It also included two birds record close to shore, with one on the 9-Mile Bank some 11.5 miles off Point Loma and another just inside the 9-Mile Bank only 10 miles from Point Loma. Other highlights included 7 Arctic Terns (very rare in spring), 7 Leach’s Storm-Petrels (good count for this early in the season), 3 Craveri’s Murrelets, a rare-in-June Northern Fulmar, and 14 Ashy Storm-Petrels. Still good numbers of Scripps’s Murrelets present, two Brown Boobies, and single getting-late adult Sabine’s Gull and adult Pomarine Jaeger. Also a number of Blue Whales and one Fin Whale.

Totals for the day once a couple miles offshore were:

Pomarine Jaeger:  1  (northbound, Nine-Mile Bank)

Scripps’s Murrelet:  43

Craveri’s Murrelet:  3  (San Diego Trough)

murrelet sp.:  7

Cassin’s Auklet:  32

Sabine’s Gull:  1  (30-Mile Bank)

Western Gull:  40

Least Tern:  23

Arctic Tern:  7  (30-Mile Bank)

Elegant Tern:  110

Leach’s Storm-Petrel:  7  (30-Mile Bank)

Ashy Storm-Petrel:  14

Black Storm-Petrel:  170

Northern Fulmar:  1  (30-Mile Bank)

Cook’s Petrel:  56  (54 between SD Trough and 30-Mile Bank/The Corner, 2 on and just inside 9-Mile Bank)

Pink-footed Shearwater:  23

Sooty Shearwater:  280

Black-vented Shearwater:  28

Brown Booby:  2

Brown Pelican:  15

Brandt’s Cormorant: 5

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–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Nancy Christensen, Dan King, Jimmy McMorran, San Diego

The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, May 7th, aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society, traveled out via the 9-Mile Bank to the edge of county waters at the 30-Mile Bank and “The Corner.” Seas were moderate on the way out and lightened up as the day went on and became quite a pleasant ride. Bird diversity was below average, with several surprising misses for May. Offshore totals for the trip (beyond a mile or so out) were as follows:

Greater Yellowlegs  1

shorebird sp. 10

Red-necked Phalarope  570  (many flocks heading north)

Scripps’s Murrelet  32

Cassin’s Auklet  58

Western Gull  260

California Gull  10

Least Tern  8

Royal Tern  2

Elegant Tern  200

Common Loon  2

Pacific Loon  40

Black Storm-Petrel  350

Sooty Shearwater  35

Brown Booby  7

Brandt’s Cormorant  2

Brown Pelican  45

hummingbird sp.  1

swallow sp.  1

Fin Whale  6

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–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Tom Blackman, et al., San Diego