BVAS / Grande Pelagic trip Sunday Oct. 21, 2018

The Buena Vista Audubon and Grande pelagic, Sunday Oct. 21, 2019 had few highlights, but overall fair numbers of birds.

We experience exceptionally nice ocean conditions, some dense fog early, but clearing for most of the day.

The Nine Mile Bank held most of the life with balls of Northern Anchovy , being devoured by tuna species, and Black-vented Shearwaters.

Black-vented Shearwater was the most  abundance bird species of the day ,  and we had surprisingly good numbers of Cassin's Auklets scattered in all areas.

The San Diego Trough and Thirty Mile Banks held very little today.

I saw maybe six storm-petrels. All very distance, and near our greatest distance from shore. One clearly had a white rump patch and flight style of Leach's Storm-Petrel. The rest may best be left as storm-petrels sp., though I felt none were Black Storm Petrels, and if I had to guess maybe 3-4 more dark rumped Leach's, and one possible Ashy.

We had three Black Oystercatchers on Ballast Point.  A lone Sabine's Gull was reported (getting late) . Several Bonaparte's Gulls were seen, as were a few Common Loons. Elegant Tern were absent offshore.

A small flock of dowitchers was seen offshore. A single small group of Surf Scoters was southbound.

 A Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle by photo) was over the boat at the Thirty Mile Bank.

Tough day bird species wise, we have been spoiled of late.

partial list (unedited);

Surf Scoter  6

duck sp.  5

Common Loon  2

loon sp. 3

Northern Fulmar    3

Pink-footed Shearwater   9

Black-vented Shearwater   1360

Leach's Storm-Petrel    1

storm-petrel sp.    5

Brown Booby    4

Brandt' Cormorant   200+  ( several seen beyond the Nine Mile Bank )

Brown Pelican    26

Black Oystercatcher   3   (S.D. Bay )

Whimbrel   2   ( S.D. Bay )

Willet  1   ( S.D. Bay )

Greater Yellowlegs     5

dowitcher  sp.    7

Red Phalarope    7

Red-necked Phalarope   10

Parasitic Jaeger     1

Cassin's Auklet   130

Sabine's Gull   1

Bonaparte's Gull    5

Heermann's Gull    6

Western Gull    350

California Gull     30

Elegant Tern    5  ( S.D. Bay  )

Royal Tern     7   ( S.D. Bay )

Dave Povey

Dulzura

p.s. San Diego Audubon's Bird Festival is Feb. 28, March 1, 2, 3, 2019. Three pelagics are offered see San Diego Audubon's website for details.