La Jolla Cove: Leach's storm-petrel; cormorant cliff

I spent 3.5 hours at the Cove this morning.
It was deadly dull. Did not see a single shearwater in all that time, and no frigatebirds either.

Paul L. was there from before 6:00 until 8:30, and Jim Roberts joined me from 7:30–9:30, hoping to get better looks at ashy storm-petrels.
There were 2 of those, but the storm-petrels were fewer and further out than previously.
At a little before 9:00 however, the wind shifted suddenly to be from the NW. It got cold, and the storm-petrels came closer to shore.
The swells, substantial all morning, got significantly more substantial.

At 9:20 we caught sight of a large storm-petrel, slightly smaller than the black storm-petrels, that stood out because of its unique flight style.
I was able to see the white rump, but Jim couldn’t.
The bird ping-ponged away to the south.
I reported a white-rumped storm-petrel in the storm-petrel flock in the Cove 2 weeks ago. No idea whether or not this is the same bird.

On another matter, Jim pointed out to me that the cliff face that the Brandt’s cormorants nest on, the one right next to the sidewalk, seems to have been sandblasted or power-washed.
There are no nests left on it and no cormorants roosting on it.
I don’t know what has happened there.

Stan Walens, San Diego
June 17, 2020; 10:10 a.m.
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports