La Jolla Cove, Sep 11, 2022

La Jolla Cove, Sep 11, 2022
By – 3:27 pm
Yesterday there were about 40 birders at the Cove, Today, while every real birder is on the pelagic trip dreaming of their county wedge-rumped storm-petrel, there were 6.I was there from 7:15–10:30. It was sunny and hot and windless.Clear skies and only scattered high clouds meant little chance of frigatebirds, and as expected we did not see any.The ocean was flat and the light clear, making it easy to see storm-petrels flying past.I counted 31 Least Storm-Petrels, all heading south past the point, a high count for me from land, and I think more than I’ve seen in the county on any single pelagic trip.I’m curious to see how many are reported from the pelagic trip today.Other good birds included an adult Sabine’s gull and 2 Cassin’s auklets [the first I’ve seen from shore in months].About 1000–1100 black-vented shearwaters.No jaegers—a surprise after the plethora yesterday—and no boobies, again surprising, because often in the calm after a storm they come out to feed at the Cove.Small flocks of migrating dabbling ducks: shovelers, teal, lesser scaup, but no scoters. No loons.Stan Walens, San DiegoSep 11, 2022; 3:20 pm