Masked Booby – La Jolla

While doing a sea watch from Point La Jolla this morning I observed an adult MASKED BOOBY flying low over the waves about 200 yards off the point headed south around 8 am. I noted a large bird with long stiff paddle-like wings, rarely flapping. Unmistakable striking black and white plumage. Clean white on the head, neck, back and underparts. Jet black primaries and secondaries, so the whole trailing edge of the wing was black, as seen from above and below. Black mask on the face bordering an unremarkable dull yellow bill, separating it from Nazca.