Pelagic scouting Sept.16-19
Four of us did a quick offshore scouting trip Monday. We had a great jaeger show, with maybe a dozen or more, of all three species, seen and photographed. Jaegers have been in very small numbers locally the last few years, and missed completely on several trips, so it was nice to see this level of activity.
Good numbers of terns are likely why so many jaegers. are present. The Parasitic Jaegers seemed to be after the most numerous Elegant Terns, The sixty plus Common Terns were harassed by Long-tailed Jaegers, and at least one Pomarine Jaeger was seen going after Black-vented Shearwaters.
Black-vented Shearwater were the most abundant species for the day, with over a thousand counted. Most over the deep water just inside the Nine Mile Bank.
A somewhat out of season dark morph Northern Fulmar was on the Thirty Mile Bank. The bird did not appeared to be in worn plumage, so was likely a new arrival..
We had eight Sabine's Gulls for the day, scattered in singles and twos over the Nine Mile Bank and beyond. We had both adults and juvies in about equal numbers. Seems to be a good year for that species.
Pink-footed, and Sooty Shearwaters were in small numbers today as was Black Storm-Petrel.
No other storm-petrel species was seen today The bad news is that we still have no location for the rafting stormies. In fact the normal area we have found them in the past, seems completely devoid life right now.
We had both Red and Red-necked Phalaropes today. Red-necked Phalaropes far out number the two Red Phalaropes counted.
Three individual Brown Booby were seen today, all dark juveniles.
We had a number of shorebirds migrating south offshore, Whimbrels (14) and Marbled Godwit (1) . Zuniga Jetty held Surfbirds (17), and Black Turnstones (13).
Last on a non birding note we saw an unusual Common Dolphin "stampede" on the return to the Nine Mile Bank. Not sure what set it off, but always spectacular to see several hundred dolphin fleeing at full speed.
Nancy Christensen as put up our trip on eBirds.
Dave Povey
Dulzura
Source: SanDiegoRegionBirding Latest Reports