San Diego Pelagic – Nazca & Red-footed Boobies, Craveri’s M, Wilson’s SP, July 10, 2022

By – 11:30 am
Several of us ventured offshore San Diego yesterday July 10, 2022 in search of birds.  Sea conditions were fairly unpleasant because of the close west swell interval but we continued anyways eventually making it out to The Corner.  After the time consuming west travel not much deviation made on a straight east return skirting along the US-MX line just to our south.  77 NM traveled in total.Early in the morning, before reaching the Nine Mile Bank, we located a large concentration of birds feeding around fast moving Common Dolphin.  Hundreds of shearwaters milling around, expected species only.  We quickly found a near adult NAZCA BOOBY overhead, it eventually sat on the water for some great photos.Just a short while later, continuing to the lower Nine Mile Bank, we were treated to a close passing RED-FOOTED BOOBY on a beeline south-to-north.We continued a slow grind west across the San Diego Trough to the Thirty Mile Bank.  One CRAVERI’S MURRELET encountered along the way.  Conditions improved a bit so we eventually pressed on to near The Corner.  In spite of stopping here for considerable time, running out fish oil slicks and chum, attracting a fair number of Black and a couple Ashy Storm-Petrels, there was no sign for us today of Cook’s Petrels.  But we did spot a second NAZCA BOOBY, looked to be a clean adult, headed east-to-west south of our position.  Photos show a white back unlike the first bird earlier in the day.We had only gone a few miles on our return east when a small black-and-white storm-petrel caught our attention near to the boat – WILSON’S STORM-PETREL!  A close look at photos shows feet consistently projecting beyond a shorter almost unnotched tail, more narrow belt like white rump (less extensive than expected on Townsend’s Storm-Petrel), very large white offset patches on the undersides, and upperwing pale bar pronounced on the secondary coverts, which are almost white tipped on the ends.Also at The Corner several of us saw a hummingbird come zipping close by the boat.  I think it was headed northeast.  Not sure on identification.  Fingers crossed it made it to terra firma.– Gary NunnPacific Beach