Saturday San Diego pelagic trip: 6 Black-footed Albatrosses, Least & Townsend’s Storm-Petrels

The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, August 3rd, aboard “Legacy” and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society, sailed out to the 9-Mile & 30-Mile Banks and “The Corner” (some 32 miles offshore). Seas were light to moderate, with a light surface chop. Highlights of the trip were the record (tie) single-day high count for San Diego County waters of 6 Black-footed Albatrosses, mostly in the 30-Mile Bank area, and a good storm-petrel show at the 30-Mile Bank that included 2 somewhat early Least Storm-Petrels, 2-3 Townsend’s Storm-Petrels and another 10 or so white-rumped Leach’s/Townsend’s types, and additional good numbers of dark-rumped Leach’s. The day’s lack of alcids and boobies was an unfortunate surprise. Photos will appear in the shared eBird lists out in a couple days. Totals for the day, once we were a mile offshore, included:

Surf Scoter  1

Red-necked Phalarope  65

Pomarine Jaeger  1

Heermann’s Gull  1

Western Gull  60

Common Tern  1

Elegant Tern  40

Black-footed Albatross  6

Leach’s Storm-Petrel  19

Townsend’s Storm-Petrel  3

Leach’s/Townsend’s (white-rumped) Storm-Petrel  11

Black Storm-Petrel  400

Least Storm-Petrel  2

Sooty Shearwater  60

Pink-footed Shearwater  35

Black-vented Shearwater  14

Brandt’s Cormorant  1

Brown Pelican  23

Also:

Surfbird  6

Blue Whale  2

The next trips will be on 25 August, 7 September, 8 September, and 28 September. For more information, see sandiegopelagics.com

–Paul Lehman, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, Paul Mulholland, Gary Nunn, San Diego