Sep 5th San Diego pelagic: Red-footed, Nazca, & Cocos Boobies; 70 Least & Townsend’s Stormies; 20 Black-footeds; Today’s [Sep 6th] trip Canceled due to offshore conditions
5:02 am
The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, September 5, aboard “Legacy” out of
Seaforth Landing and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was highlighted by boobies, storm-petrels, and albatrosses. A cooperative Red-footed Booby circled the boat multiple times at the inner edge of the 30-Mile Bank (25.4 mi SW of Point Loma), a young black-and-white booby roosting 8-1/2 miles SW of Point Loma showed the developing bill color of a Nazca, and a total of 8 Cocos Boobies were seen. A good total of 70 Least Storm-Petrels (scattered, but mostly at 30-Mile Bank), plus just a couple Townsend’s and moderate numbers of Leach’s (20+). As many as 20+ Black-footed Albatrosses were seen, mostly at the 30-Mile Bank. A mostly choppy water surface made viewing alcids on the water difficult, and only poor looks were had of one flying pair of Craveri’s Murrelets. Other species seen included Red Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Sabine’s Gull, and 3 offshore Black Turnstones.
Seaforth Landing and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was highlighted by boobies, storm-petrels, and albatrosses. A cooperative Red-footed Booby circled the boat multiple times at the inner edge of the 30-Mile Bank (25.4 mi SW of Point Loma), a young black-and-white booby roosting 8-1/2 miles SW of Point Loma showed the developing bill color of a Nazca, and a total of 8 Cocos Boobies were seen. A good total of 70 Least Storm-Petrels (scattered, but mostly at 30-Mile Bank), plus just a couple Townsend’s and moderate numbers of Leach’s (20+). As many as 20+ Black-footed Albatrosses were seen, mostly at the 30-Mile Bank. A mostly choppy water surface made viewing alcids on the water difficult, and only poor looks were had of one flying pair of Craveri’s Murrelets. Other species seen included Red Phalarope, Arctic Tern, Sabine’s Gull, and 3 offshore Black Turnstones.
Lots of photos from the trip will be posted with the shared eBird lists out probably on Monday.
Totals for the
trip once we were over a mile offshore were as follows:
trip once we were over a mile offshore were as follows:
Black Turnstone 3
Red-necked Phalarope 240
Red Phalarope 7
Pomarine Jaeger 3
jaeger sp. 2
Craveri’s Murrelet 2
Cassin’s Auklet 28
Sabine’s Gull 3
Heermann’s Gull 14
Western Gull 350
California Gull 1
Common Tern 14
Arctic Tern 2
Common/Arctic Tern 5
Elegant Tern 5 (low)
Black-footed Albatross 20
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 20
Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 2
Leach’s/Townsend’s Storm-Petrel 5
Black Storm-Petrel 240
Least Storm-Petrel 70
Sooty Shearwater 3
Pink-footed Shearwater 35
Black-vented Shearwater 50
Nazca Booby 1
Masked/Nazca Booby 1
Cocos Booby 8
Red-footed Booby 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 7
Brown Pelican 60
Also, hybrid American X Black Oystercatcher, Surfbirds, Hammerhead Shark, N. Fur Seal, N. Elephant Seal, Calif. Flying Fish, Mola-Mola
For information on future trips this year in late September and mid-October, see sandiegopelagics.com
–Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Dan Jehl, Ted Keyel, Paul Mulholland, Nick Thorpe, Kasia & Jenna, San Diego