Date: 8/23/26 5:03 am
From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...>
Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] San Diego pelagic Sat. Aug 22: Wilson's & 25 Least & 5+ Townsend's,; Guadalupe & 16 Craveri's; Laysan & 14+ Black-footeds; Nazca; Fulmar

The San Diego pelagic trip on Saturday, August 22, aboard "Legacy" out of Seaforth Landing and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society was quite good. Highlights of the trip included a fairly cooperative Wilson's Storm-Petrel at the 30-Mile Bank (31 mi WSW of Point Loma), initially found roosting in a Black Storm-Petrel raft, a total of 25 Least Storm-Petrels (scattered, but mostly at 30-Mile Bank), plus a small number of Townsend's (5+) and moderate numbers of Leach's (30+). A cooperative Guadalupe Murrelet was closer to shore than normal at the outer edge of the Nine-Mile Bank (13-1/4 mi SW of Point Loma), and a puzzling intermediate Guadalupe-type was photographed earlier in the day in the San Diego Trough, a bird that was either a young Guadalupe or a hybrid Guadalupe X Scripps's (photos will be analyzed). Also 16 Craveri's. A fine Laysan Albatross (30-Mile Bank) and as many as ca. 14+  Black-footed Albatrosses were seen. An unseasonal Northern Fulmar was 5-3/4 mi W of Point Loma. An adult Nazca Booby flew over the boat in the San Diego Trough, and 3 immature Masked/Nazca Boobies were at two sets of buoys: 2 birds in the mid- San Diego Trough and 1 on the inside of the Nine-Mile Bank. We shall see if the many photos obtained might elevate one or more of these young birds to full species rank. A total of 7 Cocos Boobies included one pale-headed adult male. A Forster's Tern 9-3/4 mi W of Point Loma was farther offshore than normal.

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:

Least Sandpiper  1
Red-necked Phalarope  1600
Red Phalarope  7
Guadalupe Murrelet  1.5  (see above)
Craveri's Murrelet  16
Cassin's Auklet  35
Sabine's Gull  14
Heermann's Gull  10
Western Gull  250
Common Tern  5
Forster's Tern  1
Elegant Tern  12
Laysan Albatross  1
Black-footed Albatross  14+
Wilson's Storm-Petrel  1
Leach's Storm-Petrel  30
Townsend's Storm-Petrel  5+
Leach's/Townsend's Storm-Petrel  15
Black Storm-Petrel  1200
Least Storm-Petrel  25
Northern Fulmar  1
Sooty Shearwater  5
Pink-footed Shearwater  70
Black-vented Shearwater  80
Nazca Booby  1
Masked/Nazca Booby  3
Cocos Booby  7
Brandt's Cormorant  10
Brown Pelican  55


For information on future trips this year in September (3) and mid-October, see sandiegopelagics.com

--Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Dan King, Jimmy McMorran, Paul Mulholland, Nick Thorpe,  San Diego


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The monthly meetings of San Diego Field Ornithologists (SDFO) are currently virtual, open only to members, at 6pm on the third Tuesday of every month.

Two notable on-line resources are available for San Diego birders: the San Diego County Bird Atlas by Phil Unitt (2004) - http://sdplantatlas.org/BirdAtlas/BirdPages.aspx ; and an update of notable records for San Diego County (2002–present), compiled by Paul Lehman - https://sandiegofieldornithologists.org/san-diego-county-avian-records-database/.
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