Searcher
Natural History Tours offers some exciting options for those eager to bird the
offshore waters of Southern California on multi-day trips from San Diego.
Bird Blog - Click here to find out what's happening with pelagic birds at sea.
Check our schedule for spring and fall departures.
Check our trip sightings lists:
April 17-21, 2003
April 24-28, 2003
September 4-7, 2003 (Note: this was a 3 day
trip)
April 21-25, 2004
April 28- May 2, 2004 (click
for trip map)
September 8-12, 2004 (click
for trip map)
April 13-16, 2005 (click for trip report)
September 5-9, 2005 (click for trip report)
April 26-30, 2006 (Click for trip report)
September 4-8, 2006 (Click for trip report)
2007 Searcher Natural History Tours
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| Departure | Arrival | Cost |
| Saturday, April 14, 2007 | Wednesday, April 18, 2007 | $950 |
| Monday, Sept. 3, 2007 | Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 | $950 |
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Click here to find out what our customers have said about our birding trips! Check out the Bird Blog to see what is happening!  Don
Des Jardin resides
in Ventura, California, where he has been an active birder since 1989
and is currently Ventura County's top lister with 406 species. Because
Ventura is located on the southern California coast, it was only natural
that he also became interested in pelagic birding. Over the years,
Don has logged well over 40 days at sea on both single and multi-day
pelagic trips in southern California waters. While most trips were as
a participant, he has on many occasions, been a co-leader and "chummer." He
also has spent countless hours pelagic birding from land at Point Mugu,
Ventura County, and has compiled a list of impressive pelagic species
over the years that would be the envy of even a die-hard pelagic birder.
While being a strong advocate of "birding your home patch," Don has
also spent extensive time birding many of the well known birding locations
in the United States, along with many trips to Europe and the Middle
East. Don is an avid bird photographer and delights at any chance to
document a rarity, pelagics being some of the most difficult. Don
is one of the original organizers of Searcher's 5-day pelagic trips,
so adds his enthusiasm to these unique trips. |
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During
our 5-day trips we plan to travel north past Point Conception to the
Arguello Canyon, Rodriguez Dome, San Juan Seamount, and an outermost seamount
40 miles southwest of Cortez Bank which is 150 miles offshore. We will have
three full days of birding along the 2,000-fathom line and wherever else the
birds take us.
Target species will vary with the seasons. During the spring trips we have observed Laysan Albatross, Black-footed Albatross, Northern Fulmar, Murphy's Petrel, Cookileria Petrel, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater, Black-vented Shearwater, Leach's Storm-Petrel, Ashy Storm-Petrel, Black Storm-Petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, Red-necked Phalarope, Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Parasitic Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger, Sabine's Gull, Black-legged Kittiwake, Arctic Tern, Common Murre, Xantus' Murrelet, Cassin's Auklet, and Rhinoceros Auklet. During the September trip we will be on the lookout for Cook's Petrel, Black Storm-petrel, Least Storm-petrel, Red-billed Tropicbird, all Craveri's Murrelet, and Xantus' Murrelet.