Sightings List for Sept. 8-12, 2004 Offshore Birding Trip. Click for Route Map.







Species 09/08 09/09 09/10 09/11 Totals
Black-footed Albatross       1 1
Northern Fulmar   5     5
Pink-footed Shearwater 18 2408 131 31 2588
Flesh-footed Shearwater   1     1
Buller's Shearwater   2 5   7
Sooty Shearwater   22 9 3 34
Black-vented Shearwater 4 7     11
Ashy Storm-petrel   6     6
Black Storm-petrel 61 46 29 34 170
Least Storm-petrel 10     9 19
Red-billed Tropicbird 1   1   2
Marbled Godwit       1 1
Red-necked Phalarope 25 476 10   511
Red Phalarope 2 14 20 426 462
South Polar Skua   6     6
Parasitic Jaeger 3 10     13
Pomarine Jaeger 4 12 2 2 29
Long-tailed Jaeger  2 4 2 1 9
Jaeger sp. 8 20   1 29
California Gull   2 1   3
Heermann's Gull   18 6   34
Western Gull 20 540 64 7 631
Sabine's Gull   42 4 1 47
Common Tern   3     3
Arctic Tern 3 5 14 30 52
sterna tern sp. 30 9 7 2 48
Xantus' Murrelet     1   1
Craveri's Murrelet    2     2
murrelet sp.   2     2
Cassin's Auklet   4 1   5
Rhinoceros Auklet   2     2
Brown-headed Cowbird   1     1
           
Common Dolphin 800 600 25 500 1985
Risso's Dolphin 25 70     95
Killer Whale (Orca)     7   7
Baird's Beaked Whale   3   1 4
Blue Whale   6 7 3 16
Fin Whale   1     1
Sei Whale*   1     1
Humpback Whale   1     1
California Sea Lion   300     300
Harbor Seal   4     4
Elephant Seal   1     1

*Note: Although some whales can be difficult to identify to exact species if observed
only briefly, what was seen on this whale--the falcate dorsal fin and overall
color-- did not point to fin or blue, but to a probable sei.

- Other interesting animals seen were Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola), Swordfish, and
several Skipjack Tuna (caught). Royal Tern, Elegant Tern, Brown Pelican,
Brandt's, Pelagic, and Double-crested Cormorant were also seen, most very close
to shore.



Searcher Natural History Tours   searcher@bajawhale.com   (619) 226-2403
Some photographs taken by Frank S. Balthis of Nature's Design, FrankBalthis@yahoo.com