Pelagic Birding Trip Sightings List, 2015

Searcher Pelagic Trip, 7-11 Sep 2015

Sep 7, 2015 – Day One San Diego Bay

11 species

Brown Booby 2
Brandt’s Cormorant 600
Double-crested Cormorant 12
Pelagic Cormorant 1
Brown Pelican 25
Wandering Tattler 1
Willet (Western) 1
Heermann’s Gull 46
Western Gull 22
Royal Tern 2
Elegant Tern 1

San Diego County Waters including 9-Mile Bank, San Diego Trough, and 30-Mile Bank

14 species (+ 1 other taxa)

Common Loon 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 15
Black-vented Shearwater 66
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 1
Black Storm-Petrel 8
Brown Booby 13
Brown Pelican 3
Red-necked Phalarope 2
Pomarine Jaeger 3
Murrelet sp. 2
Cassin’s Auklet 4
Heermann’s Gull 5
Western Gull 137
Common Tern 18
Elegant Tern 3

Los Angeles County Waters – 30-Mile Bank

6 species

Black Storm-Petrel 105 Least Storm-Petrel 4 Brown Pelican 1 Red-necked Phalarope 2 Pomarine Jaeger 2 Western Gull 32

Sep 8, 2015 – Day 2 Santa Barbara County Waters including Pilgrim Bank, Santa Cruz Basin, Santa Cruz Passage, and Santa Barbara Channel

27 species (+4 other taxa)

Northern Fulmar 2
Pink-footed Shearwater 904
Buller’s Shearwater 1
Sooty Shearwater 15
Black-vented Shearwater 4100
Black Storm-Petrel 125
Least Storm-Petrel 1
Brown Booby 1
Booby sp. 1
Brandt’s Cormorant 68
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Pelagic Cormorant 2
Black-bellied Plover 9
Red-necked Phalarope 23
Red Phalarope 2
South Polar Skua 3
Pomarine Jaeger 33
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Long-tailed Jaeger 25
jaeger sp. 3
Common Murre 7
Scripps’s Murrelet 2
Craveri’s Murrelet 2
Murrelet sp. 1
Sabine’s Gull 12
Western Gull 166
California Gull 18
Common Tern 2
Royal Tern 4
Elegant Tern 10
Tern sp. 3

Ventura County Waters including Pilgrim Bank and eastern edge of Santa Cruz Basin

13 species (+1 other taxa)

Northern Fulmar 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 19
Sooty Shearwater 1
Black-vented Shearwater 30
Ashy Storm-Petrel 1
Black Storm-Petrel 23
Brown Booby 1
Red-necked Phalarope 11
Pomarine Jaeger 7
Long-tailed Jaeger 7
Jaeger sp. 1
Bonaparte’s Gull 1
Western Gull 18
Common Tern 2

Sep 9, 2015 – Day 3 Santa Barbara County Waters including Rodriguez Seamount, San Miguel Gap, and west side of the Patton Ridge

18 species (+4 other taxa)

Laysan Albatross 1
Black-footed Albatross 23
Pink-footed Shearwater 44
Sooty Shearwater 6
Leach’s Storm-Petrel 41
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Chapman’s) 18
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Townsend’s) 2
Ashy Storm-Petrel 4
Black Storm-Petrel 18
Red-billed Tropicbird 4
Brown Booby 2
Red-necked Phalarope 3
Red Phalarope 23
Phalarope sp. 1
Pomarine Jaeger 1
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Long-tailed Jaeger 9
Common Murre 1
Guadalupe Murrelet 1
Western Gull 4
Arctic Tern 1
Common/Arctic Tern 2

Ventura County Waters – east of San Juan Seamount

1 Species (+1 other taxa)

Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Chapman’s) 1
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Townsend’s) 1

Sep 10, 2015 – Day 4 Ventura County Waters – Western parts of Tanner and Cortez Banks

13 Species

Black-footed Albatross 11
Northern Fulmar 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 36
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1
Ashy Storm-Petrel 1
Black Storm-Petrel 372
Marbled Godwit 2
Western Sandpiper 5
Red Phalarope 1
Long-tailed Jaeger 2
Guadalupe Murrelet 1
Western Gull 3
Arctic Tern 2

Los Angeles County Waters – Eastern parts of Tanner and Cortez Banks

16 Species

Black-footed Albatross 4
Northern Fulmar 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 28
Sooty Shearwater 1
Black Storm-Petrel 45
Least Storm-Petrel 1
Brown Booby 2
Red-necked Phalarope 3
Red Phalarope 29
Pomarine Jaeger 2
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Long-tailed Jaeger 4
Sabine’s Gull 3
Western Gull 69
Arctic Tern 11
Brown-headed Cowbird

Sep 11, 2015 – Day 5 San Diego County Waters – 9-Mile Bank to the Zuniga Jetty

20 species

Pink-footed Shearwater 1
Black-vented Shearwater 95
Black Storm-Petrel 6
Least Storm-Petrel 2
Brown Booby 5
Brandt’s Cormorant 12
Brown Pelican 6
Snowy Egret 1
Black Oystercatcher 1
Red-necked Phalarope 18
Pomarine Jaeger 1
Parasitic Jaeger 1
Cassin’s Auklet 17
Rhinoceros Auklet 1
Heermann’s Gull 2
Western Gull 40
Black Tern 1
Common Tern 7
Elegant Tern 4
Barn Swallow 2

2015-12-21T16:11:25-08:00December 17th, 2015|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Trip Sightings List – September 2014

1-Sep 2-Sep 3-Sep 4-Sep
Species Name
Cinnamon Teal – Anas cyanoptera 2
Black-footed Albatross – Phoebastria nigripes 5 1 17
Northern Fulmar – Fulmarus glacialis 1 1 1
Pink-footed Shearwater – Puffinus creatopus 6 160 55 105
Buller’s Shearwater – Puffinus bulleri 8
Sooty Shearwater – Puffinus griseus 2 3
Black-vented Shearwater – Puffinus opisthomelas 382 3 2,005
Leach’s Storm-Petrel – Oceanodroma leucorhoa 1 4 110 125
Ashy Storm-Petrel – Oceanodroma homochroa 25 12 6
Black Storm-Petrel – Oceanodroma melania 179 378 174 89
Least Storm-Petrel – Oceanodroma microsoma 10 3
Red-billed Tropicbird – Phaethon aethereus 10 1
Brown Booby – Sula leucogaster 1 1 1
Brandt’s Cormorant – Phalacrocorax penicillatus 502 33
Double-crested Cormorant – Phalacrocorax auritus 1
Pelagic Cormorant – Phalacrocorax pelagicus 4
Brown Pelican – Pelecanus occidentalis 36 6
Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias 1
Great Egret – Ardea alba 6
Snowy Egret – Egretta thula 4
Black Oystercatcher – Haematopus bachmani 1
Long-billed Curlew – Numenius americanus 1
Marbled Godwit – Limosa fedoa 1
Black Turnstone – Arenaria melanocephala 3
Sanderling – Calidris alba 7
Short-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus griseus 12
Red-necked Phalarope – Phalaropus lobatus 103 25 12
Red Phalarope – Phalaropus fulicarius 5 12 2
phalarope sp. – Phalaropus sp. 15 2
shorebird sp. – Charadriiformes sp. 10
South Polar Skua – Stercorarius maccormicki 3
Pomarine Jaeger – Stercorarius pomarinus 1 7 2
Parasitic Jaeger – Stercorarius parasiticus 1 2
Long-tailed Jaeger – Stercorarius longicaudus 3 6 7
jaeger sp. – Stercorarius sp. (jaeger sp.) 1 10
Craveri’s Murrelet – Synthliboramphus craveri 13
Scripps’s/Guadalupe/Craveri’s Murrelet – Synthliboramphus 11 3 2
Sabine’s Gull – Xema sabini 1 6 1 1
Heermann’s Gull – Larus heermanni 102 13
Western Gull – Larus occidentalis 260 262 17 331
California Gull – Larus californicus 2
Common Tern – Sterna hirundo 140 2 4
Arctic Tern – Sterna paradisaea 8
Common/Arctic Tern – Sterna hirundo/paradisaea 12
Royal Tern – Thalasseus maximus 3 5
Elegant Tern – Thalasseus elegans 71 9 49
Mourning Dove – Zenaida macroura 1
Brown-headed Cowbird – Molothrus ater 6 1 1
passerine sp. – Passeriformes sp. 1
2020-07-15T16:34:58-07:00October 2nd, 2014|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Tour Sightings List, 2013

pelagic birding, 2013 sightings list

Date Range:  Sep 2 2013 – Sep 8, 2013

Total # of Species: 48
Total # of Checklists: 25

Locations

Anacapa / Santa Cruz Passage (VEN Co.);
Anacapa / Santa Cruz passage (SBA Co.);
Arguello Canyon/948 Bank (SBA Co.);
Cortez Bank (LA Co.);
Mushroom Bank (LA Co.);
Nine Mile Bank (SD Co.);
Offshore — Cortez Flats (LA County);
Offshore — Anacapa Island vicinity (VEN Co.);
Offshore — Escarpment between Rodriguez and San Juan (SBA Co.);
Offshore — Santa Cruz Island vicinity (SBA Co.);
Pt. Loma — offshore waters (SD Co.);
Rodriguez Seamount (SBA Co.);
San Diego Bay — northwest;
San Diego Trough (SD Co.);
San Juan Seamount (SBA Co.);
Santa Barbara Channel — Anacapa Island vicinity (VEN Co.);
Santa Barbara Channel — Santa Rosa Island vicinity (SBA Co.);
Santa Barbara Channel — west channel (SBA Co.);
Santa Cruz / Santa Rosa passage (SBA Co.);
Sixty Mile Bank (LA Co.);
Tanner Bank (VEN Co.);
Thirty Mile Bank (LA Co.);
Thirty Mile Bank (SD Co.)

Summary

Sep 2 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 5 Sep 6 Sep 7 Sep 8
Number of Species 29 23 18 18 16 0 0
Number of Individuals 7,141 1,389 273 450 567 0 0
Number of Checklists 6 8 4 5 2 0 0

Total Number of Birds (sample size)

Species Name Sep 2 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 5 Sep 6 Sep 7 Sep 8
Species Name Sep 2 Sep 3 Sep 4 Sep 5 Sep 6 Sep 7 Sep 8
Black-footed Albatross
(Phoebastria nigripes)
8
(3)
2
(2)
Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma
sandwichensis)
1

(1)

Pink-footed Shearwater
(Puffinus creatopus)
30

(3)

171

(6)

15

(3)

263

(5)

8

(1)

Buller’s Shearwater (Puffinus
bulleri)
1

(1)

41

(2)

5

(3)

Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus
griseus)
63

(3)

62

(7)

33

(4)

6

(2)

8

(1)

Black-vented Shearwater
(Puffinus opisthomelas)
5,210

(2)

8

(5)

45

(1)

Leach’s Storm-Petrel
(Oceanodroma leucorhoa)
14

(4)

29

(7)

Ashy Storm-Petrel
(Oceanodroma homochroa)
4

(2)

6

(1)

1

(1)

Black Storm-Petrel
(Oceanodroma melania)
48

(5)

600

(1)

1

(1)

4

(2)

4

(1)

Least Storm-Petrel
(Oceanodroma microsoma)
1

(1)

1

(1)

storm-petrel sp.
(Hydrobatidae sp.)
2

(1)

1

(1)

Red-billed Tropicbird
(Phaethon aethereus)
12

(3)

8

(4)

Brown Booby (Sula
leucogaster)
1

(1)

Brandt’s Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax penicillatus)
335

(2)

84

(5)

51

(2)

Double-crested Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax auritus)
6

(1)

Pelagic Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax pelagicus)
1

(1)

7

(4)

cormorant sp. (Phalacrocorax 1

(1)

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus
occidentalis)
193

(3)

37

(5)

1

(1)

124

(2)

Great Blue Heron (Ardea
herodias)
1

(1)

1

(1)

Great Egret (Ardea alba) 4

(1)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 15

(1)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) 2

(1)

1

(1)

Marbled Godwit (Limosa
fedoa)
1

(1)

peep sp. (Calidris sp. (peep
sp.))
3

(1)

Red-necked Phalarope
(Phalaropus lobatus)
5

(2)

36

(6)

2

(1)

13

(3)

42

(1)

Red Phalarope (Phalaropus
fulicarius)
112

(4)

4

(2)

Red-necked/Red Phalarope
(Phalaropus
lobatus/fulicarius)
9

(2)

phalarope sp. (Phalaropus
sp.)
14

(2)

8

(3)

Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini) 1

(1)

2

(2)

Heermann’s Gull (Larus
heermanni)
510

(3)

5

(1)

4

(2)

Western Gull (Larus
occidentalis)
586

(6)

345

(8)

2

(1)

104

(5)

75

(2)

California Gull (Larus
californicus)
1

(1)

2

(1)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne
caspia)
1

(1)

Common Tern (Sterna
hirundo)
5

(2)

1

(1)

1

(1)

Common/Arctic Tern (Sterna
hirundo/paradisaea)
12

(1)

Royal Tern (Thalasseus
maximus)
5

(1)

Elegant Tern (Thalasseus
elegans)
89

(3)

70

(2)

tern sp. (Sterninae sp.) 130

(1)

Pomarine Jaeger
(Stercorarius pomarinus)
2
(2)
5
(3)
4
(1)
4
(3)
1

(1)

Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius
parasiticus)
3
(1)
Long-tailed Jaeger
(Stercorarius longicaudus)
4
(2)
1
(1)
Parasitic/Long-tailed Jaeger
(Stercorarius
parasiticus/longicaudus)
1
(1)
jaeger sp. (Stercorarius sp.
(jaeger sp.))
1
(1)
1
(1)
1
(1)
Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus
columba)
1
(1)
Scripps’s/Guadalupe/Craveri’s
Murrelet (Synthliboramphus
scrippsi/hypoleucus/craveri)
4
(2)
2
(1)
Cassin’s Auklet
(Ptychoramphus aleuticus)
1
(1
Rock Pigeon (Domestic type)
(Columba livia (Domestic
type))
2
(1)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco
peregrinus)
1
(1)

2023-09-19T14:33:17-07:00September 9th, 2013|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Trip Report Sept. 5-9, 2011

Sept 5-9, 2011 * SEARCHER * San Diego/Channel Islands/Shelf Edge: White-chinned Petrel, 12 Red-billed Tropicbirds

(San Diego) The 95-foot live-aboard Searcher departed San Diego’s Fisherman’s Landing on a sunny, warm Labor Day afternoon, bound for a 5-day pelagic expedition through the Channel Islands, over deep water canyons and along the continental shelf-edge.  We headed to the Nine Mile Bank and worked our way slowly north in a zigzag fashion, following the life zones as we found them until the sunset as we were west of Oceanside.

Read the Full Report Here

2011-11-23T16:15:17-08:00November 23rd, 2011|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Sightings List, September, 2010

9/9 9/8 9/7 9/6
2000 fath 948 spot SD Harbor
Bell Bank SJS Chan Isls 9mile TOTAL
ALBATROSSES
Black-footed Albatross 9 5 14
PROCELLARIDS
Northern Fulmar 1 1 1 3
Cook’s Petrel 1 1
Pink-footed Shearwater 211 35 305 552 1103
Sooty-Shearwater 15 50 97 53 215
Black-vented Shearwater 2 2
Buller’s Shearwater 27 15 42
Flesh-footed Shearwater 1 1
STORM-PETRELS
Black Storm-Petrel 56 24 142 110 332
Least Storm-Petrel 15 15
Ashy Storm-Petrel 49 49
Leach’s Storm Petrel
Leach’s nominate 224 224
Chapmani (Chapman’s) 67 60 127
soccorinsis (Townsends) 1 1 2
Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1 1
TROPICBIRDS; BOOBIES
Red-billed Tropicbird 4 4
OYSTERCATCHERS; PHALAROPE
Black Oystercatcher 2 2
Red-necked Phalarope 12 185 18 215
Red Phalarope 8 1114 180 92 1394
GULLS
Heermann’s Gull 2 130 132
California Gull 6 1 7
Western Gull 7 12 500 100 619
Sabine’s Gull 2 2
TERNS
Elegant Tern 15 70 85
Royal Tern 5 5
Common Tern 1 13 6 20
Arctic Tern 19 91 110
SKUA JAEGERS
South Polar Skua 1 3 1 5
Pomarine Jaeger 7 4 7 17 35
Parasitic Jaeger 2 4 6
Long-tailed Jaeger 19 93 1 113
ALCIDS
Pigeon Guillemot 1 1
Xantus’s Murrelet
hpyoleucus 6 4 10
Cassin’s Auklet 1 3 32 36
Whales
Blue Whale 2 3 5
Fin Whale 8 31 39
Minke Whale 1 1
Humpback Whale 4 10 9 23
Byrde’s Whale 1 1
Baird’s Beaked Whale 8 8
Dolphin, Porpoise
Risso’s Dolphin 25 25
Pacific White-sided Dolphin 75 75
Short-beaked Common Dolphin 200 4 204
Long-beaked Common Dolphin 110 200 310
Pinnipeds
California Sea Lion 14 250 75 339
Elephant Seal 20 20
Guadalupe Fur Seal 28 7 35
Sharks
Blue Shark 2 2 4
Basking Shark 1 1
Fish, Turtles, Squid
Mola Mola 5 14 3 4 26
Saury 1600 1600
Albacore 1 2 3
Insects
Green Darner 100 100
2020-07-15T16:35:26-07:00November 2nd, 2010|Trip Reports|

Life Aboard a Pelagic Birding Tour

Watching for birds from the upper deck

Reviewing an identification

A camera always focused for the next rarity

And sometimes they even take a quick break for food or drink inside!

2020-07-15T16:35:26-07:00September 14th, 2010|Photos|

Sept 6-10 Pelagic Birding Trip Success

What a great report on the 5 days at sea! There was something for everyone with least & ashy storm-petrels, albatrosses, Cook’s petrels, red-billed tropicbirds; Bryde’s, humpback, blue whale, Baird’s beaked whales; and a flesh-footed shearwater.

Full report and details to follow. Next trip will be Labor Day, 2011. Go here for details: http://www.bajawhale.com/pelagic/pelagic-birding-tour/

2010-11-04T10:49:31-07:00September 11th, 2010|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Tour Sept. 1-5, 2008

Report

DATE: Sept. 1-5, 2008

TRIP: Offshore Birding Trip
28 passengers from 3 countries and 15 cities departed San Diego’s Fisherman’s Landing on a sunny, warm Labor Day afternoon, bound for a 5-day pelagic expedition through the Channel Islands, over deep water canyons and along the continental shelf-edge.

Highlights of the Sept 1-5, 2008 trip included Red-billed Tropicbird, Cook’s Petrel and Wilson’s Storm-petrel.

All participants had close views of more than 200 Leach’s Storm- petrels, including dark-rumped Leach’s Storm-petrels (O.I. chapmani) and Guadalupe Island summer-breeding Leach’s (O. I. socorroensis) that some authorities believe should be elevated to full species status.

Also of interest were close-ups of both subspecies of Xantus’s Murrelet, 2 Northern Fulmar, a first-year Ring-billed Gull 110 miles offshore at the Cortez Bank , a surprising (for SoCal) 169 Buller’s Shearwater, 1147 Pink-footed Shearwater, 578 Black Storm- petrel, 25 Sabine’s Gull, 5 Skua, 13 LT Jaeger, 20 Poms, 18 Ashy Storm-petrels, 4 Black-footed Albatross, 6 Blue Whale, 14 Fin Whale and a Sperm Whale.

Vagrants, lost, and out of place species over deep water included Greater Yellowlegs, Savannah Sparrow, Black Turnstone, McGillivray’s Warbler, Spotted Sandpiper, Mourning Dove and the inevitable (3) Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Monday afternoon we birded the north edge of the Coronado Canyon, then headed north up the Nine-mile Bank towards the Channel Islands. Black-vented, Pink-footed and Sooty Shearwater were plentiful, as were Black Storm-petrels (197).

Tuesday morning at dawn found us just south of Anacapa Island where we counted 700 Pink-footed Shearwater over the course of the morning. This was a “Skua-Slam” day with 4 South Polar Skua, 14 Poms, 2 Parasitic and 3 Long-tailed Jaeger.

Excellent weather allowed us to wake up Wednesday morning further north than Searcher has ever ventured – over Arguello Canyon (Cook’s Petrel!). After breakfast we cruised over the Rodriguez and San Juan Seamounts (Red-billed Tropicbird!). The deep water was right for Leach’s Storm-petrels (140) and Long-tailed Jaegers (8) with a sprinkling of the other jaegers/skua for our second “Skua-slam”. After dinner, the second tropicbird of the day flew just 20 feet overhead to Searcher’s lights.

Thursday we awoke at a flat-calm Cortez Bank, 110 miles west of San Diego. The sweet spot of the day came at the Sixty-mile Bank where Wes Fritz laid an enormous slick attracting hundreds of storm petrels, including 2 Least and a Wilson’s.

Full descriptions of what we saw by region follow at the end of this post.

Species List Mon Tue Wed Thu Ttl
Black-footed Albatross

Northern Fulmar

Cook’s Petrel

Buller’s Shearwater

Pink-footed Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Black-vented Shearwater

Ashy Storm-petrel

Black Storm-petrel

Leach’s Storm-petrel

Leach’s Storm-petrel (soccorinsis)

Least Storm-petrel

Wilson’s Storm-petrel

Brown Pelican

Red-billed Tropicbird

Red-necked Phalarope

Red Phalarope

Western Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Ring-billed Gull (juv)

Sabine’s Gull

Black Tern

Common Tern

Arctic Tern

Common/Arctic “Comic” Tern

Elegant Tern

Royal Tern

South Polar Skua

Pomarine Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Rhino Auklet

Cassin’s Auklet

Xantus’s Murrelet (scrippsi)

Xantus’s Murrelet (hypoleucus)

0

0

0

0

74

23

95

4

197

0

0

2

0

95

0

75

7

220

115

0

22

1

29

0

0

55

2

0

1

2

1

1

6

0

0

0

2

0

49

1050

120

0

10

88

0
0

1

0

55

0

240

1

300

50

0

0

0

4

4

2

1

4

4

14

2

3

0

6

0

0

2

0

1

118

1

11

0

4

3

40

0

2

0

0

2

0

6

0

0

0

3

0

0

4

1

0

0

1

3

1

8

0

1

2

4

2

0

0

2

22

1

0

0

290

167

0

2

1

0

0

13

2

69

2

1

0

0

0

5

2

0

0

0

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

4

2

1

169

1147

155

95

18

578

207

0

7

1

150

2

328

16

589

167

1

25

1

33

13

5

56

6

5

20

6

13

1

13

2

4

Ttl 3840
Blue Whale

Sperm Whale

Beaked Whale

Fin Whale

Common Dolphin

Risso’s Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

White-sided Dolphin

Elephant Seal

Guadalupe Fur Seal

California Sea Lion

Blue Shark

Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola)

6

1

1

14

1300

110

85

35

1

5

124

12

5

SEPTEMBER 2008 SEARCHER TRIP LOG (by Jon Feenstra)

Nine Mile Bank – USA 9/1/08 This list includes all birds recorded from exiting SD harbor, the entire length of the 9 Mile Bank (US), just north of there – all SD County water Northern Shoveler 6

Pink-footed Shearwater 64

Sooty Shearwater 23

Black-vented Shearwater 75

Ashy Storm-Petrel 3

Black Storm-Petrel 200

Brown Pelican 63

Brandt’s Cormorant 9

Red-necked Phalarope 70

Red Phalarope 6

phalarope sp. 15

Heermann’s Gull 51

Western Gull 108

Sabine’s Gull 23

Black Tern 1

Common Tern 28

Common/Arctic Tern 1

Royal Tern 2

Elegant Tern 49

Pomarine Jaeger 1

Parasitic Jaeger 1

Long-tailed Jaeger 1

Cassin’s Auklet 3

Rhinoceros Auklet 1

Anacapa Island – Southern Waters 9/2/08 Waters south of Anacapa Island to the NE corner of the Sta Cruz Basin – all in VenCo waters.

Pink-footed Shearwater 700

Buller’s Shearwater 2

Sooty Shearwater 52

Black Storm-Petrel 88

Brown Pelican 39

Greater Yellowlegs 1

Black Turnstone 1

Red-necked Phalarope 233

phalarope sp. 0

Heermann’s Gull 2

Western Gull 42

Common Tern 2

South Polar Skua 1

Pomarine Jaeger 3

Rhinoceros Auklet 1

Mourning Dove 1

Savannah Sparrow 1

Santa Cruz Basin – SBA County 9/2/08 This list includes birds from the north and west edges of the Sta Cruz Basin – all in SBA County

Pink-footed Shearwater 200

Buller’s Shearwater 12

Sooty Shearwater 31

Brown Pelican 5

Brandt’s Cormorant 2

Red Phalarope 1

Heermann’s Gull 5

Western Gull 85

Common Tern 1

Elegant Tern 1

South Polar Skua 2

Pomarine Jaeger 5

Parasitic Jaeger 1

jaeger sp. 2

Cassin’s Auklet 2

Santa Rosa Flats – SBA County 9/2/08 Birds seen over the south end of the Santa Rosa Flats, near the Santa Rosa Buoy, and the 311 Bank. All in SBA County.

Pink-footed Shearwater 37

Buller’s Shearwater 2

Sooty Shearwater 6

Brown Pelican 2

Red-necked Phalarope 3

Heermann’s Gull 1

Western Gull 56

Common Tern 2

Arctic Tern 3

Common/Arctic Tern 2

Pomarine Jaeger 5

Parasitic Jaeger 1

Long-tailed Jaeger 2

jaeger sp. 3

Cassin’s Auklet 3

Brown-headed Cowbird 1

San Miguel Island Pelagic waters 9/2/08 Birds recorded between the 311 Bank and Richardson Rock. The track was mostly along the 500 fathom line.

Northern Fulmar 2

Pink-footed Shearwater 215

Buller’s Shearwater 10

Sooty Shearwater 27

Brown Pelican 8

Brandt’s Cormorant 1

Red-necked Phalarope 7

Heermann’s Gull 2

Western Gull 66

Arctic Tern 1

Royal Tern 4

South Polar Skua 1

Pomarine Jaeger 1

Long-tailed Jaeger 1

Cassin’s Auklet 1

Arguello Canyon/948 Bank – SBA County 9/3/08 Species recorded at the 948 Bank starting at dawn (with a chum slick) and waters just to the south.

Black-footed Albatross 1

Cook’s Petrel 1

Buller’s Shearwater 5

Sooty Shearwater 8

Leach’s Storm-Petrel 5

Black Storm-Petrel 2

Arctic Tern 2

Common/Arctic Tern 1

Pomarine Jaeger 2

Long-tailed Jaeger 7

jaeger sp. 4

Cassin’s Auklet 1

Rodriguez Seamount – SBA County 9/3/08 Recorded in the vicinity of the Rodriguez Seamount which was passed while en route from Arguello Canyon to the San Juan Seamount.

Pink-footed Shearwater 1

Buller’s Shearwater 80

Sooty Shearwater 2

Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Dark-rumped) 16

Leach’s Storm-Petrel (White-rumped) 3

Ashy Storm-Petrel 4

Least Storm-Petrel 1

Red-billed Tropicbird 1

phalarope sp. 1

Sabine’s Gull 3

Arctic Tern 2

South Polar Skua 1

Pomarine Jaeger 1

jaeger sp. 4

Xantus’s Murrelet 2

Brown-headed Cowbird 1

San Juan Seamount – SBA County 9/3/08 Recorded within about 30 miles north of the San Juan Seamount. The RB Tropicbird was later at night (9:30PM) east of the San Juan and may have been in VenCo waters.

Black-footed Albatross 1

Buller’s Shearwater 34

Sooty Shearwater 1

Leach’s Storm-Petrel 120

Black Storm-Petrel 1

Least Storm-Petrel 1

Red-billed Tropicbird 1

Red Phalarope 6

Parasitic Jaeger 1

Long-tailed Jaeger 1

jaeger sp. 4

Xantus’s Murrelet 4

MacGillivray’s Warbler 1

Cortez Bank 9/4/08 Western and southern edges of Cortez Bank, and waters SE en route to Mushroom Bank.

Pink-footed Shearwater 17

Buller’s Shearwater 1

Leach’s Storm-Petrel 33

Black Storm-Petrel 5

Red-necked Phalarope 2

Red Phalarope 11

phalarope sp. 4

Heermann’s Gull 2

Ring-billed Gull 1

Western Gull 54

Arctic Tern 2

Pomarine Jaeger 2

Long-tailed Jaeger 1

jaeger sp. 2

Sixty-mile Bank – Los Angeles County 9/4/08 Includes birds recorded just north of the Mushroom Bank, along the north corner of the Mushroom, across the Sixty-mile Bank (including big chum slick), and just north en route to Butterfly Bank.

Black-footed Albatross 2

Pink-footed Shearwater 2

Sooty Shearwater 1

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel 1

Leach’s Storm-Petrel 38

Black Storm-Petrel 275

Least Storm-Petrel 2

Brandt’s Cormorant 1

Red-necked Phalarope 8

phalarope sp. 2

Western Gull 2

Common/Arctic Tern 2

Parasitic Jaeger 1

Brown-headed Cowbird 1

Butterfly Bank – LA County 9/4/08 Includes birds seen on and just south of the Butterfly Bank. We also sat on a slick on the bank for a time. The Leach’s included one Guadalupe type.

Pink-footed Shearwater 3

Leach’s Storm-Petrel 3

Black Storm-Petrel 7

Brandt’s Cormorant 2

Western Gull 3

Arctic Tern 3

2020-07-15T16:35:30-07:00September 7th, 2008|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Tour Trip Report June 2-6, 2008

DATE: June 2-6, 2008

TRIP: Offshore Birding Trip

Report

The squawking of Red-crowned Parrots greeted 27 birders as we boarded the live-aboard vessel Searcher at Point Loma’s Fisherman’s Landing on Monday morning, June 2, 2008 and prepared for our 5-day adventure on the high seas. Upon sailing we immediately headed for the Nine-mile Bank and within an hour were enjoying storm-petrels, alcids, shearwaters and Northern Fulmar.

Monday’s highlights included 33 Black-storm Petrels, 525 Sooties, 7 Northern Fulmar, 2 SOUTH POLAR SKUA, 18 Xantus’s Murrelets, Sabine’s Gull and 30 Risso’s Dolphin. At dinner in Searcher’s comfortable salon that evening, some participants already had eight lifers!

Tuesday morning we awoke at the Channel Islands, just south of Santa Barbara at Anacapa Island where we enjoyed close-ups of Pigeon Guillemots, Black Oystercatchers, Surf Scoters, Common Murre, Xantus’s Murrelets and hundreds of shearwaters, causing leader Jon Feenstra to exclaim, “This place is rich in birdly goodness!”

The seas were too high and the winds too windy to sail west to the San Juan Seamount, so at our morning leaders meeting we agreed with Captain Art to sail south with the seas and spend Tuesday night in the lee of San Nicholas Island.

Dave Pereksta proved clairvoyant as he prophesied what was in store for Tuesday by pronouncing: “Where there are birds, there are possibly other birds.” Sure enough, the day’s totals included 3 BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSS, more than 1500 shearwaters, including a FLESH-FOOTED and 350 Pink-footeds plus 4 SOUTH POLAR SKUA, with 3 of them lined up on the water all at once, an exceptional sighting of this rare-in-spring and normally solitary species.

We breakfasted Wednesday morning in the lee of San Nick Island before heading out for deeper water to find extraordinarily high winds (35 – 50 mph) and 6-8 foot seas, highly unusual for June in the SoCal bight. Not able to reach our intended destination of the continental shelf edge, we continued south towards San Clemente Island. Despite big seas, we racked up sightings of Black, Ashy and Leach’s Storm-petrels, a LAYSAN’S ALBATROSS, an ARCTIC TERN and 5 more SKUA. We enjoyed another delicious Searcher dinner in the shelter of San Clemente’s Pyramid Cove.

Searcher departed the shelter of San Clemente at 1:00 a.m. Thursday and throughout the day we headed southwest to reach the southernmost portion of ABA waters. For the third day in a row, the weather gods served us high winds at a time of year when seas are typically benign. We weren’t about to let the weather get the best of us and found 7 more BLACK-FOOTED ALBATROSSES, 2 more LAYSAN’S and more than 100 Leach’s Storm-petrels.

After 3 days of big seas, we awoke at the Nine Mile Bank Friday morning at 5 a.m. in flat calm glassy water and enjoyed close-ups of Xantus’s Murrelets and Cassin’s Auklets during breakfast. While the weather never allowed us to reach the “rarity zone” at the edge of the Continental Shelf, the June Searcher trip proved and exciting adventure for all aboard. A big thank you to Todd Easterlea, Jon Feenstra and Big Dave Pereksta for getting us on birds in big seas and a special thank you to Tanner Easterlea, Dave Povey and Wes Fritz for the great chumming that brought in all those tubenoses. Communication + Teamwork + Camaraderie equals FUN!!

Species List Mon Tue Wed Thu Ttl
Surf Scoter

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Black-footed Albatross

Laysan Albatross

Northern Fulmar

Pink-footed Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Flesh-footed Shearwater

Leach’s Storm-petrel

Black Storm-petrel

Ashy Storm-petrel

Brown Pelican

Double-crested Cormorant

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Black Oystercatcher

Red Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope

Heermann’s Gull

Western Gull

Sabine’s Gull

Caspian Tern

Elegant Tern

Royal Tern

Forster’s Tern

Least Tern

Skua

Pomarine Jaeger

Xantus’s Murrelet

Cassin’s Auklet

Rhinoceros Auklet

Common Murre

Common Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Mola Mola

Pacific White-sided Dolphin

Northern Right-Whale Dolphin

Fin Whale

Elephant Seal

Flying Fish

Guadalupe Fur Seal

0

2

2

0

0

7

4

525

0

0

33

0

19

1

2

0

0

0

0

4

105

1

10

30

1

4

12

2

0

18

31

0

0

30

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

7

0

0

3

0

2

350

1150

1

0

1

1

65

0

1500

7

7

1

2

0

2000

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

0

19

40

8

2

0

4

5

2

8

4

0

1

0

0

1

0

2

1

3

20

275

0

7

35

6

37

4

40

0

0

0

0

1

150

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

1

6

45

2

0

0

6

2

6

0

4

20

3

0

0

0

0

7

2

5

0

3

0

110

17

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

20

0

3

1

3

0

1

0

3

7

3

2

12

3

17

374

1953

1

117

86

7

121

5

1542

7

7

1

2

5

2260

1

10

30

1

4

12

11

1

43

116

10

2

50

12

11

9

11

8

21

4

3

2020-07-15T16:35:30-07:00June 7th, 2008|Trip Reports|

Pelagic Birding Tour Trip Report Sep 3-7 2007

DATE: September 3-7, 2007

TRIP: Offshore Birding Trip

Report

Day 1

After leaving San Diego Harbor to east end of Anacapa Island

Pink-footed Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Black-vented Shearwater

Black Storm-Petrel

Leach’s
Storm-Petrel

Least Storm-Petrel

Brown Pelican

Pelagic Cormorant

Red-necked Phalarope

33

3

5

188

2

17

232

1

169

Red Phalarope

Heermann’s Gull

Western Gull

Sabine’s Gull

Common Tern

Royal Tern

Elegant Tern

Pomarine Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

11

40

142

2

51

9

11

2

5

Mammals: California Sea Lion, Long-beaked Common Dolphin, Risso’s Dolphin, Blue Whale, Humpback Whale, Bottlenosed Dolphin

Day 2

East end of Anacapa west to the South Point of Santa Rosa, then south to the east end of San Nicolas. Conditions were rough and windy.

Cook’s Petrel

Pink-footed Shearwater

Buller’s Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Black-vented Shearwater

Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Black Storm-Petrel

Brown Pelican

Brandt’s Cormorant

Double-crested Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant

Black Oystercatcher

Surfbird

Common Murre

1

275

4

243

1

2

2

2000

670

3

5

10

3

Red-necked Phalarope

Red Phalarope

Heermann’s Gull

Western Gull

Sabine’s Gull

Royal Tern

Elegant Tern

South Polar Skua

Pomarine Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

Cassin’s Auklet

Rhinoceras Auklet

63

2
6
750
2
10
2
3
18
1
1
2

Day 3

East end of San Nicolas south to Tanner and Cortez Banks, then south-southwest to the 1000 fathom line. Sea anchored there.

Teal sp.

Cook’s Petrel

Pink-footed Shearwater

Buller’s Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Black-vented Shearwater

Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Black Turnstone

Red-necked Phalarope

Red Phalarope

Bonaparte’s Gull

Heermann’s Gull

Western Gull

Arctic Tern

Royal Tern

Elegant Tern

3

1(night)

44
3
47
1
313
1
21
41
55
5
200
3
21
2

“Summer Guadalupe” Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Black Storm-Petrel

Brown Pelican

Brandt’s Cormorant

Pacific Golden-Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Marbled Godwit

South Polar Skua

Pomarine Jaeger

Parasitic Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Xantus’s Murrelet

Cassin’s Auklet

Rhinoceras Auklet

White-winged Dove

40

24

55

13

1 (night)

1 (night)

3

3

9

1

2

3

4

1

1 (night)

Mammals: California Sea Lion, Northern Elephant Seal, Northern Fur Seal, Short-beaked Common Dolphin, Fin Whale

Day 4

Albacore grounds south of Cortez Banks to the Mushrooom and Sixtymile Bankk

Black-footed Albatross

Pink-footed Shearwater

Sooty Shearwater

Leach’s Storm-Petrel

“Summer Guadalupe” Leach’s Storm-Petrel

Black Storm-Petrel

Red-billed Tropicbird

Wandering Tattler

Marbled Godwit

Sanderling

Red-necked Phalarope

4

4

2

176

28

153

3

1

5

1

62

Red Phalarope

Western Gull

Sabine’s Gull

Pomarine Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Arctic Tern

Common Tern

Elegant Tern

Mourning Dove

Brown-headed Cowbird

55

74

1

7

3

5

169

1

1

1

Mammals: California Sea Lion, Blue Whale, Sperm Whale, Fin Whale, Baird’s Beaked Whale, Sei Whale, Pacific White-sided Dolphin

Photo Gallery

2020-07-15T16:35:30-07:00September 8th, 2007|Trip Reports|

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