GRANDE Deep-water Pelagic * 15-17 Aug 2011
439 views · Published 3 September 2011 · 4:58 · Indexed 4 October 2026
Channel: W. Terry Hunefeld · 2011 · Travel & Events
(San Diego) The Buena Vista Audubon Society (www.SoCalBirding.com) double-overnight pelagic trip aboard "Grande" from 15-17 Aug 2011 to the edge of the continental shelf well southwest of San Diego (in both San Diego and, mostly, Los Angeles County waters) recorded some excellent birds. Inshore it was calm and with just a light breeze; out at the edge of the shelf there was a 15-20mph NW wind (good for pterodromas!). Highlights included: As we left port Monday AM, there were THREE AMERICAN-type OYSTERCATCHERS (2 Americans and 1 hybrid-type is our best guess!) and 1 Black Oystercatcher at Ballast Point. Inshore, Monday, we birded 9-Mile Bank and 30-Mile Bank, then headed SW. At the shelf-edge, Tuesday, we worked a ca. 44-nm line from NW to SE, mostly 87-95+nm south of San Clemente Island or 130-140nm SW of Point Loma. DARK-RUMPED PETREL: around mid-day Tuesday, one flew by the bow and quickly away, seen adequately by only several on board, and as a "large pterodroma" by most others. COOK'S PETREL: one seen well by almost everyone near the back of the boat early on Tuesday. LAYSAN ALBATROSS: one came in to the boat with Black-foots on Tuesday. RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD: total of SEVEN (!) seen on trip, one late Monday near Butterfly Bank, 5 in one relatively short stretch along shelf-edge on Tuesday AM, and one on the way back in late Tues; excellent views of several of them right around boat WILSON'S STORM-PETREL: one made a single pass past the bow and continued away in San Diego County waters on Monday, 17.5nm W of Point Loma OTHER SPECIES SEEN INCLUDE: Western Grebe: 1 swimming in ocean 17.5 miles offshore (!) on Monday Black-footed Albatross: ca. 7 total, though difficult to determine total due to constant presence of birds behind the boat on Tues Leach's Storm-Petrel: 150+ total, including many dark-rumped; 2 in SD Co. Ashy Storm-Petrel: 3 SD waters, 3 LA waters 1600 Black Storm-Petrels: 1500 of which in one raft on 9-Mile Bank Least Storm-Petrel: 1 briefly seen by few in the large BLSP raft Xantus's Murrelet: 3 scrippsi near 30-mile Bank and 2 HYPOLEUCUS at shelf edge Rhinoceros Auklet: 3 unseasonal birds total, 2 SD, 1 LA Sabine's Gull: 15, including several birds starting only 2-3 miles off Pt Loma Long-tailed Jaeger: 11 total, with 4 in SD Co. waters Arctic Tern: 4 and..... the usual Pink-foots, Sooties, Pomarines, phalaropes, Cassin's, 15 Common Terns, etc.... two land birds landed on board--Eurasian Collared-Dove and Brown-headed Cowbird.... the dove rode with us all the way back to Point Loma after consuming several dishes of water and some French Toast. In all, good numbers of birds at 9-Mile and 30-Mile Banks and then the usual long stretches with relatively few birds as one got well offshore, but there certainly was fine quality!!! -- Paul Lehman, San Diego Trip sponsored by the Buena Vista Audubon Society www.SoCalBirding.com
