We’re getting ready for our family reunion in Baja!
Gray whales are migrating south, including lots of moms and calves, and we’ll be taking our guests to Laguna San Ignacio soon to meet up with them. For now, enjoy our video!
The first gray whales have arrived to Laguna San Ignacio, as reported by our colleagues there from Kuyima Tours. We are anxiously preparing for our return migration there too! Our first departure south with a full group of whalewatchers leaves on February 7, 2016.
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
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
6 species
Black Storm-Petrel 105 Least Storm-Petrel 4 Brown Pelican 1 Red-necked Phalarope 2 Pomarine Jaeger 2 Western Gull 32
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
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
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
1 Species (+1 other taxa)
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Chapman’s) 1
Leach’s Storm-Petrel (Townsend’s) 1
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
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
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
Here are some snapshots from the Mexico Pelagic Birding Tour, which included Isla Guadalupe, Alijos Rocks, Isla Socorro, and many offshore locations
Townsend’s shearwaters, Socorro wrens, Ainley’s storm-petrels, and many other fascinating sightings were enjoyed by 24 passengers and leaders. Many thanks to WildWings for their organization of this journey.
Birders in the bow photographing Storm petrels.
Hello birders,
We were traveling all day today. We are headed to Cabo San Lucas for arrival tomorrow morning. We stopped for a final fish oil slick at about 95 miles south of Cabo. We attracted Least and Leach’s storm petrels; Pomarine jaegers; and Brown, Red-footed and Masked boobies–a great way to end a birding trip to Mexico!
Since this was the first trip of its kind from San Diego to Guadalupe Island and the Revillagigedo islands to Isla Socorro, we would consider this a huge success. Two species were at the top of the list: Ainley’s storm petrel at Isla Guadalupe and Townsend’s shearwater at Isla Socorro, and we were able to locate and observe them both.
We learned much about all these birding locations and so when we return next year ,we will have a better idea where to go and a much more defined itinerary. We can’t wait to go back! Many thanks to the organization that made this happen–WildWings, John Brodie-Good, and leaders Chris Collins and Steve Howell.
Photo today is a Pomarine jaeger.
Team Searcher
Hello birders,
For day two at Isla Socorro Island we started just after daylight with a skiff ride to Playa Blanca, adjacent to Cabo Henslow. The group had plenty of views of the Socorro wren in the 2 hours they were out in some windy conditions. We left there and circled the island for the rest of the morning, going around the north-end and down the northeast side of the island. Unfortunately there wasn’t much life. We wanted to check that side of the island in case we missed something yesterday.
We ended up 9 miles south of the island looking at boobies, frigates and terns, hoping to find more shearwaters. We worked back towards the island with the sun at our backs. We came across 3 Townsend’s shearwaters for our efforts today–a little disappointing as we hoping for more birds today.
We would consider our visit here a success locating Townsend’s shearwaters. We are headed north tonight with a day at sea and arrival Tuesday morning in Cabo San Lucas.
Photo today is Cabo Henslow. We saw several hundred boobies leaving there early this morning. It is a very pretty location.
Team Searcher
Hello birders (morning report):
We arrived at Isla Socorro at at daylight today. We experienced some tropical weather to start –20 knot winds and heavy rain. It was a tropical welcome to the island! We checked in with the Mexican navy at their base here, and gave them all the proper documents needed. Then we headed to the southern side of the island, anchored at Grayson Cove and put the skiffs in the water. Almost everyone went out in the skiffs for a coastal cruise. They saw the endemic Socorro Wren from the skiffs!
After lunch we plan to go offshore a few miles and look for the Townsend’s shearwater. Wish us luck!
This is a spectacular island and we are really glad to be here. The photo is our skiffs in Grayson Cove on a coastal cruise.
Team Searcher
Hello birders (day’s end report),
We had success this afternoon finding Townsend’s shearwaters! Windy conditions made it a bit difficult to photograph them close up, but everyone had a chance to see the bird. Approximately 30 shearwaters were seen today along with several Masked, Brown, Red-footed and Blue-footed boobies; Magnificent and Great frigatebirds, Noddy terns, and Socorro wren. We are spending another day here and then we will head towards Cabo tomorrow night.
Team Searcher
Hello birders,
Another day at sea and a good day with light winds and calm seas. With 82 degree sea temp and warm air as well, we are definitely in the tropics! We stopped twice today to put a fish oil slick out and we saw more Leach’s storm-petrels. They have quite a range. We had Red-footed, Masked and Brown boobies joining us from time to time during the day with the occasional Pink-footed shearwater, Jaeger and Red-billed tropicbird.
The highlight for me was a group of Rough-toothed dolphin. We saw a barrel floating with a few dolphin around it and as we got closer, we identified them – a first sighting for me and for the crew. The crew also wanted to see a Red-footed booby and they had lots of opportunities today.
More tomorrow from Isla Socorro.
-Captain Art and Team Searcher
Hello birders,
We ended our day by creating another fish-oil slick and multiple storm petrels came in to our view. Then we enjoyed a small group of common dolphins and a green flash at sunset. After a great dinner of chicken parmesan, salad, and boat-baked bread, we turned off the lights and slowed down to do some star gazing. It was spectacular since we had such clear skies! A few people knew their constellations well, so everyone enjoyed the night sky.
We are headed for Isla Soccorro and are due to arrive tomorrow night.
Team Searcher
Hello all,
We are currently 160 miles off the Baja peninsula and 330 miles from Isla Socorro. We are at the same latitude as the tropic of Cancer and will be in the tropics shortly. The weather is awesome with light winds, calm seas, warm air and the sea temperature is 77 degrees.
We have seen a couple of Masked boobies, a Brown booby, Frigatebirds and plenty of Leach’s storm-petrels associated with our fish oil slick this morning. We are currently travelling after stopping for 2 hours to disperse the fish oil slick. Our plan is to stop again late this afternoon for a couple of hours for more viewing opportunities as we add another slick.Here is a photo of our guests who are enjoying the addition of the shade canopy to the seating area on the stern.
More later,
Team Searcher
