On 19 February, the San Diego Bird Festival pelagic trip travelled out to the 9-Mile Bank and off La Jolla. Here is the sightings report:
“We enjoyed fairly light seas and overall good weather. The highlight of the trip was the individual Manx Shearwater sitting on the water at moderate distance. Sighting report follows.”
Brant: 50
Surf Scoter: 14
Red-breasted Merganser: 2
Eared Grebe: 4 (offshore)
Whimbrel: 1
Black Turnstone: 1
Surfbird: 6
Least Sandpiper: 3
Spotted Sandpiper: 5
Red Phalarope: 2
Pomarine Jaeger: 1
jaeger sp.: 1
SCRIPPS’S MURRELET: 12 (mostly flighty, but very good views of one pair)
Cassin’s Auklet: 6
Rhinoceros Auklet: 1
Bonaparte’s Gull: 130
Heermann’s Gull: 25
California Gull: 250
Western Gull: 1500
Royal Tern: 6
Pacific Loon: 2
Common Loon: 6
Herring Gull: 1
PINK-FOOTED SHEARWATER: 1 (rare to very rare in February; distant) Photo at left by Todd McGrath
MANX SHEARWATER: (with rafts of Black-vented Shearwaters; approx. the 17th individual recorded in San Diego Co. waters, of which all but two are between mid-Feb and mid-Apr)
Black-vented Shearwater: 2500
BROWN BOOBY: 2 (distant views)
Double-crested Cormorant: 4
Brandt’s Cormorant: 60
Brown Pelican: 120
Great Blue Heron: 4
Great Egret: 8
Snowy Egret: 2
Osprey: 1
TRICOLORED HERON: 1 (flying south past dock in AM, heading toward its favored San Diego River channel)
–Paul Lehman, Dave Povey, Bruce Rideout, Nancy Christensen, Tom Blackman, Matt Sadowski, et al., San Diego, leaders
