Thursday Aug. 1st., Tom Blackman, Jack and Doug Hanna, and I did a birding tour of the 9- Mile and 30- Mile Banks in San Diego Co. waters. We found the morning somewhat rough and windy, but by mid-morning things started to settle and by noon we had nearly glass calm seas, and sunny conditions.
Highlights:
2 Guadalupe Murrelets, an adult with juvenile seen at the south end of the 30-Mile Bank near Mex. Border. Juv. could get into the air but not sustain flight more that a few yards. Adult was heard doing repeated “insect like” trilled contact call, (differs from the more musical whistled call of Scripps’s). Photos taken.(the only alcids seen today)
1 South Polar Skua, north end of 9-Mile Bank (11 n.m. from Pt. Loma).
3 Brown Boobies, all immatures, mid 9-Mile Bank. 3 together seen on the way out morning, one in the same area, on the way in the afternoon.
8 Ashy Storm-Petrels, mid San Diego Trough to 30-Mile Bank.
1 Leach’s Storm-Petrel, dark rumped, seen near the south end of 30-Mile Bank.
some other species numbers:
Pink-footed Shearwater 60
Sooty Shearwater 75
Black-vented Shearwater 135 (many on 9-Mile Bank, some further offshore)
Black Storm-Petrel 40
Surfbird 6 Zuniga Jetty (not present on 7-27)
Black Turnstone 15
Ruddy Turnstone 1
Red Phalarope 6
Red-necked Phalarope 215
Elegant Tern 25 offshore, 300+ Zuniga Jetty and S.D.Bay entrance.
Parasitic Jaeger 1
