Date: 1/26/25 11:35 am From: Stan Walens via groups.io <stan.walens...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] La Jolla Cove, Jan 16, 2025
Spent about an hour at the Cove this morning in the very cold SW winds, from 7:10-8:15.
The first real winds after 3 months of doldrums here.
There was a constant flood of black-vented shearwaters, stretching from over the kelp bed all the way to the horizon.
I counted 4-5/second for almost the entire time I was there.
At 4/second, that’s about 250/minute or 15000/hour. At 5/second, that’s 300/minute or 18000/hour.
That’s in line with the maximum number I’ve seen at one time this winter, only once, a number that is substantially below the yearly mean.
All the shearwaters were heading south except for 6 that briefly headed north, so no double-counting of circling birds.
At 8:05 the wind shifted, the shearwaters headed further offshore, and the number per minute dropped to 3.
In the flock was 1 obvious Manx shearwater, 1 white-vented black-vented [white undertail coverts but no saddlebags, no ear crescent, and brownish-black plumage], and 2 of the 5 different leucistic birds I’ve seen this winter.
One of those leucistic birds so closely mimics the plumage of mottled petrel that my heart stops every time I see it.
Also heading south were 22 Pacific loons, 4 red-throated loons and 2 common loons.
This is the worst year here for loons in the 42 years I’ve been counting, and today’s count is for me a high number for an hour this season.
I’d say loon numbers are down to less than 1% of a normal year.
I have no idea if this is all due to population crash or if the birds are wintering further north, but my guess is population crash.
3 surf scoters, a pomarine jaeger and 2 parasitic jaegers. No alcids, no other tubenoses. No unusual gulls.
Stan Walens, San Diego
January 16, 2025; 11:25 a.m.
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