Date: 9/8/25 4:20 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] San Diego pelagic Sep 7th: Flesh-footed Shearwater, SPERM WHALE, Townsend's & Leasts, Craveri's, Cocos
The San Diego pelagic trip on Sunday, Sep 7th, on board "Legacy" and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society, took place under tranquil sea and weather conditions. We went out past the 9-Mile Bank to the 30-Mile Bank and The Corner. Highlights included good looks at a sitting Flesh-footed Shearwater in a flock of Pink-footeds at the northeast corner of the Nine-Mile Bank (32.72, -117.47), small numbers of Townsend's and Least Storm-Petrels and better numbers of Leach's, two distant Cocos Boobies, and several Craveri's Murrelets. By far the rarest creature of the day was the Sperm Whale near the boat at the top end of the Nine-Mile Bank (32.72, -117.50) for extended, close views, photos, and video.
Photos of many of these species will appear in upcoming eBird lists, probably out on Tuesday. Totals for the day once we were over a mile offshore were:
Whimbrel 3
Red-necked Phalarope 67
Red Phalarope 1
Pomarine Jaeger 9
Parasitic Jaeger 5
jaeger sp. 11
Craveri's Murrelet 5
murrelet sp. 2
Sabine's Gull 1
Heermann's Gull 25
Western Gull 400
Common Tern 4
Royal Tern 1
Elegant Tern 70
Leach's (Chapman's) Storm-Petrel 12
Leach's (white-rumped) Storm-Petrel 4
Townsend's Storm-Petrel 3
Leach's/Townsend's Storm-Petrel 18
Black Storm-Petrel 1200
Least Storm-Petrel 5
Sooty Shearwater 30
Pink-footed Shearwater 470
Black-vented Shearwater 120
Cocos Booby 2
Brandt's Cormorant 29
Double-crested Cormorant 4
Brown Pelican 520
Also: Surfbird, Reddish Egret, SPERM WHALE, Minke Whale, N. Elephant Seal, Swordfish, California Flying Fish
Trips later this season still with space are on 27 Sep and 11 Oct. See sandiegopelagics.com for further information.
--Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Alex Abela, Nancy Christensen, Dan Jehl, Gary Nunn, Barbara Wise, San Diego
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