Date: 10/4/25 8:58 pm From: Tom Benson via groups.io <thomasabenson...> Subject: [OrangeCountyBirding] Sea & Sage pelagic trip, October 4
Sea & Sage Audubon held their annual fall pelagic trip today, October 4, aboard the Ocean Institute's R/V Sea Explorer. We enjoyed sunny skied with relatively light winds, a moderate swell in the morning but mostly calm seas in the afternoon. From Dana Point, we visited the 279 Bank, Crespi Knoll, Lausen Sea Mount, and areas in between. Despite seeing a decent variety of species, birds were not particularly abundant, and as is typical our day was characterized by stretches of few birds punctuated by brief periods of moderate bird activity. The highlight of the trip was an extremely cooperative BULLER'S SHEARWATER just north of the 279 Bank about 14 km west of Dana Point. Other notable sightings included two Long-tailed Jaegers, three Cocos Boobies, and a Sabine's Gull. Also of note, we saw only two Black-vented Shearwaters all day. Mammal highlights were a Humpback Whale and a Pacific White-sided Dolphin, the latter not far outside the harbor.
Tom BensonRedlands, CA
Photos of Buller's Shearwater: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/318798629
