Date: 12/7/25 5:49 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] San Diego offshore Dec 6th results
An unofficial pelagic trip aboard "Legacy" out of Seaforth Sportfishing on a general natural history trip made it out as far as the 30-Mile Bank under very light sea conditions. The December 6th date illuminated some late-season (and one early-season!) species and helped add a few late-ish or early dates to our local data. Highlights included a first-cycle Black-legged Kittiwake at the 30-Mile Bank, an unseasonal Ashy Storm-Petrel well off La Jolla, and scarce-but-regular in December single Sooty and ca. 6 Pink-footed Shearwaters. In contrast to the late lingering storm-petrel and shearwaters, we had a surprising total of 11 Scripps's Murrelets (all in the 30-Mile Bank area)--early arrivals which normally don't become routine until January. Good numbers of Northern Fulmars continue in our waters, with around 60 seen. Moderate numbers of Cassin's Auklets, a few Pomarine and Parasitic Jaegers, just a single Red Phalarope, lots of Bonaparte's Gulls, plenty of Black-vented Shearwaters including moderate numbers all the way out to the 30-Mile Bank which is rather unusual, and a moderate number of offshore southbound Pacific Loons. Totals for the trip will appear in eBird lists posted likely later today. (Also several Humpback and one Fin Whale.)
--Paul Lehman et al., San Diego
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