Date: 3/2/26 2:22 pm From: Naresh Satyan via groups.io <naresh.satyan...> Subject: [LACoBirds] Lots of Common Murres in the San Pedro channel
Hi all,
Yesterday March 1, some of us went on a small boat ride in the San Pedro channel on the zodiac Cetacea out of Long Beach (Rainbow Harbor). We had clear skies, light swell and mostly calm winds with only minor wind chop. We travelled a big loop, checking the San Pedro escarpment from San Pedro to Point Vicente, then out to the 270 Bank in the western San Pedro channel, then south towards the west end of Catalina island, then followed the dropoff on the north side of the island east past the isthmus, and finally turned back to cross the channel and get back to Rainbow Harbor.
Seabirds were interesting. Some winters there are no Common Murres in our waters. Yesterday they were everywhere - along the San Pedro escarpment, the 270 bank, on the north side of Catalina island, and mid-channel. We tallied a total of 188 birds, which I think is my highest count in decades. The other alcid present in good numbers was a total of 90 Rhinoceros Auklets, which interestingly were absent entirely from the San Pedro escarpment but were present in good numbers closer to the island. We also had a few Cassin's Auklets, but disappointingly, no Scripps's Murrelets, which seem to be scarce so far this season.
The only tubenoses were a couple hundred Black-vented Shearwaters and a single Sooty Shearwater that quickly flew past the boat. Three Parasitic Jaegers were seen in different places. A small flock of 5 Red Phalaropes was in shallow waters south of the harbor.
Dave Bell found a (continuing?) nonbreeding/immature White-winged Scoter in the LA river channel next to the Pierpoint Landing parking lot and lighthouse before we left, and this bird was present on our return. I understand this bird is still continuing in the same area today March 2.
Non-bird wildlife was rather scarce, but included a small pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins, a small shark, a distant large baleen whale, and a "smelled-only" Minke whale.
