Date: 4/20/26 7:11 pm From: Logan Kahle via groups.io <logan...> Subject: [SFBirds] San Francisco county Deepwater Pelagic 4/18 Murphy's Petrel, Flesh-footed Shearwater etc
Hi All,
On Saturday, April 18th, 40 intrepid birders set off aboard the Outer Limits on a 12 hour pelagic, with the primary purpose of accessing the offshore seamounts of San Francisco county, located southwest of the Farallon Islands in hopes of finding deepwater species in SF county waters. We departed around 5:30am and returned around 5:30pm, covering over 150 miles of oceanic turf.
We left the harbor while it was still dark. In the dawn light about 10 miles offshore it was clear the ocean was alive with birds. We were motoring through flocks of northbound Pacific Loons, Surf Scoters, and Red-necked Phalaropes everywhere we looked. As we got farther off, scores of Pink-footed Shearwaters joined the northbound streams, and a few lucky individuals noted a somewhat aseasonal and very near-shore SCRIPPS' MURRELET. Nearing the continental shelf edge, we saw our first Albatrosses, first a Black-footed and then a beautiful LAYSAN ALBATROSS, our first of three for the day! In the marine mammal department an Elephant Seal bobbed along the waves and a couple Fin Whales put on a brief show.
The birds today were moving north. Everything. It felt like Spring migration out there, with alternate-plumaged Phalaropes, Sabine's Gulls, Loons and Jaegers bee-lining it to their arctic breeding grounds. Pomarine Jaegers were in full splendor, with over 20 showing today, almost all in a northward path, and many with full spooning tail-streamers.
We charged on off the canyon edge and kept going, and going. We were headed to Guide Seamount, a location rarely visited by birders roughly 53 miles West of Half Moon Bay. As we passed the shelf edge, the birds thinned out. They often do when you reach the true deep water of the pacific, or the "oceanic desert" as some refer to it. But hopes were high, as we knew that the chances for sought-after deep-water specialty birds was high. Sure enough, right as we reached the very tippy-top of the Guide Seamount (a full 5500' depth in comparison with the 10000' waters that surround it), a beautiful MURPHY'S PETREL cruised right by the boat, offering everyone on board a great view and experience. We also encountered a Common Tern foraging near the boat, and a few Ashy Storm-Petrels danced around the waters.
Moving north, we headed on towards Pioneer Seamount, another major underwater topographical feature south of the farallons, about 20 miles north of the Guide. Birds were thin out here, and long stretches would pass where just a jaeger or Pink-footed Shearwater was in view. But we charged on, knowing the next great offshore rarity could be just around the corner. Sure enough, just east of the Pioneer Seamount a molty odd-looking shearwater passed by: a FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER! A rare bird in the spring off California, and a much desired county bird for many on the boat.
We continued heading inshore towards the Pioneer Canyon. While out here, Caitlin Chock and a few others noticed an odd loon crossing the bow. Most of the folks on board did not see it, but a couple of the ones who did got photos. It is possible this loon is an Arctic Loon, and we are still looking into the situation now.
As we crossed over the Pioneer Canyon, we encountered a huge, active group of feeding Humpback Whales with hundreds of shearwaters and Bonaparte's Gulls frenzying about them. Mixed in with the shearwaters was another FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER. It was 3pm and we were still out at the shelf edge. It was time to come back to port.
This boat was organized by Keith Maley, Caitlin Chock and myself and was a great day on the water in excellent birding conditions. And a huge thank you to Eli Gross for meticulously keeping the eBird lists all day long.
See you out there! Logan Kahle Keith Maley Caitlin Chock
Full list of birds seen offshore (i.e. more than 5 miles off) were: Red Phalarope-4 Red-necked Phalarope-150+ Parasitic Jaeger-1 Pomarine Jaeger-20+ Common Murre-4000 SCRIPPS' MURRELET-1 Rhinoceros Auklet-4 Cassin's Auklet-5 Sabine's Gull-43 Heermann's Gull-1 Western Gull-100 California Gull-5 Common Tern-1 Pacific Loon-80 Pacific/Arctic Loon-1 (see above) Common Loon-7 Laysan Albatross-3 Black-footed Albatross-5 Ashy Storm-Petrel-3 Northern Fulmar-7 MURPHY'S PETREL-2-3 Pink-footed Shearwater-50 FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER-2 Sooty Shearwater-300 Brandt's Cormorant-20 including several out by the shelf edge Brown Pelican-30 including several northbound birds over 40 miles offshore!
