Date: 8/5/26 10:37 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [CALBIRDS] boobies, boobies, and more boobies (and other warm-water species)
Likely related to the warm water currently wafting off the coast (mid-70s!) from Mexico/Central America to Southern California, there has been a clear influx of Masked/Nazca Boobies, with most birds being either Nazca or unidentified. Scheduled pelagic trips and whale-watch trips off San Diego, and to a lesser extent at least off Los Angeles, have now reported a fair number over the past two months, a young Masked/Nazca has been roosting on the tip of Zuniga Jetty at San Diego Bay mouth for over the past two weeks, and for the past several days there have been two young Masked/Nazca's off La Jolla around 7:00-7:30 AM. Nazcas and sp.'s have been reported the past several months north all the way to off Northern California.
Cocos Boobies are in reasonable numbers off San Diego on a daily basis in the AM off Imperial Beach (especially) and off La Jolla.
So far there have been "just" several Red-footed Boobies in San Diego County waters the past few months, and about half of those have been dead birds found on the beach.
A Blue-footed Booby was photographed just off the coast in s. Orange County a few days ago.
In contrast, there have only been several young Magnificent Frigatebirds seen this summer in Southern California waters, so nothing special there.
A Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel was photographed off northern Baja (between Tijuana and Ensenada) a few days ago.
