Date: 8/9/26 5:06 am From: <lehman.paul...> via groups.io <lehman.paul...> Subject: [SanDiegoRegionBirding] San Diego pelagic, Aug 8th: 3 Masked/Nazca & 19 Cocos, 17+ Black-footeds, 5 Townsend's, Black Tern
The first of two back-to-back pelagic trips off San Diego this weekend took place Saturday, August 8, aboard "Legacy" out of Seaforth Landing and sponsored by Buena Vista Audubon Society. Ocean conditions were light to moderate. Highlights of the trip included three immature Masked/Nazca Boobies: one circled the boat 5.4 miles W of Ocean Beach and two were on buoys 8.5 miles SW of the tip of Point Loma. We shall see if the many photos obtained might elevate one or more of these birds to full species rank. A total of 19 Cocos Boobies for the day was quite high. At least 17 Black-footed Albatrosses--possibly as many as 20--which included 12 at a single chum slick on the 30-Mile Bank, ties the all-time high count for San Diego waters set just last month. Also at the 30-Mile Bank were at least 5 Townsend's and 8 Leach's Storm-Petrels. A breeding-plumaged Black Tern was several miles off Ocean Beach. A choppy sea surface made alcid searching difficult, and we ended up with only a good number of Cassin's Auklets. Totals for the trip once we were over a mile offshore were as follows:
For information on future trips this year between late August and mid-October, see sandiegopelagics.com
--Paul Lehman, Bruce Rideout, Dan Jehl, Ted Keyel, Dan King, Matt Sadowski, San Diego
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