Today, August 29, Sea & Sage Audubon held their annual summer pelagic trip (a little bit later than usual) aboard the Ocean Institute's R/V Sea Explorer. From Dana Point, we visited the 279 Bank, Crespi Knoll, Lausen Sea Mount, and points in between. There was an incredible showing of storm-petrels on today's trip, such that we laid out fish oil slicks at all three sea mounts that we visited, and had a good showing of storm-petrels at each slick. We ended up seeing and getting good looks at five species of storm-petrels, including good numbers of Blacks and Leach's (mostly Chapman's types), and a minimum of 4 Townsend's, 3 Ashies, and 8 Leasts. Those numbers do not include an additional 20 or so white-rumped storm-petrels, likely Leach's or Townsend's. Aside from storm-petrels, there was decent diversity but low overall numbers of other seabirds, including Red Phalarope, Pomarine Jaeger, Cassin's Auklet, Craveri's Murrelet, Sabine's Gull, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Pink-footed, Sooty, and Black-vented shearwaters, and Cocos Booby. An American-type oystercatcher was on the shore of the island in Dana Point Harbor. The non-bird highlight was an Oceanic Manta Ray at Lausen Sea Mount.
A preliminary eBird trip report is available here, subject to review of photos, etc: https://ebird.org/tripreport/565558 Tom BensonRedlands, CA
