Date: 9/12/26 10:00 pm From: Naresh Satyan via groups.io <naresh.satyan...> Subject: [LACoBirds] Storm-petrels south of Catalina island
Hi all,
A quick report from a fantastic small-boat pelagic trip today aboard the zodiac Skimmer out of Newport Beach with Captain Delaney T and 5 birders on board. With stronger winds predicted outside San Clemente island, we chose to instead go to the south end of Catalina island, then head south from there to the 43 Bank (/Forty mile bank) and back via the Thirty mile bank.
The highlight of the trip was a huge number and diversity of storm-petrels. There was what appeared to be a dead large mammal on the ocean floor at the 277 Bank (southeast of Catalina Island) which hosted several thousand storm-petrels, and we also found another aggregation of several hundred birds close to the top of the Thirty mile bank (on the west side of the ridge).
- Black Storm-Petrels: estimated between 3000 and 4000 birds for the day, everywhere along the route but mostly in these huge flocks - Least Storm-Petrels: 500-600 birds, mostly mixed in with the large Black Storm-Petrel rafts, but also singles all along the route including several in fairly nearshore Orange County waters - WILSON'S STORM-PETRELS: At least three different individuals (two birds over the 277 bank and one near the 30 mile bank), all associating with the large Black and Least Storm-Petrel rafts - WEDGE-RUMPED STORM-PETREL: A stunning bird at the 30 mile bank, also with the Black and Least Storm-Petrel flock. - Townsend's Storm-Petrels: ~10 birds identified as this species, among many Leach's/Townsend's type birds; all white-rumped; singles and not associating with the large rafts; mostly between Catalina island and Lasuen sea mount, and dropping off in numbers further south - Leach's Storm-Petrels: ~20 birds, almost all dark-rumped; singles and not associating with the large rafts.
We had fantastic views of most of these species, and also got to record vocalizations of Black Storm-Petrels squabbling over food, which I don't remember hearing at sea before.
Otherwise, we had 5 Cocos Boobies, a few Common Terns, a pair of Craveri's Murrelets, a fly-by Guadalupe Murrelet (above eye level!), a Fulmar, a few phalaropes of both types, and not too many shearwaters or jaegers.
It may take some while to get eBird checklists done, but there should be photos eventually, and the Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel claim will need to be reviewed by the CBRC. Storm-petrels are not easy, and some corrections to these numbers are possible (even expected).
Regards, Naresh (w/ Chris Dean, Mark Scheel, Mark Wilson, Ashley Hopkins)
