Date: 10/16/26 11:00 am From: Carl Lundblad via groups.io <carl.lundblad...> Subject: Re: [IBLE] Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels in Utah
It was definitelyTropical Storm Rachel that brought these birds to Utah.
The east side and southeast quadrant of a tropical storm are typically
favored for deposition of displaced and entrained pelagic birds. Rachel
moved from the Baja coast near Ensenada, northeast and along the
Nevada/Utah border, and Utah was therefore perfectly positioned along with
the Salton Sea (CA) and Lake Havasu (CA/AZ), both of which got multiple
storm petrel species. It's relatively unlikely that sea birds would have
been displaced to the west of the center of the circulation (i.e., into
Idaho or central/northern Nevada), although not out of the question, and
some of these birds could be dispersing as they try and make their way back
to the ocean. I did not expect pelagic birds to make it nearly so far
inland from this magnitude of tropical storm, but the track was ideal and
we kind of missed the metaphorical boat in the Nevada (though a few
observers searched Lakes Mead and Mojave on the Lower Colorado River), not
helped by the appearance of a fantastic non-storm related (presumably)
rarity/first state record in Henderson, NV (a Yellow Grosbeak) on the eve
of the storm.
Happy Birding,
Carl Lundblad
Reno, NV
On Fri, Oct 16, 2026 at 10:49 AM Cliff Weisse via groups.io <cliffandlisa=
<octobersetters.com...> wrote:
> Here's a checklist with some good photos:
>
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S401885086 > On 10/16/26 10:12AM, lcarrigan_55 via groups.io wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing, Cliff. The Pacific storms Rachel & Simon must have
> really blown some birds off-course! If anyone has any photos, please share
> on this forum. Would be fascinating.
>
> Brian Carrigan
> Blackfoot
>
> --
> Cliff and Lisa Weisse
> Island Park, <Idahocliffandlisa...>
>
>
>
>
