SoCalBirding.com

Two A.O.U. pelagic trip aboard Grande on Friday and Saturday, February 12 & 13, 2010 visited the Nine Mile Bank and the Coronados Islands. 

Highlights included Red-Billed Tropicbird, Long-tailed Duck, lots of Brown Boobies and oystercatchers, 3 species of Shearwater, 4 species of alcid, 3 species of loons, 3 species of cormorant, 2 species of jaeger, 2 species of whales, 4 species of dolphin, 2 species of seal and a nice variety of rocky shorebirds. 

The highlight was a completely unexpected, close to shore and out of season Red-billed Tropicbird that flushed from 200 meters then circled back and flew directly over Grande not once but twice.  While this species is of regular occurrence around Pyramid Cove off San Clemente island in the summer and fall, it is very rare close to the mainland.  They are casual at best in winter; e.g. 3 birds off California in late January 1977 (Garrett and Dunn, 1981).

The female Long-tailed Duck that’s been wintering with a Surf Scoter flock just off the cobbles at Ballast Point was missed both mornings, but seen both afternoons.  Several Black Oystercatchers were at Ballast Point each morning along with Black Turnstone, Wandering Tattler, Willet, Whimbrel and Spotted Sandpiper.

A total of  42 Black-vented Shearwaters were seen during the two days as that species continues its retreat to breeding territory on islands off the coast of Baja, Mexico.  We also found a few winter straggler Pink-footed Shearwaters. 

We explored the Nine Mile Bank and found some of the rarest seabirds in the world over the two days: about two dozen Xantus’s Murrelets.  Adding to our alcid count throughout the day were 60+ Rhinoceros and more than 300 Cassin’s Auklets. 

We crossed the Coronados Canyon and the international border into Mexico where we counted 35 Brown Boobies each day, some coming to greet us (and check out our gull flock) and on Middle “Booby” Rock. Two or three were on nests.  Black Oystercatchers were well seen and a hybrid Black x American Oystercatcher was spotted. 

Captain James put us right on Gray Whales for great photo ops.  While sailing near the Coronados Islands, a Humpback Whale surfaced near Grande.  Other marine mammals seen included Bottlenose, Common, Risso’s and Pacific White-sided Dolphins along with Elephant Seals, Harbor Seals and California Sea Lions.

The next SoCal pelagic is the Los Angeles Audubon’s annual winter pelagic from San Pedro on February 27.  This trip has perhaps one or two openings before being sold out.   

The San Diego Audubon’s S.D. Bird Festival Pelagic trips aboard Grande (two Manx Shearwaters, 2 Mew Gulls and a Blue-footed Booby seen last year) are scheduled for March 4 and 6 with the Sunday March 7 trip already sold out.  

The live-aboard Searcher goes in search of Blue Whales and Seabirds on a 3-day Memorial Day weekend outing May 29-31.  A target pelagic species for that trip is Red-tailed Tropicbird. 

Details and registration/reservation links for the above trips and all SoCal pelagics scheduled for 2010  are posted under Upcoming Trips on SoCalBirding.

The Cooper Ornithological Society, American Ornithologists' Union and The Society of Canadian Ornithologists are having their convention in San Diego this year.  Phil Unitt is one of the hosts and arranged a pelagic excursion aboard Grande for the convention. 

The first trip sold out quickly, so Phil scheduled a second excursion for Saturday, February 13.  That trip did not sell out and there are spaces available to the general publich (even if you have not registered for the convention) should you want to join a bunch of ornitholgists on a pelagic trip to the Nine Mile Bank and Coronados Islands.  Paul Lehman, Phil Unitt, Todd McGrath, and Matt Sadowski will be aboard as leaders/spotters. 

Here is Phil's trip description from the Convention Field Trip webpage:  Full-day trip by boat to Los Coronados Islands off Tijuana, Mexico, site of important colonies of the Brown Pelican, Brandt’s Cormorant, Western Gull, Xantus’ Murrelet — and now Brown Booby.  We will come and go by way of the most productive sites for pelagic birds off San Diego, center of the winter range of the Black-vented Shearwater; many other species such as the Short-tailed Shearwater and Rhinoceros Auklet are likely.

This 8 or 9-hour trip will depart Point Loma Sportfishing at 6:30 a.m. to explore the bird-rich Nine-mile Bank from the comfortable 85-foot live-aboard Grande.  On our way out of San Diego harbor we'll motor slowly by the live bait tank barges. On our way out of the harbor we'll check for oystercatchers and the Long-tailed Duck at Ballast Point.

After exploring the birds and sea mammals at the Nine-mile bank, we'll turn south and cross the international border into Mexico, exploring the waters over the Coronado Canyon along the way.  This trip is appropriate for children 10 years and older.  

Check-in Time:  Please be waiting at the Point Loma Sportfishing Landing by 6:20 when the AOU bus should arrive.  We will board directly on to Grande, no need to check in and obtain boarding passes as in other Grande trips.  Look for one of the leaders (with name badges and clipboards) to
Boarding Time:  6:30 a.m.
Departure Time: 6:45 a.m. sharp        
Return:  3:30 p.m.

ADVANCE RESERVATIONS:  Reservations are $80.   You can reserve a space now using the AOU Pelagic Registration Form above.  Contact Phil Unitt at birds@sdnhm.org or unitt@cox.net if you have any questions or problems.

FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS:  Grande has a full galley and will be serving breakfast burritos, burgers, coffee, soda, water, beer and snacks throughout the day. 

LOCALS: BRING A CHAIR - Grande has a spacious salon/cabin/galley with plenty of comfortable "restaurant-booth" seating for meals, reading, resting socializing or napping.  Seating is limited on the spacious, stable aft deck, and local residents driving to the boat are encouraged to bring a sturdy nylon outdoor folding chair aboard.  If you prefer to be where the action is, outside on deck the entire day,  Nine hours can be a long time to be on your feet -- you'll appreciate a chair.

HOW TO PREPARE:  Click for tips on how to prepare, what to wear, what to bring and when to arrive.

EXPECTED SPECIES:   What we see depends on the season, the itinerary and how far from shore we venture. Learn more about what species we will probably see and what species might be seen. 

MARINE MAMMALS, SHARKS, FISH & FISHING:  While these trips have a primary aim for spotting seabirds, rare and otherwise, they are also natural history trips.  We stop and/or follow marine mammals like whales, dolpins and look for other denizens of the deep like giant squid, sharks and even fish.  From time to time the crew may put out a fishing line if in season - it you would like to try your hand at reeling in an albacore tuna, skipjack or wahoo, just let one of the crew know and they will do their best to get you a turn at bringing in a "live-one." 

CANCELLATION POLICY:  Trips on this website are sponsored by different organizations using different boats departing from different landings and harbors.  As such, policies vary from trip to trip.