So Cal Pelagic Birding
Pelagic Trips And Deep Water Expeditions

TRIP REPORT AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.  PHOTOS FOLLOW TRIP REPORT.

This trip sold sold out on January 26.   Please register early to avoid disappointment. 

Depart Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. from Point Loma Sportsfishing marina.

Nine Short-tailed Shearwaters were seen at the 9-mile Bank on March 31, 2007 by Guy McCaskie and Dave Povey together with Northern Fulmar, Cory's Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Pomarine Jaeger, Xantus's Murrelet, Cassin's Auklet and a Brown Booby.  Read Guy's account.

We will then sail into Mexican waters to the Los Coronados Islands to explore the nesting colonies of Brown Pelicans and Brown Boobies (and chicks?) and look for Masked Booby (seen 12-4-07), Blue-footed Booby (seen March - July, 2007) and Cory's Shearwater seen on “middle rock” off and on since March 23, 2005.  We'll also see Elephant Seals and one, perhaps two species of oystercatchers.

Return to Point Loma at 3:00 p.m.

PARKING - There is plenty of parking at Point Loma Sportsfishing for $5 a day.

Departure point:
Point Loma Sportfishing
1403 Scott Street
San Diego, CA 92106
Phone: 619-223-1627

DAY OF DEPARTURE   Arrive at Point Loma Sportsfishing at 5:30 a.m.  Park, pick up your boarding pass at the ticket office and board the boat no later than 6:00 a.m.  for a 6:30 departure.  Coast Guard security procedures requires a photo I.D.  It takes 30 minutes from the time everyone is on the boat to get clearance from the Coast Guard to depart.  Please don't be the person to hold up the departure. 

CANCELLATIONS  Only the landing can process cancellations.  Their phone number and refund policy is described in the reservations link

FULL SERVICE GALLEY  Breakfast, pastries, coffee, burgers, sandwiches and beverages are available in the Grande galley for purchase.

FUEL  Prices for this trip were calculated on fuel charges in December, 2007.  In the event that fuel exceeds $3.50 a gallon, there may be a small surcharge when boarding the boat, not to exceed $5 per person. 

Our goal is to help you have FUN, see lots of seabirds and understand the birds you see.  To that end, experienced pelagic leaders will be stationed around the boat.  You will recognize them by  their name tags.  They are on board for one reason: to HELP YOU SEE BIRD AND HAVE FUN.  Ask them lots of questions.  This is your opportunity to tap their knowledge and increase your knowledge of seabirds.

STORAGE:  Please don’t store gear, coolers or clothing on the floor, tables or benches in the salon – leave that space for people.  There is lots of room down below in the bunkhouse for your stuff.  Please store your bags, packs, gear and coolers in the bunkhouse on the unused bunks or outside the salon in the tackle racks.

BACKPACKS:  Please don’t wear a backpack on the boat!  It makes it very difficult for others to maneuver around you.  Please store your backpack below in the bunkhouse or on the tackle racks. 

FIGHT SEASICKNESS:  Coffee, water, snacks, pastries, sandwiches and soft drinks are available for sale in the galley.  Eat and drink fluids.  A full stomach is less likely to betray you.

MOTION MEDICATION:  If you have a motion-pill or a patch, swallow or apply before departure.  If you wait until you feel queasy, it’s too late.  If you find that you must offer up your breakfast to the chum-gods, please do so on the stern, at the very back of the boat, over the back rail. 

COASTGUARD requirements state that all passengers remain on the main deck or below.  Two leaders are allowed up top to spot birds. 

CIGARETTES are allowed only at the back rail at the stern, and only if nobody complains. 

IF YOU SEE A BIRD OR MAMMAL you don’t recognize, call it out!  Call loudly.  A leader will immediately help with an I.D.  Not only will you learn, others around you will benefit.  If you spot what turns out to be a rare bird or mammal, the leader will radio the sighting to the bridge so it can be announced over the P.A. system and everybody on the boat benefits. 

BIRD LOCATIONS  We use the “clock” method of describing the location of birds.  The bow (front) of the boat is 12 o’clock.  The starboard (right) side of the boat is 3 o’clock.  The stern (back) of the boat is 6 o’clock, and so on.  We’ll also call out if the bird is low to the water, how distant it is, and the direction it’s flying.  The more you can incorporate this description into your sighting, the faster a leader will help you identify the bird.  For example:  “There’s a small dark bird on the water at 8 o’clock at about 100 yards!” will help everyone know where to look.  Or, “White bird at 4 o’clock flying right about 200 yards from the boat at the horizon!” 

 Point Loma Parking Entrance

Point Loma Sportfishing

Point Loma Ticket Office

Grande

Participants onboard Grande 3-15-08

Photo by Trent Stanley 

No sooner were we out of San Diego harbor than 60 participants watched a Parasitic Jaeger pursue a tern up, down , sideways and upside down in an amazing display of aerial acrobatics.

By all accounts, Saturday’s maiden pelagic-birding charter from San Diego on the 85 foot live-aboard Grande was a smashing success featuring 5 flavors of tubenoses, 3 species of alcids, nearly two-dozen boobies, 14 Gray Whales, 8 species of gulls, both jaegers (putting on shows), hundreds of Common Dolphin and dozens of Pacific White-sided Dolphin.

We had just pulled away from the Point Loma Sportfishing landing, and – holy cow! – a White-winged Scoter.

Grande zig-zagged out to the Nine-mile Bank following feeding frenzies along the way. Throughout the morning we enjoyed close-up looks at multiple Northern Fulmar, Pink-footed, Sooty, Black-vented and Short-tailed Shearwaters. Full-spooned Pomarine Jaegers were in abundance.

Following the bank down into Mexico and south across Coronado Canyon we found our first Xantus's Murrelets. The aromatic scents of the Chum-O-Matic coaxed more shearwater, fulmar and a booby to the boat even before we reached the Coronados Islands where we found 20 more Brown Boobies and 22 oystercatchers (including one hybrid).

On the return trip from the islands, the popcorn-gorging gull flock lured a Brown Booby to within 3 miles of the U.S. border.

Highlight of the day included: 

• A booby repeatedly pacing the boat 10 to 15 feet above delighted onlookers on the stern.
• A Gray Whale that surfaced unexpectedly 15 feet off the starboard side of Grande.
• Incredible close-up views of Pink-footed Shearwaters.
• Rhino auklets everywhere.
• Three fulmar at a time circling the boat (they could SMELL that Chum-O-Matic chum and WANTED IT).
• Hundreds of Common Dolphin completely surrounding the boat, leaping out of the water.
• The biggest mola-mola that many of us had EVER seen.
• Multiple Short-tailed Shearwater twisting and banking.

The weather was warm, breezy and sunny. Many participants made use of Grande's generous outdoor seating, enjoying the fresh breezes and sunshine. Others lounged in Grande's comfortable salon enjoying the mouthwatering hamburgers and burritos being served up by the galley.

The next two Grande charter pelagic birding trips sail on May 10 (a double-header). We expect to add multiple species of Storm-petrels into the mix plus tropicbirds, albatross and pterodroma on the deep water portion to the edge of the continental shelf. More info at http://www.socalbirding.com/

The June 5-day deep-water expedition on Searcher offers the best opportunity for rarities and mega-rarities on the west coast because we'll be out for four solid days (more than 50 daylight birdable hours) in both the Channel Islands and in deep water at the edge of the continental shelf.   More info at http://www.socalbirding.com/

THE USA (SAN DIEGO) LIST

12 Brant

190 Surf Scoter

1 White-winged Scoter

4 Pacific Loon

4 Common Loon

10 Western/Clark's Grebe

6 Northern Fulmar

1 Pink-footed Shearwater

2 Sooty Shearwater

1 Short-tailed Shearwater

2 Black-vented Shearwater

115 Brown Pelican

75 Brandt's Cormorant

1 Double-crested Cormorant

1 Wandering Tattler

1 Black Turnstone

15 Bonaparte's Gull

5 Heermann's Gull

2 Mew Gull

1 Ring-billed Gull

15 California Gull

350 Western Gull

2 Glaucous-winged Gull

1 Caspian Tern

12 Forster's Tern

5 Royal Tern

18 Elegant Tern

5 Pomarine Jaegers

3 Parasitic Jaegers

3 Pom/Par Jaegers

32 Rhinoceros Auklets

THE MEXICO (BAJA NORTE) LIST

4 Surf Scoter

7 Northern Fulmar

3 Pink-footed Shearwater

4 Sooty Shearwater

3 Short-tailed Shearwater

4 Sooty/Short-tailed Shearwater

21 Brown Booby

750 Brown Pelican

1100 Brandt's Cormorant

1 Double-crested Cormorant

5 Pelagic Cormorant

1 American Kestrel

1 Peregrine Falcon

1 Red Phalarope

21 Black Oystercatcher

1 Hybrid Am/Black Oystercatcher

2 Bonaparte's Gull

3 Heermann's Gull

1 Mew Gull

2 American Herring Gull

10 California  Gull

1500 Western Gull

2 Glaucous-winged Gull

6 Elegant Tern

2 Pomarine Jaegers

9 Xantus's Murrelet

2 Cassin's Auklet

35 Rhinoceros Auklets

1 House Finch

PHOTO LINKS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68911779@N00/

http://www.sdbirder.com/gallery/4525196_3A9Xa#266450445

http://www.kiwifoto.com/viewer/los_coronados_pelagic_031508/