Seawatch Report - Nov 27

Nazca booby

Today's seawatch was highlighted by the Nazca Booby that reappeared during the 1000 hour, perched on the Pt. Pinos rocks until 1300, returned again sometime during the 1400 hour, and was still on the Pt. Pinos rocks when I left somewhat after sunset. Many birders--and many passers-by--got great looks at this great bird today, and I'm glad it's stuck around.

The winds today were less favorable than they've been: 7-16 knots ENE in the morning becoming more north and diminishing to around 5 knots in the afternoon, then turning a little west in the last hours of the count. At the outer buoy overnight and during the morning it was blowing from the north at 8-12 knots, becoming northwest 6-12 knots in the afternoon hours.

The scoter flight turned back on today! We tallied 4880 over the course of the day, with our peak hour being the last hour of the count, when 1502 came by. Many of the flocks today were cutting low across the bay near the buoy, and some of our largest evening flocks were cutting over the golf course behind the Seawatch. Tagging along in these scoter flocks were 2 White-winged Scoters, 1 Black Scoter, and 2 Cinnamon Teal.

The alcid flight was comparatively quiet: 468 Common Murres (peak hour 0700) and 9 Ancient Murrelets; I did not see any Rhinoceros Auklets today.

The loon flight was a shadow of yesterday's: just 2114 Pacifics and 287 Red-throats. A Black-footed Albatross, our first in nearly two weeks, was the tubenose highlight; we also had 1 Pink-footed and 1 Sooty Shearwater, 35 Northern Fulmars, and an all-white tubenose that, judging from flight style and shape, was likely a Black-vent with pigment issues.

1 Parasitic and 2 Pomarine Jaegers and 3 Marbled Murrelets were also highlights from today.

See the full checklist here: https://ebird.org/tripreport/296240

-Alison Vilag