Last week, the Searcher ran its annual four-day pelagic trip out of San
Diego. Todd McGrath, Paul Guris, Don Desjardin, and I were leaders. The trip
left San Diego at noon, Wednesday, 26 April, and motored northwest through
San Diego County waters, then slipped between San Clemente and Santa
Catalina Islands during the first night. We began birding in Santa Barbara
County, on the south side of Santa Cruz Island, on the second day, and spent
most of the day crisscrossing the northern Santa Barbara Channel and
exploring waters to the south of San Miguel Island. On the third day, we
motored west to the Rodgriguez Seamount, then south-southeast to the San
Juan Seamount, well south of San Miguel. Our last full day was spent in LA
County waters, at the Cortez Bank, the Mushroom, and the Sixtymile Bank. We
returned to port early on Sunday morning, 30 April.

A full report will be posted on the Searcher Web site:
http://www.bajawhale.com/. Below are highlights:

LAYSAN ALBATROSS - 4 at the San Juan Seamount and north, 28 April
FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER - 1 near San Clemente Island, 26 April; 2 between
the Rodriguez and San Juan Seamounts, 28 April
FORK-TAILED STORM-PETREL - 2 north of the Santa Rosa/Santa Cruz passage, 27
April; 4 near the San Juan Seamount, 28 April; 1 near the Cortez Bank, 29
April
RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD - 2 near the Mushroom, 29 April
LONG-TAILED JAEGER - 2 at or near the San Juan Seamount, 28 April
ARCTIC TERN (early) - 1 between Rodriguez and San Juan, 28 April
BLACK TERN - 1 S of Refugio State Beach, northern Santa Barbara Channel, 27
April

We also had Xantus's Murrelets and Leach's Storm-Petrels flying aboard at
night, several hundred Black Storm-Petrels at a slick at the Sixtymile, and
lots of the expected birds. Marine mammals included a VERY confiding Blue
Whale on the first day, many Humpbacks and Dall's Porpoises, and both
Northern and Guadalupe Fur Seals.

Great crew, great passengers, and a really nice trip. No one seemed to mind
missing Murphy's Petrel that much.

Dave Compton
Santa Barbara