Masked Booby Eleven SoCal records, ten since 1992 (Hamilton, et al, 2007). In addition to the records of Masked Booby, California has seven records of the Masked or Nazca Booby not identifiable to species (Heindel & Garrett, 2008). Most records Nov - Feb; 2 in June. An adult was photographed fishing off China Point, San Clemente Island, on 10 Aug 2003 (Hamilton, et al, 2007 and CalBirds 10Aug2003).
2006: One on breakwater to Los Angeles harbor 14 Oct 2006 (NAB, McCaskie & Garret).
2007: A subadult landed on a boat in the Santa Pedro Channel near Catalina Island 29 Sep 2007 (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). A juv Masked/Nazca seen 25 km nw of San Clemente Island 1 Nov 2007 (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). One seen and photographed with the Brown Booby colony on Los Coronados Islands, Baja, Mex (15 miles south of San Diego) 4 Dec 2007 (SDBirds)
2008: One with the Brown Booby colony on Los Coronados Islands, Baja, Mex 19 Jan 2008 (SDBirds) and 10 Feb 2008 (SDBirds).
2010: One flew over China Point, San Clemente Island on Jul 10 (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). One juv Masked/Nacza photographed on the Nine Mile Bank 21 km w of Pt Loma San Diego on Aug 29 (NAB, McCaskie & Garret).
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Blue-footed Booby Breeds in the Gulf of California. Most records July - Oct suggest post-breeding dispersal. One at San Clemente Island 17 Nov 2002 (Hamilton, et al, 2007).
2007: One photographed with Brown Booby colony on the Los Coronados Islands February through April. One at Pt. Vicente on the Palos Verdes Pen9 Jun (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). One photographed flying n along the coastline in Coronado San Diego 7 Sep (NAB, McCaskie & Garret).
2008: One photographed on the Los Coronados Islands 26 Apr (SDBirds). An immature was photographed in flight 30 miles west of San Diego 23 Aug (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett) and a similar individual was seen on Los Coronados Islands Mexico 4 Oct.
2009: One did 8 laps around Grande on a San Diego Bird Festival Pelagic trip Mar 5, 5 n.m. wsw of Point Loma San Diego. One on Anacapa Island 26 Sep was the first in Ventura County (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett). One was at Corona del Mar on 9 Sep then at nearby Dana Point Orange County 24-27 Sep (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett).
2010: One juv on LCI from Grande Sep 3.
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| Blue-footed Booby 3-5-09 (c) Thomas Blackman |
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| Masked Booby (c) Thomas A. Blackman |
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Red-footed Booby Very rare visitor. Records include one 100 nmi sw San Nicolas Island 14 Oct 2000, one at LaJolla Cove San Diego 20 Jul 2002, one Anacapa Island Ventura Co 17-20 Oct 2003 (Hamilton, et. al, 2007). A hatch-year female was captured on the beach at Camp Pendleton San Diego Co 5 Aug 2006; the fishing hook in its stomach proved fatal and it died 9 Aug (Heindel & Garrett, 2008). A second-fall bird was photographed 5 km wnw of Palos Verdes Los Angeles Co 14 Oct 2006 "increases to ten the number recorded in SoCal" (McCaskie and Garrett, 2006 and Heindel & Garrett, 2008).
2008: A juvenile rode boat Grande from Ensenada, Mexico into San Diego Harbor 28 Sep, where it was seen for 24 hours before disappearing (SDBirds; NAB, McCaskie & Garret).
2009: A subadult rode a NOAA research ship from near Anacapa Island to Point Dume Los Angeles 20-21 Sept (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett).
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| Red-footed Booby prepares to ride Grande from Baja Mexico into San Diego Harbor 28-29 September 2008. |
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Brown Booby Although most California records of the Brown Booby prior to 1980 were inland, records since then have been overwhelmingly coastal and apparently part of a range expansion that has recently brought breeders and higher numbers to the Islas Los Coronados in adjacent Baja Mexico (Iliff, et al, 2007). The breeding colony established in 2002 is 15 nautical miles south of San Diego and the U.S. border. Frequency increasing in SoCal waters (NAB Vol 64, No 1, McCaskie & Garrett).
2006: Adult male seen off shore from Imperial Beach San Diego 8 Jul and again on 1-2 Oct (Heindel & Garrett, 2008). An adult female was w of San Clemente Island 3 Oct 2006 (Heindel & Garrett, 2008). One in its first fall was taken into rehab from Newport Beach Orange 10 Oct and successfully released on 27 Oct (Heindel & Garrett, 2008).
2007: 35 on Los Coronados Islands "Middle Rock' 3 Mar and 24 Jun (Povey, SDBirds). 21 on Middle Rock 22 Aug. Three seen at La Jolla San Diego 5-24 Jun, another there 12 Aug and one off Pt Loma San Diego 26 Aug (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett and SDBirds). One seen 11 miles off shore San Diego on the Nine Mile Bank 4 Dec in San Diego waters where 30 more were seen on Middle Rock (Hunefeld, SDBirds) including 2 downy young.
2008: 22 at the Coronados Islands Middle Rock 19 Jan (Hunefeld, SDBirds) and 20-21 there from Grande on 9&10 Feb. 21 on Middle Rock 15 Mar from Grande; 19 there 10 May. The 2 downy young present on 10 May 2008 were well grown by 11 Jun (NAB, Erickson, et al). Two at Sutil Island off Santa Barbara Island 15 May 2008 were where up to 3 had been present much of 2007. One at La Jolla 26 Jun (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). One flying south in US waters 26 Jul, 14 n mi west of Mission Bay San Diego (Hunefeld, SDBirds; NAB, McCaskie & Garret). One seen from Grande far offshore near the Cortez Bank 65 km w of San Clemente Island, 180 km w of Encinitas San Diego 5 Oct. One 6 km west of San Clemente Island 4 Nov and one at La Jolla 9 Nov (NAB, McCaskie & Garret). 14 from on Middle Rock from Grande 22 Nov.
2009: 14 seen on Middle Rock 28 Jan including one downy juvenile. 26 counted in fligh and on middle rock (including one immature now in brown plumage) on 7 Mar and 19 on 8 Mar from Grande on San Diego Bird Festival. 19 on Middle Rock 4 Apr. 22 including one juveline on Middle Rock 16 May from Grande. One off San Diego 12 Jun. 3 off San Diego 13 Jul. 24 at Middle Rock 18 Jul. One in the San Pedro Channel 15 Aug (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett). 3 off San Diego 24 Aug. One at Butterfly Bank from Searcher off San Diego 11 Sep. One south of Santa Cruz Island 26 Sep (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett). One from the Condor Express off Santa Barbara 3 Oct. 39 at Middle Rock 3 Nov. One near Anacapa island 21 Nov (NAB, McCaskie & Garrett). Five off San Diego 23 Nov. Four near Nine Mile Bank in US and Mex 3 Dec.
2010: 27 in Mexician waters and Middle Rock Los Coronados Islands off San Diego 21 Jan including 2 adults on nest. A high count of 30 at or near the Los Coronados Islands on 2 day-trips 6-7 Mar and one 2.5 miles south of Point Loma on San Diego Bird Festival. 42 on or near the Coronados Islands 14 Mar. 22 seen on LCI (4 on nests) on Apr 8. 2 San Diego Brown Boobies 2.5 miles sw of Point Loma on 17 Apr. 40 on or near LCI May26. 36 from Searcher on LCI on May 31. 1 from Grande in SD waters Aug 16. 47 on or near LCI from Grande Sep 3. 42 on or near LCI Sep 18 (Dave Povey). 2 near the Thirty Mile Bank in SD waters 4 Oct from Grande. 39 on or near LCI from Grande on Nov 13 including 2 chicks and 2 on nests.
2011: The San Diego Bird Festival had 4 day trips to the NIne Mile Bank and Los Coronados Islands Mar 3-6 and recorded two in San Diego waters on March 4 and, at the islands, 33 on March 5 and 29 on Mar 6. Two seen from Searcher May 28-30 in San Diego waters and 26 on Los Coronados Island's Middle Rock.
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| Brown Booby (c) Thomas A. Blackman |
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| Brown Boobies 28 Jan 2009 (c) Thomas A. Blackman |
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| Brown Booby with chick 12 Feb 2009 (c) Terry Hunefeld |
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| Brown Booby family | Terry Hunefeld | 12 Feb 2009 |
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| "When can I fly?" Brown Booby chick on Bird Rock 12 Feb 2009 (c) Terry Hunefeld |
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SOURCES:
Many sightings contain hyperlinks tied directly to detailed Trip Reports. More frequent sightings may not contain hyperlinks, but still have detailed trip reports with more documentation and locations; click on Trip Reports in the left column.
NAB, Erickson, et al: North American Birds - Baja Mexico reports, edited by Erickson, et al. Published quarterly by the American Birding Association.
NAB, McCaskie & Garrett: North American Birds - Southern California reports, edited by Guy McCaskie and Kimball Garrett. Published quarterly by the American Birding Association.
CalBirds: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CALBIRDS/
SDBirds: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SDBIRDS/
Searcher Trip Reports: http://www.bajawhale.com/birdingtrips.asp
Other Literature Cited
Status and distribution data (c) 2008 - 2011 W. Terry Hunefeld
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