July 19, 2009: Flights Home (San Diego-Atlanta-Buffalo)

Only one photo on the flight back of these cool cirrus clouds

July 18, 2009: San Diego Pelagic Offshore Trip and San Diego Coastal Birding

Today Melissa and I were very fortunate to share a ride on a short pelagic trip with BJ Stacey, Dave Povey, and Terry Hunefeld. Many thanks to Dave for the use of his boat! It was a great ride from San Diego Harbor to the nearby Coronado Islands of Mexico, and we saw some interesting stuff!

Brown Pelican in San Diego Harbor

Pelagic Cormorants in the harbor

Snowy Egret

California Seal

Pelagic Cormorant

Sunrise over San Diego

Out in the open sea-

Black Storm Petrel

Western Gulls off the hull

Above and below: Pink-Footed Shearwater

Elegant Tern

Cassin's Auklet

Elegant Tern

Above and Below: Sooty Shearwater

Ocean Sunfish (Mola Mola)

Dolphin

Pictures from Coronado Island

Brown Pelicans

California Sea Lion

Black Oystercatcher and Pelagic Cormorant

Pelagic Cormorant and Western Gull

Above and below: Baby Western Gulls

Above and below: Black Oystercatcher shots

Nice shot of one of the islands

More Pelagic Cormorants

Some nice shots of the island's Brown Boobies

A view of the islands

More seal photos

Sea stars along the rocks

Peregrine Falcon

Above and Below: Mexican Army outposts on the Coronado Islands

More views of Coronado Islands:

Heerman's Gull

Brown Pelican

Now back in San Diego Harbor

Brown Pelican photos

Some birding at various locations on Point Loma

We found this Black Phoebe looking for parrots off Canon St

From Cabrillo National Monument

California Towhee

Common Raven (Sunset Cliffs)

Rosencrans Cemetery:

Anna's Hummingbird

At the Bacon Park area of the San Diego River

Whimberel

Pipers flying down the river (mostly Dowitcher)

Black Skimmer

Terns and pipers on the river

Osprey

American Crow

La Jolla Area

Hooded Oriole

Double-Crested Cormorant (above and below)

Baby Western Gull on La Jolla cliffs

California Seals

Black Turnstone

Back in the San Diego River area: Least Tern