It was another long day yesterday. I woke up at 3:30AM to drive down to San Diego to catch the “Grande” fishing/birding pelagic boat out to the Coronado Islands in Mexican waters. The weather was magnificent as we all enjoyed a beautiful sunrise just before the boat departed at 7AM. The sea wasn’t as gracious. Just as we left the safety of the harbor the waters began getting a little choppy. Within the first hour, I observed a few people graciously donating their breakfasts to the birds at the rear of the boat. Fortunately I’m never one to get sick – I suppose it’s the fact I always take a dramamine and make sure I have plenty of food and water in my stomach throughout the day. They also say you should also get a good nights sleep and don’t drink alcohol the night before. But that’s never stopped me!
![Coronado Islands Coronado Islads](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/scenery/coronado_islands_mexico/coronado_islands_2007.jpg)
Coronado Islands
As we were leaving the harbor we were greeted with Black-vented, Sooty and Pink-footed Shearwaters later joined by several Northern Fulmars. We were surpised at not seeing any Alcids (Rhino, Cassin’s Auklet, Xantus’ Murrelet, etc.) But by mid-day we encountered at least a half dozen Xantus’ Murrelets and several Rhinoceros Auklets. Along the lines of mammals, we had a few Gray Whales, a Fin Whale heading south, lots of Common, Risso’s and Bottlenose Dolphins and many California Sea Lions.
![Coronado Islands Coronado Islads](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/scenery/coronado_islands_mexico/coronado_islands_2001.jpg)
Coronado Islands
At the Coronado Islands themselves we found 20+ Brown Boobies, many of them nesting already. There was also a Peregrine Falcon pair entertaining us with their aerial acrobatics and high speed nose dives. All the other common stuff included Black Oystercatchers (many Am./Black hybrids), Brandt’s, Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, lots of Brown Pelicans and many Western and California Gulls.
![Pink-footed Shearwater Pink-footed Shearwater](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/pink_footed_shearwater/pink_footed_shearwater_7C2V6690.jpg)
Pink-footed Shearwater
![Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/peregrine_falcon/peregrine_falcon_7C2V6803.jpg)
Peregrine Falcon
![Peregrine Falcon Peregrine Falcon](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/peregrine_falcon/peregrine_falcon_7C2V6799.jpg)
Peregrine Falcon
![Northern Fulmar Northern Fulmar](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/northern_fulmar/northern_fulmar_7C2V6663.jpg)
Northern Fulmar
![Rhinoceros Auklet Rhinoceros Auklet](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/rhinoceros_auklet/rhinoceros_auklet_7C2V6935.jpg)
Rhinoceros Auklet
![Black-legged Kittiwake Black-legged Kittiwake](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/black_legged_kittiwake/black_legged_kittiwake_7C2V6763.jpg)
Black-legged Kittiwake
![Xantus's Murrelet Xantus's Murrelet](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/xantus_murrelet/xantus_murrelet_7C2V6777.jpg)
Xantus’s Murrelet
![Brown Booby Brown Booby](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/brown_booby/brown_booby_7C2V6871.jpg)
Brown Booby
![Sooty Shearwater Sooty Shearwater](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/galleryphotos/sooty_shearwater/sooty_shearwater_7C2V6780.jpg)
Sooty Shearwater
![Coronado Islands Coronado Islads](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/scenery/coronado_islands_mexico/coronado_islands_1997.jpg)
Searching the rocks for Boobies @ Coronado Islands
![Guy Mccaskie Guy Mccaskie](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/scenery/coronado_islands_mexico/guy_mccaskie_1999.jpg)
Guy McCaskie
![GPS Track GPS Track](https://www.kiwifoto.com/images/coronado_gps_track_040409_thumb.jpg)
GPS Track plotted by Google Earth