12 Blue-footed Boobies at the Salton Sea, CA

[AndyB]

There's been a couple of birds present most of the summer but this weekend have now been joined by some more friends. Photo of 7 of the unprecedented flock is here:
http://www.westernfieldornithologists.org/gallery/
Bird on the right is banded. Not sure of chances of survival for any of these birds...

[MichaelF]

Not sure of chances of survival for any of these birds...Why so, if two have been there for most of the summer? Illegal hunting?

Edit: pollution, I presume? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_River_%28Mexico_%E2%80%93_United_States%29

[AndyB]

You're right about the pollution. But I think there's also an assumption (and maybe it's wrong) that all these seabirds are doomed that head up the east side of the Baja peninsula and become trapped at the Sea of Cortez. They then head north for a couple of hundred miles over inhospitable desert until they find the Salton Sea. Incredible records such as Wedge-tailed Shearwater and Cook's Petrel and several storm petrel species to name just a few. Not sure the tubenoses do find enough food to sustain themselves, although the Boobies do often hang around for a while. More regularly occuring birds such as Yellow-footed Gull and Wood Stork probably do migrate south back to Mexico but seems incredible to think that the seabirds manage it.

[MichaelF]

Can see that Shearwaters and Petrels could be stuck, but boobies I'd have thought would be OK, the place looks large enough for them to "act normally" in feeding behaviour, and if the fish can support a large pelican population, they could support a few boobies too.

[AndyB]

at least 3 have kicked the bucket, picked up dead this morning. Only 2 birds seen today, so either the others have moved on or also died and bodies not recovered.