It was definitelyTropical Storm Rachel that brought these birds to Utah.  The east side and southeast quadrant of a tropical storm are typically favored for deposition of displaced and entrained pelagic birds. Rachel moved from the Baja coast near Ensenada, northeast and along the Nevada/Utah border, and Utah was therefore perfectly positioned along with the Salton Sea (CA) and Lake Havasu (CA/AZ), both of which got multiple storm petrel species.  It’s relatively unlikely that sea birds would have been displaced to the west of the center of the circulation (i.e., into Idaho or central/northern Nevada), although not out of the question, and some of these birds could be dispersing as they try and make their way back to the ocean.  I did not expect pelagic birds to make it nearly so far inland from this magnitude of tropical storm, but the track was ideal and we kind of missed the metaphorical boat in the Nevada (though a few observers searched Lakes Mead and Mojave on the Lower Colorado River), not helped by the appearance of a fantastic non-storm related (presumably) rarity/first state record in Henderson, NV (a Yellow Grosbeak) on the eve of the storm.  

Thanks for sharing, Cliff. The Pacific storms Rachel & Simon must have really blown some birds off-course! If anyone has any photos, please share on this forum. Would be fascinating. 

 

Brian Carrigan 

Blackfoot