Dear Folks
I went on a Heritage Expeditions to Cambell, Snares & Auckland Island,
Macquarie Islands this January 9-22. It was a great trip with a lot of
nesting Albatross and Penguins. Better, to get away from the horror of Qld
summer.
There were an Israel birder on board by the name Hadoram Shirihai. He is
working on a new book on Seabirds. I just wonder whether we need another
book on that subject? There are already great books on seabird
identification in circulation and Harrison is opdating his now out of date
book. We also got the handbook of A & NZ. + the word + all the field guides.
I photograped Antipodes Wandering A on Campbel Island and saw the Snowy
Albatross off Macquarie Island. It was almost 25% bigger than Gibsony,
white on forwing to the tips. uniform pink bill and tiny black tips on the
white tail. It was sitting on the water like a white mute swan. I got the
Auckland Island snipe 15 minutes before departure from Enderby Island and
the threatened Auckland Teal. 5 pinguins + 20 other seabird lifers. Because
of a virus outbreak in the Hookers Sealion colony, the Island is closed off
from visitors.
According to Collor et al. there are now two Bullers (another split)!. I saw
the ones breeding on Snares Island and a few near Campbel Island. Othe other
for breeds on Chatham Islands.
Prions were confusing. How do you separate Fulmar from Fairy from the BOAT?
I saw some with much less black on tail and some gray flanks and more
destinct M markings near Bluff not far from Snares Island. Surprisingly I
did not see any prions near Snares. There were hips of Antartic Prions near
Auckland (Photos.).
For people signed up to the November trip, be aware that landings or Nerad
cruises around the Snares Island may not take place, if the weather is
rough. The staff on board prefer to err on caution, as elder passangers may
have difficulty to get off the Nerads in rough conditions. We were fortunate
to do almost all landings & cruises except one. We missed the White-cap
Albatross colony on Auckland. We saw plenty of them at sea. In November the
weather may be more rough as low depressions may take a more northerly route
than in mid summer. The high over A moves south during summer and pushes the
worst storms way south of Macquarie island.
On the other hand, there were some serious missess. Although I watched birds
all day during the trip, I could not see any Gray, Blue and Fulmar Petrels!.
I think they move south during the summers to Antartic. I gusss a November
trip would be better for those birds.
I got very good pictures, close up sharp of Bullers, White-cap, Shy,
White-eyed Black-browed, LM Sooty, Antipodes and Gipsoni WA, S Royal
Albatross (Display), Antartic Prion, White-headed, Halls & White phase of S.
Giant Petrel, All Penguins, Auckland Island Shag (Display) & teal, Tomtit
etc. Campbell Shag. Special Race of Double-banded Plower and Yellow crowned
&Red-crowned Parakeet, Antartic tern feeding chick, sealions and a reaonable
shot of White-chinned Petrel.
I got a quote of 100 dollars to have one slide scanned to professional
quality on CD Rom used for publication. Lower quality scans used for Email
and prints cost about $10 per slide. I have decided to wait until the
technology improves and prices come down. It is better to make dublicates
and send the originals out of qld to Denmark, as humid and hot Qld is not a
place to keep anything valuable.
Niels Poul Dreyer
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