27th SEPTEMBER 1998 WOLLONGONG PELAGIC TRIP REPORT
Departed at 7.15 am and returned at approx. 4.30 pm. Sea calm with a
0.5 to 1.5 m SE swell, decreasing later. Winds light and variable. Bright
sunshine all day.
Water temperature 15.0 to 17.8 degrees C.
In calm anticyclonic conditions we headed well over continental slope to 26
Nautical Miles E of the harbour, at a depth of some 600 fathoms. We were
hoping to see migrating storm-petrels so made a fish-oil slick and stayed
with it for 2.5 hours. The first things to show up were fish: Mahi Mahi,
Albacore and Yellowfin Tuna. A Wilson's Storm-petrel stayed with the us
for the duration of our stay, and later in the day a small group of
Gibson's assembled.
The conditions made for a very slow day, although pterodroma numbers were
about average. By contrast shearwater numbers were very low.
THE BIRDS
(Note: numbers in brackets = highest count at any one time)
Little Penguin 7 (3).
Gibson's Albatross (D. gibsoni) 6 (4).
Antipodean Albatross 1 (1); 1 sub-adult female.
Black-browed Albatross (T. melanophris) 3 (2) first year.
Campbell Albatross (T. impavida)3 (2); first year.
Providence (Solander's) Petrel 50-60 (35)
Great-winged petrel (gouldi) 7 (5)
Cape Petrel (australe) 1
Sooty Shearwater 1 (1)
"Cookalaria" petrel 3 (3)
Short-tailed (Slender-billed) Shearwater 1 (1)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 42 (28)
Fluttering Shearwater 350+ (300+)
Hutton's Shearwater 200 (150)
Black-bellied Storm-petrel 1 (1)
Wilson's Storm-petrel 3 (2)
Australasian Gannet 200 (175+)
Silver Gull 30+ apparently staying ashore today!
Kelp Gull 2 (1) adult
Crested Tern 10+ (6)
Common Tern 2 (2)
Great Cormorant 1 (1)
21 species of seabird identified - away from the breakwater (- 2 depending
on taxonomic view!)
MAMMALS
Oceanic Bottle-nosed Dolphin 8
Sydney Pelagics depart on the 2nd Saturday of each month, Eden Pelagics the 3rd
Sunday of each month, and Wollongong Pelagics depart on the 4th Sunday of
each month.
If you would like to join one of these trips please contact either Tony
Palliser or Pete Milburn to make a booking.
Tony Palliser Ph; 02-99001678 (w), 02-94277563 (h)
http://www.zip.com.au/~palliser
Pete Milburn Ph; 0416-249506, 02-62551313 or Wk 02-62494326
Dr.Peter Milburn
Biomolecular Resource Facility
The Australian National University
GPO Box 334 Canberra ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA
Phone No. <61> <2> 6249 4326
Fax No. <61> <2> 6249 4326
E-mail Address
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